How to choose a secondhand wooden toy
This is where wood genuinely wins. It can be sanded, glued and have parts replaced.
Repairable faults on a secondhand wooden toy: a dried out surface, light scratches, loose joints, general grime. Not repairable: a crack running along the grain, a short grain break, mould staining and unknown paint. In the US, 22 percent of the toys parents buy are already secondhand.
The genuinely defensible advantage of a wooden toy is not its sustainability claims. It is that it can be repaired. Sanded, glued, given a new part. That is the precondition for reuse.
The numbers back it up. In the US, 22 percent of the toys parents buy are secondhand. The French initiative Rejoué has collected and repaired more than 300 tonnes of toys since 2012, keeping them out of waste.
Faults you can fix
- A dry, dull surface. The most common problem and the easiest. Fine sanding, then a coat of food safe oil.
- Surface scratches. 220 and 320 grit will take them out.
- Loose joints. Clean off the old glue and rejoin. On a child’s toy use a formaldehyde free D3 grade PVA.
- Grime. A damp cloth, mild soap if needed. Never submerge.
- A missing wheel or axle. Standard sizes are available.
Faults you cannot fix
- A crack running along the grain. Glue it and it will open at the same place under load.
- A short grain break. If the grain crosses the part, it was weak to begin with and the repair will not hold.
- Mould staining. Even if the surface mark wipes off, the wood has taken on moisture. Not worth the risk on a child’s toy.
- Unknown paint. On an older painted toy you cannot know what is in the paint. Lead paint was common until the 1970s. Sanding it means breathing that dust.
- Small parts that could come loose. Joints weaken with age. For under threes this is the critical check.
What to check before buying
Five things with the toy in your hand:
- Look at a cut edge. Does the grain continue, or is it a flat pressed surface? Pressed board disintegrates when wet and cannot be repaired.
- Smell it. Mould or a sharp chemical smell means walk away.
- Pull the moving parts. Axles, wheels, beads. Anything loose will come off.
- Run a hand along the edges. Does it lift a splinter?
- Feel the weight. A solid piece is noticeably heavier than a pressed one of the same size.
Refreshing one, step by step
Bringing a dull wooden toy back is about half an hour of work.
- Wipe with a damp cloth and let it dry completely.
- Go over the surface lightly with 220 grit. No pressure, just take off the dullness.
- Wipe with a damp cloth again. This raises the fibres now rather than later.
- Once dry, take those raised fibres off with 320 grit.
- Apply a thin coat of food safe oil, wait 15 minutes, wipe off the excess.
- Leave it somewhere ventilated for at least a week. Do not skip this.
One note
We are aware that the people writing this are preparing to sell new toys. But refreshing the one you already own is both cheaper and lower impact than buying another.
The lowest impact toy is still the one not bought.
Faruk
I am building Masifico. I write these posts not as an expert but as someone who asked the same questions and wrote down what he found. If something here is wrong, tell me and I will fix it.
You might also like
Why wooden toys break
Most broken pieces come down to the same two mistakes. You can spot both in a shop with the toy in your hand.
The difference between four toys and sixteen
Awkward thing for a toy workshop to say: the strongest finding we have says children need fewer toys, not more.
Choosing wooden toys by age
What works for a one year old bores a three year old. Here is what actually holds attention at each stage, how many pieces are enough, and what to check before you buy.