How to Shop for a Second Hand Pram
Prams/ Strollers/ Pushchairs/ Buggy’s whatever it is you call them, when you fall pregnant odds are it’s the first thing you think about buying. If you are pregnant and this is going to be the first pram you’ll buy I’m sorry to tell you their not all that cheap. Or you might be in need of another pram and can’t bring yourself to spend all that money yet again.
Don’t worry. I’m here to tell you it’s not necessary. With so many babies being born everyday, and UK parents spending more that £225 Million on push chairs every year it means there are a lot of prams out there on the second hand market.
Okay, that’s great, but now your thinking “how am I going to pick the right one for me if I can’t see them all together in a shop and try them out.” The internet that how.
Bloggers are your greatest resource here because there are so many Mummy Bloggers out there that will have not only tested a pram but really put them through their paces in their everyday busy lives with kids.
Which is also a good resource, here’s their top choice of prams but I’m pretty sure (as I once heard a great blogger say) the patriarchy built most things including prams, so unless I hear a Mum that has similar needs to me say that she loves it, when it comes to a pram “I ain’t gone buy that shiz.”
First of all you need to think about what you need in a pram.
Do you live in the town or the country side? A city or a village with cobbled streets? Do you walk to the local shops/park/amenities or do you drive everywhere? Do you have a small car? Do you live in a flat? All these things need to be considered.
For me I knew I would walk as much as I could when baby arrived. Turns out that was a good plan because for the first 10 months of her life putting her in the car was like some kind of torture.
I have all the shops I need within walking distance and like to spend lot of time outdoors. Therefore my pram is normally piled high with picnic blankets, lunch boxes, a flask of coffee, a full nappy bag packed for the day and I still need room on there to do a food shop on the way home.
I also live at the top of a hill so my check list meant it needed to have a decent basket, room to hang bags off the back, be easy and light to push and basically be able to take on all terrains. Did I mention my partner also likes to run with the thing. My pram check list was pretty long.
Pin me for later…..
Where did I start looking for a secondhand pram?
I started by simply looking at what was available. My choice of searcher was Facebook Martketplace.
Early on in my pregnancy I hadn’t decided exactly what I wanted so I just simply browsed. I soon came across someone selling a Jane Salmon Matrix (My particular model is no longer on the market but this is a very similar style and includes the lay flat car seat.)
After a quick bit of research reading Mummy blogs and watching some YouTube reviews on the lay flat car seat I was 100% this was the pram for us. Unfortunately the one I had originally seen had already sold. I was only around 3 months pregnant at this point meaning I had time to wait, so wait I did. I searched on the net and put on notifications on Facebook Marketplace should one become available in my local area. Although I was prepared to travel to pick a good one up, setting the radius at 30 miles.
Turns out I didn’t have to wait long. A week later I saw one come up only 10 miles away and messaged them straight away.
We went to view it, it was in perfect condition give of take a couple of unnoticeable scratches. We paid £100 for the pram compared to its retail price of £695 and let me tell you it’s the best £100’s I’ve ever spent.
The Jane is a 3 wheel dream to push. Although it’s not perfect, (I wish the basket was slightly bigger and we didn’t use the lay flat car seat as much as we thought, opting for a maxi cosi we were given, like I said we had a child that hated the car,) but I would recommend it any day. I have so many friends that have spent a lot of money on beautiful looking prams that are just not a practical as they would like them to be and end up buying something else.
My top tips buying secondhand.
research, research, research.
YouTube, read blogs, really think about what you want from your pram. Become a pram geek. Talk to Mummy friends. Don’t ask a man (I’m being controversial here as Mat loves our pram but remember…. the patriarchy. Odds are you’ll be using it the most in the first year with mat leave and all). If you’ve done some research you’ll know the one for you when you see it.
Get to know facebook marketplace.
For me this is the best place to buy. It’s easy to use and currently the most popular so I believe you’ll get the most out of it.
Spend a good amount of time looking at the app. What else is selling and for how much? Are you getting a good deal?
Only go to view a pram that has put lots of photos.
Can you really see what condition it is in? The more photos people put up the more confident they are in what they are selling, or being honest that it has some marks.
Take someone with you when you go to view.
For obvious safety reasons but also to be another pair of eyes. I’m terrible at getting into a conversations with people and just saying yes to whatever, where as Mat wants to see what he’s buying and will give it a good look over.
Take your smallest car.
Mat has a van so whatever pram we got would fit in its boot. My Nissan Micra is a different story, we drove this there to make sure we could fit the pram in it’s boot. It’s a tight but it fits.
Accessorize your pram.
You might have loved the idea of a shiny new pram so why not make your “new to you” second hand pram your own. Get a great changing bag to go with it. Keep an eye out on Facebook Market place or eBay for a nice second hand cosy toes, handmuff, pram caddy. Or buy new if you wish to do so. If your unsure that shopping for a secondhand won’t be as exciting as new (thought I promise you it is) this can help you bond with your new buy. Over the top analogy? Well whatever, believe me when I say you’ll bond because your going to spend a lot of time pushing that pram. It’s good to love it.
Are you keen to start shopping for a pram, want to save money and help the environment? Are you now sold on looking for a second hand one?
I wish you all the luck in your search for the perfect pram.
Hannah xx
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