DEAR ABBY: My sister is having a baby, and we're wondering if there is an acceptable way to let people know that she wouldn't mind getting used items as gifts -- especially the "big" things. No one in our family is well off, but this is her first child and she does need stuff.
Would a note in the shower invitation be tacky? In this money-saving time, I think our idea is a good one. How do we convey the message? -- LIKES "LIKE-NEW" IN OHIO
DEAR LIKES "LIKE-NEW": I'm glad you asked, because a note in the shower invitation would be tacky. The way that message should be conveyed is verbally, when prospective guests ask what the mother-to-be needs.
However, before your sister uses a secondhand toy or nursery equipment, it would be a good idea to check the website run by the Consumer Product Safety Commission to make certain the item hasn't been the subject of a safety recall. (More than 300 products of various types are recalled each year.) The website to visit is � HYPERLINK "http://www.recalls.gov" ��www.recalls.gov�.