Would you sell DD's old toys on ebay for new ones for Christmas?

74jax

Question is really as per title.

I asked DD if she had anything she wanted to sell for money for Christmas, and she picked a few things for me to put on ebay and give her the money.

I then got together old DS games she didn't use (box one side of the room, game somewhere under the bed etc) DVD's and bits and bobs and placed these on ebay for myself to keep the money. DD saw what I was doing but was ok with me saying it was for new Christmas presents.

As things are selling DD is obviously seeing the money mount up, and asked if she could have the money for them (partyly in jest) and started making a list of what had sold for what.

As it was quite a bit of money, i was going to offer her half the money, however OH said if it was given to her as a gift then all money should go to her. DD loved this idea and so now I am in the position of having to transfer her £150 (shes 13, so this is a HUGE amount) and now what I had planned on getting her for xmas I can't.

OH is saying it wasn't my money anyway and would I have been happy spending her money on her again (errrr yes I would......)

So what I guess I'm asking is, has anyone ever sold their child's stuff and replaced toys etc with the money? Was I being really tight by doing this? I'm off sick at the moment and just gone down to half pay and this was really what I was counting on buying DD's christmas presents with, but now I'm left feeling what a terrible mother for even thinking such a thing. I am sure OH didn't really think I would have just kept the money and spent it on myself, as that's really not me, but I genuinely didn't see anything wrong in what I was doing (which I think is bad on me for not even seeing a problem....)

fuzzybear01

At 13 I think she's old enough to decide where the money goes and I don't think it should have been used for xmas presents. At her age I didn't have toys but would have been peeved if my Mother had sold my stuff then used the money to buy me stuff for xmas. We used to do car boot sales, and my Brother and I would have the money for the things we sold. We were a 'skint' family most of the time, but I'm sure my Mother would have sold her own stuff to pay for xmas pressies before selling ours!

chelle230

my DS has just turned 6, he had stuff mountin up that was not being used.
He was given the option to sell the stuff, and he chose what could go. ALL the money we got has straight back to him, for him to spend on what he wants now, he bought himself a nintendo ds, which he wanted for ages, and has paid for his games, etc.
He's actually appreciating it more now he's paid for it himself too.

devildog

Personally if the child was young (I guess around 5/6 years of age) then I wouldn't have an issue with selling stuff they didn't use/need/want and using the money to buy new presents for them. However, anything much older than this, then no I would agree that the 'owner' of the sold goods should be the recipient, as in your case your dd. I think though that as the amount is a reasonable amount I would suggest that some be saved.
I haven't 'done' ebay(must be the only one ) but when I have gone to car boots I will take a list of what belonged to who and what it was sold for and hand it over when I got home(minus their portion of the boot fee)

wishicouldmakeitbetter

I have a DD 14 and we sometimes sell at car boot sales. We split the profit 50/50. Online, it is my ebay and amazon account and I deal with email queries, wrap and pay for postage so profit is split roughly 50/50 with her money being rounded down to nearest £1/£5.

HTH, G

meritaten

Her toys hun - they belong to her not you. How would you feel if OH sold your jewellery then bought you a present out of the proceeds? I wouldnt be happy!

74jax

fuzzybear01 wrote: »

At 13 I think she's old enough to decide where the money goes and I don't think it should have been used for xmas presents. At her age I didn't have toys but would have been peeved if my Mother had sold my stuff then used the money to buy me stuff for xmas. We used to do car boot sales, and my Brother and I would have the money for the things we sold. We were a 'skint' family most of the time, but I'm sure my Mother would have sold her own stuff to pay for xmas pressies before selling ours!

Sorry, I didn't mean to buy 'toys' but things for Christmas. I gave her the option of did she want to sell xyz DS game and keep the money, or could I sell it and keep the money for something for her for xmas. She said she'd like something for xmas.

seabright

I've just sold some, but she's three so can't really complain! My theory is whatever I sell, the money goes into the household pot.

slimbrunett

I think they are both being ridiculous I do this every year with my kids stuff they out grow toys or just don't play with certain ones so it goes on ebay come September, It only goes towards there pretends I end up doubling it with my own money but if the kids have outgrown it or just plane don't play with it they won't miss it it could have been given away to charity for free or freecycled instead it means they get twice as much as xmas and can have what they really want which I may not have otherwise been able to afford, my daughter still believes in santa and is too young to really know they are being sold or given away being only 4 she doesn't mind she's so many toys she doesn't notice whats taken, my son who's 9 does and proudly says its going to pay for his kinect and if they go for more than he things he asks for games on top little does he know that I've already bought those and this is going to pay for the Hornby track and new scooter he's been moaning for all year also, if you kept the toys all the time they wouldnt be room for new ones. Don't feel bad on yourself Matin recommends selling old stuff to pay for new stuff also if you were selling them for yourself or for someone else then yeah I think thats wrong but as long as the money is being spend on her for something you know she's really going to love then your being a good money, at her age money maybe what she really wants though I used to like having £100 at that age seems like a fortune and going out and spending it with your mum on a shopping trip is the best day ever, you can also make sure she doesn't spend it on rubbish and then put them away until xmas tell her you are saving £50 to get her a suprise for xmas. Hope you enjoy the shopping spree x

claire16c

Its her stuff I dont think you should be selling it for new xmas pressies for her - unless she specifically says she wants to get rid of something like the first lot - and therefore she could choose what the money would go on - and not an xmas pressie from you - with her money. Shes effectively buying her own stuff then!

Why not put the money in a savings account for her when she is older?

Me and my sister did a couple of car boots when we were that age to get rid of toys we had grown out of, and we used the money to buy maybe 1 or 2 nice new things and saved a little.

loracan1

I'd not get away with it now mine are older, at 13 she's the right to decide how she wants to spend 'her' money - and it is hers, although I think you have the right to veto what it's spent on.

Whatever it was you were planning to buy, can you not encourage her to save some more towards it or offer to pay half to it for Christmas? At that age they really appreciate being able to buy for themselves and don't mind having surprises the same way as when they were younger.