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10 WORST THINGS TO BUY USED Buying used or pre-owned items can save money, but some products are safer when purchased new. Here are 10 things to avoid buying used: 1. MATTRESSES. You

don't know who (or what) slept on the bed. You also don’t know if it has dust mites or bedbugs. The same goes for used comforters, sheets and other bedding. 2. SHOES. Used shoes,

slippers and boots could be filled with bacteria and possibly even fungus that can lead to athlete’s foot. Also, since the shoes have been worn by the previous owner, they have become fitted

to that person’s wearing pattern — not yours. 3. MEDICINE. Outdated prescriptions, vitamins and pills are absolute no-gos. It's always best to buy them new from a pharmacy, so you can

be sure they're safe to consume. 4. LARGE APPLIANCES. Used refrigerators, washing machines, clothes dryers and other big household appliances can be found at garage sales, thrift shops

and online secondhand appliance retailers at alluringly-low prices, but they're hardly a bargain if they don't work — or if they break shortly after you buy them. 5. COOKWARE. Used

pots and pans often come with all kinds of large and small scratches — and therein lies the danger: Cookware that's rusted, scraped or burned can leak toxic chemicals that you

definitely don't want in your food. 6. COSMETICS. Used perfumes, colognes, lotions, and makeup can be breeding grounds for germs and potential infections. 7. HELMETS. Whether

you're a bicyclist, skier or snowboarder, you don’t know if a used helmet — typically built for one-time emergency use — has already served its function in a previous accident. 8.

STUFFED ANIMALS. ​Bedbugs and other pests aren’t reserved for bedding — they can also latch onto stuffed animals. 9. VACUUM CLEANERS. Buying any kinds of used electronic is risky if you

can’t plug in and test the device, but secondhand vacuums pose an additional risk: They could be clogged with dust or hair. 10. BABY BOTTLES, BEDDING AND OTHER PRODUCTS FOR NEWBORNS. You

don’t know if they've been properly sterilized, or if they've been recalled or redesigned for safety reasons.