Thursday, January 08, 2009

Second hand stores

When you find out you are pregnant, the first thing many women want to do is go out and start buying all the cute clothes. And trust me, there are sooooo many adorable clothes out there. Not like the nasty orange and brown clothes we grew up with.

DON'T BUY ALL THE CUTE CLOTHES! Not yet!

Especially if you are going to have a shower. I resisted the urge, even though it's hard. Your babies are going to grow fast the first couple months. You are going to get all these wonderful and cute clothes from your showers, your family members and friends. Most likely your baby won't even wear some of the clothes they receive. I bought two oneies before the twins were born. That's it. Believe me, it was so hard to walk by all the cute clothes at Babies R Us. But we were blessed with three showers and our family and friends were very generous. Some of the clothes we received were only worn once.

What is my point?

Your kids grow fast. Do you really need to spend $20-$30 on an outfit they may wear once? Sure, it's fun to buy the cute clothes but let me offer you an alternative. Second hand stores

I don't understand why some people are afraid or refuse to buy clothes from second hand stores. Is it because another child might have worn the clothes a couple times? I say might because I have bought many clothes from second hand stores with the original tags on them. Brand new Baby Gap and Ralph Lauren baby clothes for a 1/4 of the price.

Here are some examples of my deals that I got at one store in particular, New to you kids.

  • Brand new Polo Ralph Lauren khaki jacket for Luke with the store tags. Originally $25, I bought for $4.75
  • Brand new Baby Gap wool sweater for Luke with the store tags. Originally $19.99, I bought for $3.75
  • Brand new Tommy Hilfiger jeans for Luke. Originally $18.99, I bought for $4.75.
  • Snugli soft carrier - one slightly used, one never used. Both cost about $35-40, I bought for $12 each.
  • Baby Gap suede winter jacket for Anna originally priced around $40, my mom got it for $10.
  • Long sleeve onesies - usually run anywhere from $1.25 - $3
  • Short sleeve oneies - usually run anywhere from $1 - $3.

You get the picture. Plus they buy back your clothes. And they don't take junk. They are particular about what they buy back so you know you are going to get nice clothes.

My point? The kids grow out of their clothes so fast it just makes sense to buy slightly used or never used at all clothes. We have saved so much money. A lot of these stores offer more that just clothes. You can get books, DVDs, toys, bedding, cribs, pack-n-plays, high chairs, and soft pack carriers, plus much more.

Just have an open mind when it comes to second hand stores. Trust me, it's worth it!

4 comments:

Jill said...

This is a great point -- but I just wanted to make you aware (in case you haven't heard) of the ban about to go into effect on buying used children's clothes and toys: http://blog.beliefnet.com/crunchycon/2009/01/the-coming-ban-on-thrift-store.html. It is about to get a lot more difficult to purchase used baby items -- even from places like e-bay.

Tracey said...

I have heard about this ban Jill and it breaks my heart. I can't believe they are trying to take away such a wonderful opportunity. I pray something changes.

Anonymous said...

I am so excited about the store you posted about. I haven't fallen into buying the cute clothes yet, but I am def going to check this store out for larger ticket items. Craigslist is also going to be my saving grace! There was a papasan swing retail $150 for $75 posted on there the other day!

KC

Jill said...

Ok, I did some more research, and I *think* that resale/consignment stores are going to be exempt from the ban -- for clothing at least! HOORAY!!