What Do You Refuse to Buy Used?

From video games to refrigerators, you can buy almost anything second-hand. Every "gotta-have-it" techie that's craving the latest and greatest gadgets leaves behind a wake of gently used—but perfectly good—tech. But just like there are some things that you, dear readers, won't buy generic, there's got to be some home tech that you've got to buy new. We want to hear about it!

Pictured: When not to buy used.
Does this guy know a brand new 16GB Wi-Fi iPad goes for $499?

There's a lot to benefit from buying gently used tech—money and knowing you've helped reduce waste, for two—but there's also a lot of risk.

After excitedly arriving home to a new-to-us (read: used) copy of Mario Party 8 for our Nintendo Wii, we popped that disc in only to find that it was defective. The party was dead.

After a quick trip back to GameStop, we made an exchange and took another chance on another used game. This new copy worked fine and we were soon Battle Royale'ing into the late night.

In one exchange, we saw both the good (saving a couple bucks) and the bad (broken stuff) of buying used. But we're going to say that we'd buy almost anything second-hand.

What about you, readers? What do you refuse to buy used?

How do you decide when to buy used? Does price matter most? Are you more likely to buy second-hand from a friend or friend-of-a-friend than a re-sale retailer?

Tell us in the comments!

(Image: Flickr user fictoris under license from Creative Commons.)

Comments (7)

I won't buy any tech used - no ifs ands or buts. If I really want something, I want good-quality, brand new, with full warranty and the right to exchange, refund or replace.

^ Except DVDs; they're so cheap now, I don't care if a $4.99 used disc craps out on me.
Video games = new unless gifted used.

electronics and tooth brushes.

Underwear, toothbrushes, towels and other stuff that`s close to my body. Everything else - why not, of course if the price is right and the stuff is really useful and repairable by me. I once looked at my (used, but absolutely useful) tools, electronics and appliances and realized that I would declare bankruptcy if I bought all of them brand new.

Clothing, Personal Hygiene, Matresses, Sheets, pillows etc. and no tech. I will get other furniture such as tables, chairs, and things to fix up and lots of plain silver cookie tins.
I also buy used books a lot of the time and dvd's. ...

I've bought several refurbished desktop computers over the years and had really good luck with them. Would definitely go that route again.

I've bought refurbished high-end point-and-shoot cameras with equally good results. The first one I bought five years ago is still a work horse.

I bought my iPod Classic, DSLR, and laptop new, though. There's just more that can go wrong with those, and the monetary investment is great enough that I wouldn't want to risk buying used. I'd buy used lenses though, if I could try them out before-hand.