Anyone have success selling their car seats or donating? We've outgrown them of course and since we don't need them they are taking up quite a bit of space. The car seats have never been involved in an accident but I know State laws can vary regarding them.
What are your thoughts or suggestions on what to do?
Since my son's was expired, I cut the straps and put the shell in the garbage can, and sold the cover on eBay.
ETA: No, it's not a ploy by manufacturers to get parents to purchase new car seats. The plastic deteriorates over time. Children weigh differently. And each family treats their car seats differently - I know people who would drop their car seats on the ground when taking them out to clean...that damages it...it weakens the plastic....
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Check the expiration date on the side of the car seat.
If it is NOT expired, check with your local fire department - they can point you in the right direction.
Ours? Told us NEVER to purchase a used car seat as you NEVER know how it's been treated. I believe some states have a recycle program...
http://earth911.com/news/2011/01/31/roadblocks-to-car-sea...
http://www.recyclescene.com/how-to-recycle/taking-on-car-...
good luck!!!
Most last 6 years, so you need to check the date on the carseat. Using them after that puts the child at risk for ejection from harness failure, etc., and the plastic breaks down. Scary stuff! (It's not the harness exactly, but the plastic around it can't hold it in.) There is a good U Tube video of a 10--year-old Britax carseat in a crash, and the crash dummy is ejected and dies. That's what could happen to a child in an old seat.
State laws are pretty poor in general. While I wouldn't put a child under 6 in a booster yet unless I absolutely had to, I regularly see preschoolers in boosters! And ditching the booster at age 8 makes no sense, since most kids are age 10-12 before they 5-step to fit an adult belt, to avoid internal decapitation from the lap belt riding up near the stomach.
I hope you find a good solution! Usually they simply go in the trash with the straps cut out to avoid someone picking them up, or to a friend in need if they are not expired.
Seatbelts too, we're told to replace after 20 years. But most cars don't last that long. Of course, after any crash, replace, since they are made to stretch ONCE.
meh - sometimes I think the whole "expired car seat" thing is a ploy to make us buy newer/more car seats.
Regardless, I sold one of mine in a garage sale, gave one away to a friend and sold another two to a co-worker.
While re-sale stores here won't take them (not sure about IL) you can also try craig's list or ebay or your office to sell or GIVE away.
I have sold car seats at yard sales that were not expired. I sold them very cheap though because they only had a year or two left. I have been to yard sales where people are trying to sell expired seats (illegal here in Canada) or trying to get top dollar for seats that are very close to expiry. We can take our expired car seats to our auto insurance place for disposal.
I actually sold my girls infant carseat in a garage sale. And I gave the other one away to a family member. I would check with family or friends to see if they are need.
Check the date of manufacture to make sure they haven't expired.
I have sold unexpired, uncrashed car-seats at garage sales before. You can't sell them for $100, but between $20 and $40 is standard, depending on the condition, brand, and length of time until expiration. I ALWAYS inform the buyer of the expiration date while selling it (if the buyer had an accident and the car seat was expired, it can have all sorts of insurance ramifications, and if something were to fail on the car seat, the manufacturers won't stand behind it).
If the seats are expired, or close to their expiration date, I like Meredith's idea of selling the cover.
I have received older carseats from a friend and use them in our "other" car, while the one that I bought new is in my car (which we drive 95% of the time). I understand expiration dates & etc, but my thought is that if there's a low-income family out there that cannot afford a NEW carseat, I KNOW their kid/baby would be safer in my "older" used carseat than is no carseat at all! Gosh, people cutting straps and throwing in the trash?! Does your car-installed seatbelt come with an expiration date? Cuz, you know you've been driving that car around for 10 years and those seatbelts are exposed to all kinds of weather (hot/cold, sun/humidity) and could start to degrade! We better not resell our cars, either, because we don't know what condition those belts are in!
When dd outgrows hers, I'll probably call women's shelters to see if they take donations, or just give them away on Craigslist.
You will have to check the expiration date on them. They are typically only good for 5 years. I have donated one of mine (still using others) to our local domestic violence shelter. They take and need seats all the time because they often have families that need to leave quickly, and a car seat is something that is needed. Also, adoption agencies or agencies that work with kids in foster care.... obviously this is if you just want to get rid of it. I never thought it worth it to sell, but that is just me :-)
YOu can sell it on Craiglist, but ensure that teh seat are not expired. If expired destroy the car seat and grabage it.
If they are newer, meaning just a couple of years, you could give them away or sell them on Craigslist or Freecycle them. There are also places that accept them for low income families. There was a Freecycle notice I received yesterday or the day before asking for any used items like strollers, carseats, etc that would be given to low income families.
You can call a community service center and ask if they'll take non-expired seats. I see them in thrift stores, too, but I'd be afraid to buy one there. You can also ask the seat inspection place if they'll take donated seats for people with unsafe seats to use instead. Our Freeycle list also allows people to give away car seats, but it's receiver beware. If they are expired, remove the covers (you may be able to sell them) and cut the straps and write DO NOT USE/EXPIRED on them.
ETA: Kids deserve safe seats and car seats are made with plastic components that degrade. Please do not pass on old seats as a "favor". You may do more harm than good, giving a family a sense of security that they should not have: http://www.wsvn.com/features/articles/investigations/MI87... and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC5ifQ6ho1U
