"What’s with the Pre-loved?"
I was recently asked what the story was with the Pre-loved section of the website, why I decided to have one at all, and whether people were donating or selling their pre-loved toys to me.
All pre-loved stock on Treasured Toys is bought from individual sellers, for a price that they are happy to sell it for.
While it will always be more affordable to buy pre-loved than buying brand new, sometimes the pre-loved item could be almost untouched, and worth almost the same as if it were bought brand new. As such, the condition of a pre-loved item will always determine its value, on a case-by-case basis.
The business concept of selling pre-loved toys, games and puzzles, alongside new ones, was two-fold:
1. I wanted to resell toys that children had maybe outgrown, or that there wasn’t space to store for subsequent children, younger cousins etc… There are so many toys like this in households all over Ireland! I wanted to stock pre-loved items that still have loads of life and play left in them, to continue to give joy to multiple children.
2. I wanted to contribute to the circular economy, promoting practices and awareness around waste reduction, the environmental impact of the toy industry, and sustainability.
The philosophy behind stocking both pre-loved and new products, is the recognition that there would be no pre-loved movement without people (even occasionally) buying something brand new, and passing it on when they are finished with it… So, the trajectory of a new item is that someone buys it, and loves it until they want or need to pass it on. The trajectory of a pre-loved item is that it is passed on with pride, by someone has loved it and looked after it, before sending it on its way to be enjoyed again.
Pre-loved buying and selling is a cost-effective, sustainable way of reducing demand on the resources needed to manufacture new products, and it reduces the impact of such items being disposed of into landfill. All of this, plus the reduced price tag, make buying pre-loved a compelling alternative to buying new, wherever possible.
The result of sourcing and listing multiple pre-loved toys, games and puzzles on Treasured Toys is that this has become a one-stop online shop for good quality, excellent condition second-hand items, as well as new stock. Both sections can be browsed with ease, and there is plenty of variety in the items listed.
In the case of pre-loved toys or games, some small signs of love are going to be inevitable in most cases – toys are made to be played with, after all! But the thought of toys continuing to bring joy by being passed on to others, fills me with joy, too, and helps me look past a tiny scuff or a scratch...
So go on - have a browse in the Pre-loved section and you never know, you might find a gem for a fraction of its original retail price, with the added bonus that buying it will also make you feel all warm and fuzzy (and green!) inside…
{ And if you want to sell me your beautiful pre-loved toys so that I can sell them on to others – please get in contact here and select "Pre-loved query (selling to Treasured Toys)" }
Maria xx
