Why buy new when you can buy *nearly new* gently used kid’s stuff? Take advantage of the fact that some people take great care of their belongings or have so much, that many items are barely touched. While our family’s mantra is buy little and use it to death, I sure am glad that others have all of this nice stuff to get rid of.
DRESS CLOTHES
If you are looking for clothes for a wedding, special event, photoshoot, or just like your kids to look nice, you will have a pretty decent selection at children’s consignment shops. Most parents tend to save the nicer items for special occasions and in the end these dressier duds don’t get much use. Fancy dresses, little suits and tiny ties, button up shirts and cute pants abound in used kid’s consignment stores at very reasonable prices.
SHOES
We basically never purchase new shoes for our tot, because we found that many of the shoes offered at consignment shops are barely used. Kid’s feet grow so fast, that it’s not surprising that many pairs only get light use before they are no longer needed. Check for wear on the soles of the shoes, but generally it is really easy to tell whether a pair is nearly new.
BABY CARRIERS
Baby carriers can be really expensive when purchased brand new, so I was surprised to see a full rack of lightly used carriers for less than $20 a piece at several of our local consignment shops. This is the perfect opportunity to buy a spare and leave it in your car for impromptu excursions. Just make sure to look for a recognizable brand and familiar (aka recent) model for safety reasons. And while you are at it, check that all straps and buckles are strong and sturdy.
HALLOWEEN COSTUMES
MOO! Did I scare you with this creepy cow costume? In my opinion, it’s the perfect balance of cute and nightmarish. Seriously though, they only wear these one night a year. Barely used children’s costumes overflow in consignment stores, especially in the weeks leading up to Halloween, for a fraction of what you would pay buying them new. You could even stock up for next year or just buy a few if your little one loves to dress up for fun. We scored this Pottery Barn Kids cow costume for about $7 a few days before Halloween.
LARGE PLAY TOYS
Exersaucers, easels, ride-on toys; you know those huge, bulky, take-over-your-house items that cost a fortune? Well, they are abundant at consignment stores and super easy to clean. Do your part to save the planet and reuse these obnoxious (yet essential) baby items. Don’t forget the easels and mini shopping carts! They are all there, just waiting for some little kid to love them again.
COATS AND JACKETS
The sheer amount of cold weather gear available at kid’s consignment stores is astounding. The above picture, carefully captured by yours truly, may look like a big old mess, but trust me on this: there are some gems hidden in there. We found that adorable red Ted Baker jacket pictured at the beginning of the post in this very same rack for about $10 (and it was barely used until we got ahold of it).
Was that six already? With such great commentary, who’s counting, amiright?! Anyway, I’m going to leave you with a few more pictures from our local consignment store, which for the record is called Once Upon a Child. It is a pretty nice chain with locations all over our region. You can also sell your kid’s stuff at these stores and earn a few extra bucks. They generally buy, sell, and trade everything from strollers to shoes, bows to books, and every toy under the sun, unless it’s stuffed.
Adorable pink frilly dresses? They have ’em.
One can never have too many tutus!
We’ve struck blue gold, y’all.
