Do you resale shop?

by Bethany Sanders (Subscribe to Bethany Sanders's posts) Sep 25th 2008 4:00PM

A new resale shop opened just down the street from us, and I couldn't be happier. It's clean, well-decorated, has a beautiful play area, and only carries name brand clothing in good condition. Today, I spent a little over $35 and came home with two complete outfits for each child, two pairs of Carter's fleece pajamas, two new leotards (tags attached!), and a pair of shoes for each kid. Granted, not all the clothing is in new condition, but it all appears to have been worn a minimum number of times.

Resale shopping is one of the ways our family saves money. If I had to buy enough brand new outfits to clothe my kids each season, I'd quickly go broke. Usually, I buy one or two new, then depend on hand-me-downs, generous grandmothers, and resale items to fill in the gaps. But a friend of mine wrinkles up her nose every time she hears that I went to the resale shop. "Used clothes? No thank you."

My theory is that once you wash a new outfit, it doesn't look new anymore anyway, so what's the big deal? But she gets seriously turned off by the idea that her little one is wearing another child's cast-offs. What about you? Do you use resale shops when buying children's clothing, or are you as squeamish about this practice as my friend?

Comments (14)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Heather 9-25-2008 @ 5:05PM

I would love to do that sort of thing more often, however my kids are in a very common size range for every other kid in the area, I think. We have a hard time finding clothes in the right sizes.
Yard sales are a mothers dream as well!!

Secret Mommy 9-25-2008 @ 5:58PM

I always forget about the darling resale shop here in my neighborhood! And I went out shopping today and bought 2 new pairs of jammies! You know what's terrible? I bought a pair of brand new pajamas at a pricey baby store (though they were on pretty good sale) a few weeks ago and the 2nd time my son wore them (he's 5 months old) he had a HUGE pooh blow-out and all my best laundry practices couldn't quite get out the last faint hue of the stain. So I'd buy 2nd hand in a heartbeat so as not to feel as awful as I did about those new jammies being ruined! I'll check the resaler out next time I need something.

Ariel 9-25-2008 @ 6:48PM

I could never afford to have a child if I had to buy everything new. My favorite store is Savers, they have 50% off sales approx 4 times a year and I buy all the clothes he needs for the season. I also buy my own clothes there too. Savers is a bit far for me though, so I also haunt Goodwill. The one near us is very disorganized though. My best tip for shopping is to measure the clothes that fit the best and bring your measuring tape with you. I never have my 3 year old try things on and it makes sure that everything I try on has a good chance of fitting me. It's hard to shop with a child so anything that reduces the hassle is great.

As far as used being nasty, I also figure once it's washed it's fine. As long as it's safe. My mom likes to bring toys for him though that she finds near dumpsters and the plastic's so brittle from age that it breaks quickly, creating a safety hazard. She never understands why that annoys me.

Beth SG 9-25-2008 @ 6:22PM

I discovered consignment/resale shopping a few years ago, when I was losing weight rapidly, following gastric bypass surgery.

It was a life-saver then, as quickly as I was going in and out of sizes!

Immediately, my partner and I began shopping there almost exclusively for ourselves, even after I reached goal and my weight stablized.

It's to the point where I'm downright offended if a "real" store wants me to pay $15 on clearance for a pair of pants - because I could get them used for $5!

Now that I'm pregnant, our rule for baby clothes is that we can only buy them used, clearance or at the outlets - otherwise we'd have spent every dime we have on them.

Once our daughter is here, we'll probably continue to do most of our shopping this way - for all three of us.

Grandparents and aunts will buy her new stuff along the way, I'm sure, but her Mommies are going for the bargains!

Melissa 9-25-2008 @ 6:30PM

resale shopping RULES! and most of them will take my cast off's and give me store credit to buy more stuff! WOW! The store I go to here takes clothes, gear, furniture, as long as it's in good condition, no stains or tears or fading......and the other great part? If they can't resell it, I can either take it back and throw it in my next yard sale (also awesome!), or I can leave it with them for their "donate pile"! Ok I love shopping, any shopping but resale stores are the best!

Melissa 9-25-2008 @ 6:33PM

FOR SURE! Grammy and aunties and uncles and friends and everyone ELSE can buy her new stuff....Mommies for Bargains UNITE!! I didn't mention this, but I'm a single mommy I can't be getting new stuff constantly! (Only undies, those i will buy new lol)

Darla 9-26-2008 @ 8:05AM

Just want to but in my two cents in I love the stores that give back .You know what ones I am talking about?I buy most every thing I go to the food stores too and to the store that sells house renavations love them

diasha 9-26-2008 @ 1:23PM

I only let my daughter wear hand me down clothes if I know who wore it before. I have a friend that gives me her daughter's clothes once she outgrows them but I don't shop at resale shops.

jen 9-26-2008 @ 3:18PM

We have NCT sales in the UK - they sell new and nearly new stuff at rock bottom prices. They may have been worn only once. I buy a large amount of my clothes there - you do have to be choosy but you can get some BIG bargains (esp. with brands such as Boden & Gap which hold up well to washing). I shop in Outlet malls, and sales.

I get given or lent items from friends - our Toddler group circulates clothes around (just yesterday I saw a friend's little boy wear a shirt my son wore 3 years ago, and it has been through 5 children in the meantime!) I have only bought one NEW item for my daughter (14months) in her entire life, and that was an 'emergency' purchase when she blew out her two spare changes when we were 80 miles from home. When they are babies, they grow out of things in a matter of weeks, and it is such a waste not to let other children get some wear out of them.

isisaquaria 9-26-2008 @ 4:00PM

I have no need for these shops as a place to get clothes---so I do not. It is not being snobby because I see nothing wrong with them, but there are so many who cannot afford to shop retail (even Wal-Mart) so to go to the shops when you can afford to go other places is like using food stamps and driving a mercedes while your neighbor goes without food because they are barely making ends meet but do not qualify.

Pierrette 9-27-2008 @ 11:35AM

I love second hand items, not only do you save money you help divert items from being sent to the trash.

Pierrette from Wiseman Conspiracy

Adrienne 9-29-2008 @ 8:56PM

I don't mind shopping at resale stores, but a lot of the time, I find that the prices aren't that great. I could get something brand new on clearance for the price of something already worn.

Bridget 9-27-2008 @ 5:07PM

isisaquaria, you really won't shop resale because there are others in the world who need to shop there too? I don't get it.

I LOVE seasonal children's consignment sales. I love them so much, I run one of my own. Thousands of kid's items, all in one place, already inspected for quality and organized for easy shopping - what could be better?

Jen at Kentucky Kids Consignment Sales

saderchick 9-29-2008 @ 10:52AM

Hit a mothers-of-multiples seasonal consignment sale over the weekend, and got 32 pieces for my boy/girl twins for $92, not one over $6. Many pieces still had tags on them! It's green, plus then I don't feel guilty if I splurge on (full-price) matching outfits for a special occasion.

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