Kids have a way of outgrowing their clothes...fast. It seems like only yesterday when you excitedly bought up half the items in your favorite baby clothes catalogue - and today, only a couple of them still fit your not-so-little one. They say kids’ clothes are some of the most fleeting purchases you will ever make in your life, but they just look so gosh-darned cute in them that you can’t help but buy more!
You can give gently-used children’s clothing as hand-me-downs to younger offspring or to your friends’ kids. There is, however, a more financially-rewarding option: resell them. The important thing is to inspect the items of clothing for quality and flaws - you wouldn’t want other kids to look like they are dressed in rags, would you? Then you must price accordingly, because even if you sell designer items, the fact is they are still used goods (albeit in good condition).
Today, just about anything pre-owned but in great condition can be resold, all in the name of practicality, recycling, extra income, and reducing carbon footprint. Below are five tried-and-tested ways to do this.
1. Join a community yard sale
If you live in a neighborhood with other parents, chances are they share the same dilemma of having too many items of clothing that their kids have outgrown. You can either organize a kids clothing swap meet to trade clothes according to fit, gender, and style, or have a specialized community yard sale to sell your wares. Hang the clothes up to show off their quality and design, or fold them neatly for added appeal.
2. Sell them on Swap.com
Swap is an online thrift store that claims to “live for the thrill of finding something unique” and values the concept of reusing. If you want to sell your kids’ old clothes using their consignment platform, you must first pass their acceptance criteria. Their rules aren’t unreasonably stringent - not by a long shot. You just need to meet practical requirements like no excessive fading of the fabric, all zippers and buttons must be complete and in good working order, and clothes have to be freshly washed before being shipped to them.
Link: https://www.swap.com/sell/
3. Start an Instagram account for it
No longer just a repository for selfies and photogenic meals, Instagrammers are now using hashtags to look for items or to sell their wares. You can put up a separate account just for selling your kids’ clothes as soon as they’ve outgrown them, have a catchy IG name, describe the quality and condition in detail, then hashtag away!
A special note, though: Instagram has no official marketplace yet (go to Facebook for that), but sellers often have creative ways to get people to bid and buy what they’re selling. Transactions are usually done via direct messaging, but take extra care when giving your personal info and make sure would-be purchasers are legit.
Link: https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/usedkidsclothes/
4. Visit Once Upon a Child
The somewhat wistful and whimsical site name belies its very practical purpose, which is to buy gently-used clothing for preemie sizes to kids’ size 20. The website exists merely to give information on what Once Upon a Child is willing to buy, which include used kids’ clothes, toys, furniture, books, and games. They also have helpful selling tips as well as a list of preferred brands. Then you need to find a store location near you, contact them if you want to bring the clothes for appraisal (they prefer neatly folded clothes, no hangers), and once approved, they claim to pay on the spot.
Link: https://www.onceuponachild.com/what-we-buy#Clothing
5. Go to eBay
Ebay is perhaps the most practical go-to e-commerce site to sell gently-used baby and kids’ clothing because there’s already a market for them there. It’s also a great reference when it comes to pricing your wares. Click on the link below to compare the price tags on used baby clothes.
Link: https://www.ebay.com/bhp/baby-clothes
The verdict?
Based on the staggering number of children’s clothes shops (whether brick and mortar ones or online), there really is a market for them - even for used ones. Ebay is always a good bet with its wide reach and even wider array of stuff for sale. Online consignment stores are also great ways to resell, and a quick look at their websites for customer testimonials and contact information can confirm if they’re legit or not.
Your turn!
Have you ever had to sell some of your kids’ old clothing for extra cash? If you have unique suggestions on how to go about it, please let us know - we’d love to hear all about them!
