Where to Find Secondhand Baby & Toddler Clothing
The ultimate how-to guide on saving a TON of money (and time!) on your little one’s wardrobe
Babies and toddlers grow out of clothing SO FAST. It’s so easy spend a ton of money on items that are only going to get used for such a short amount of time.
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While there are lots of affordable places to buy brand new children’s clothing, like Target, TJ Maxx, etc., we all know how easy it is to walk in for one thing and leave spending over $100 on just a few items.
Rather than falling into that trap, let’s talk about the absolute CHEAPEST way to find baby clothes: Thrifting.
(Also check out this guide on how to find cheap toddler gifts on a tight budget!)
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Benefits of Thrifting baby & toddler clothing
Thrifting, or buying secondhand clothing is hands-down the absolute best and cheapest way to buy baby and toddler clothes, and it’s going to save you a TON of money. Not only will thrifting save you hundreds to thousands of dollars on clothes, there are even more benefits, such as:
- Supporting local moms, local businesses, and charity organizations
- Contributing to sustainability, zero waste, and keeping clothing out of landfills
- Lowering your carbon footprint, reducing pollution, and preserving water because you’re using an item that already exists and doesn’t need to be manufactured
Check out: 20 reasons to thrift for baby & toddler items.
Save Time AND Money
One of the reasons many of us shop new is out of pure convenience and time restraints. Let’s face it–we are ALL busy.
That’s why I’m not only going to discuss where to find second-hand clothing, but also how to SAVE TIME doing so.
In-Person Shopping
Shops that Specialize in Baby & Children’s Items
Shops that specialize specifically in baby and children’s items are the best place to start, because they’re typically going to have the most variety and inventory.
Local resale/consignment
Depending on where you live, you probably have some local children’s resale shops near you. Here’s a list of some awesome chain stores to look into and see if you have any of these in your town:
Once Upon a Child
If you live in the Midwest, you might be in luck, as these stores are mostly in the US-Midwest. You can find the closest location near you here.
Once Upon a Child is a gold mine. They have so. Much. STUFF. At least, the store near me does–walls lined with strollers, hundreds of clothing items per size, cribs, bassinets, booster seats, tons of baby gyms and walker type toys, etc. When I get the chance, I stock up on a whole season’s worth of clothes for my daughter here. One shopping trip, and done for the season!
If you’ve been to Plato’s Closet, they are owned by the same people as Once Upon a Child. You know the racks upon racks of clothing at Plato’s? Yeah, same thing at Once Upon a Child, except baby clothes.
Children’s Orchard
There aren’t as many Children’s Orchard locations, but this is a chain store found in various states in the US (mostly along the Northern coast and in California).
These stores are a bit more high-end, so the prices are a little higher, but there are also bigger name brands. They take pride in keeping their stores clean, tidy, and organized, and they provide play spaces for your kiddos while you shop.
Children’s Orchard also has the option to shop online.
Kid to Kid
There are Kid to Kid locations stores all over the US.
I haven’t personally been, but they seem to be organized similarly to Once Upon a Child. They have great reviews and appear to have a great inventory. If you have one in your area, definitely check it out.
Local Shops
Do a quick Google search to find secondhand baby/toddler stores near you. Also ask around, because often these types of stores don’t have the budget or time to advertise on Google or social media.
If you’re new to thrifting, ask friends, family, neighbors, and anyone who has kids about local places to shop. Check out community bulletin boards, city/neighborhood Facebook pages, etc. for the best local shops.
Pop-up consignment events
Pop-up consignment events are sales that are planned in advance through various organizations, and they are awesome for finding in-person shopping discounts, often with a great inventory! Find your local consignment sales here.
Many of these have pre-sale tickets, along with discount dates toward the end of the sale. I highly recommend purchasing the presale tickets and going as soon as the sale opens. That way, you get the first dibs on the best stuff and the most variety. Often times you can find brand new items with tags that are super discounted. ***These are also the best way to find big-ticket items, because you can inspect them in-person rather than buying online through Facebook Marketplace or the like.
Find the nearest pop-up consignment sales near you and mark your calendars!! Make the time to shop these pop-up sales and you can stock up on your baby/toddler clothing and gear for the rest of the season and beyond. This is SUCH a time-saving hack!!!
Rhea Lana
Rhea Lana is the leading consignment event franchise in the US. Find the nearest event for you here.
These events are the BEST. There is so much inventory and variety–it’s like Disney World for thrifters. You can also consign with them and make money, even as you spend it! You’re basically trading in things you don’t need for things you do need. Sort of like modern-day bartering, but for baby/kids stuff.
I recently bought a launch party ticket–HIGHLY RECOMMENDED–to my local Rhea Lana event and purchased my daughter’s entire spring/summer wardrobe, and about half of the clothes I purchased were brand new, many with tags. I avoid buying used shoes (since used shoes have been shaped to the foot of the previous owner) and I bought 5-6 pairs of discounted brand new shoes, with tags, that are still on Target’s shelves.
I also bought a brand new looking kids electric car, and the money I made selling my toddler stuff completely paid for it. I highly recommend finding your big ticket items here: bikes, electric cars and scooters, outdoor play items, even playhouses if you’re lucky. Just make sure to get that early pass so you can first dibs on those high-demand items!
Hitting up that event saved me SO much money AND time, because it saved me from multiple shopping trips throughout the season, or spending time buying the bigger things I found (electric car, toddler picnic table, etc) on Facebook Marketplace.
Just Between Friends
I haven’t been to one of these pop-up events yet, but I’ve heard good things. There are also a ton of these Just Between Friends pop-up events–find the one nearest for you.
Like Rhea Lana, Just Between Friends also accepts your items so you can make money and spend money. In both franchises, consigners have the option to donate unsold items to local charities after the sale. So, shopping these events is supporting local moms AND local charities.
Just Between Friends also sells pre-sale tickets. Definitely opt for those if you’re trying to really stock up on clothing items, or if you want bigger ticket items as well. Save yourself LOTS of time and money in the long run!
General Thrift Stores
While you won’t find as much inventory or variety of baby and children’s items at general thrift stores, you can still find some great deals. It might be hit or miss, but they’re worth checking into! Check out your local thrift stores and see if they carry baby/children’s items.
Check out these common thrift stores that DO carry these items:
Ask your local thrift store when the best day is to buy baby and children’s items. There are often discount days, or times of the week that inventory is higher because of high-volume drop-off times.
Garage Sales
You’re probably not going to save the same amount of time garage sale shopping as you would the other options, but garage sales are one of the absolute cheapest places to find baby and children’s clothing.
I have found shirts, pants, Halo sleep sacks, etc. at garage sales anywhere from a few bucks to completely free! You can also score some serious deals on big items–but you gotta go early. The early bird definitely gets the worm when it comes to garage sale shopping.
Finding Garage Sales
Try finding garage sales near you with these two search engines:
Both of these sites allow you to browse garage sales in your area and will send you email updates about sales in your area, if you want. This is a great option for those who have a bit of extra time on their hands and the flexibility to shop garage sales as they pop up.
You might also have luck checking the following for garage sale listings:
- City/neighborhood Facebook pages or groups
- Facebook Marketplace listings
- local newspapers
- city or neighborhood websites
- community forums/apps like Nextdoor, Front Porch Forum, Olio, Ioby, or Patch
- ask around: neighbors, family, friends, etc.
- community boards at laudromats, libraries, churches, etc.
City-Wide Garage Sales
My favorite way to garage sale shop is to hit up city-wide garage sales, rather than scouring the neighborhood for random garage sales every Saturday morning. I also think it’s more common for people to wait until those city-wide garage sales to have their own, so random garage sales here and there are getting harder to find.
Online Shopping
I personally prefer to shop in-person for second hand items because I can inspect them, give them a sniff, make sure there are no holes or staines, etc. I also find that the prices are definitely higher online versus the above in-person thrifting methods.
However, if you’re someone who prefers to shop predominantly online, check out the following online thrift shops:
Kidizen
Kidizen is one of the most popular children’s secondhand online shops. With Kidizen, you create a profile before you shop.
Check out one mom’s review of her Kidizen experience here, and a super in-depth review of Kidizen here.
Bagsy
Bagsy is a more high-end option. The quality will be higher, along with the prices. They have a LOT of clothes that are new with tags, which are noted. If you like to find great deals on designer clothing, or love dressing your little one in unique boutique finds, this shop is for you!
The neat aspect of Bagsy is that they are an online consignment shop that makes consigning with them super easy. They simply mail you a bag, you fill it with your items, and they take care of the rest, including shipping fees. It’s a pretty sweet deal if you want to consign and are short on time!
ThredUp
ThredUp is a well-known online consignment shop for women’s clothing. They don’t specialize just in children’s clothing, many people have had luck getting their children’s clothing there, along with things for themselves.
Poshmark
Poshmark is also mostly known for selling women’s clothes, but sells children’s clothing too. Unlike a lot of other online consignment shops, the prices are not necessarily fixed on these items. You might be able to talk the seller into lowering their price.
More money-saving tips
For tips on saving a TON of money on gifts for your little one, check out this article.
For ways to find free books for your child’s home library, check out this article
Conclusion
Shopping secondhand for your baby and toddler clothing is by far the best way to save money. If you love saving money but you don’t have a lot of free time to browse thrift shops, I feel you!! There are lots of great ways to save money AND time while shopping second hand.
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Related content:
- 20 Reasons You Should Thrift for Secondhand Baby and Toddler Items
- Cheapest Toddler Gift Ideas for Christmas on a Tight Budget
- How to Find FREE Children’s Books for Your Child’s Home Library
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