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MANUSCRIPT-The role of the o-hu a i relatio s of are: Ba y thi gs The role of the non-human in relations of care: Baby Things

key words second-hand consumption • mother • parenting • material culture • thriftWith the arrival of a new baby comes the need for a lot of extra 'stuff ', namely clothes, toys and equipment. Traditionally, baby goods have been prime for the second-hand market as children grow out of things quickly while the objects themselves still hold a use value. According to market research agency Mintel (2012), one in five British parents have utilised second-hand channels to procure baby items since the onset of the 2009 financial crisis, no doubt due to the fact that second-hand goods are cheaper than their new counterparts. Juxtaposed with this advantage, however, is the oft-perceived disadvantage of a second-hand item being inferior quality, unclean or tainted by a previous owner (Gregson and Crewe, 2003). It seems reasonable to assume therefore that a parent must weigh up a number of factors before choosing to engage in second-hand consumption practices, not least because they are consuming on behalf of a small and vulnerable being who relies on a parent or carer to nurture and protect them (Furedi, 2001).The second-hand consumer has been rarely studied to date, leaving room for further investigation. Common second-hand retail channels include charity shops, car boot sales, online auction sites, classified advertisements, commercial second-hand shops and specialised pop-up sales. Pivotal studies have been completed by Clarke (