How Do Kids' Resale Stores Really Work?

Most parents agree: Kids grow up so fast, but they grow out of their clothing even quicker. This means those designer jeans you just bought for your child? They’ll probably start looking like designer capris before the season is over.

Fortunately, children’s resale stores exist as an option for keeping up with a growing child’s needs without breaking the bank. They’re also a good way to sell items that your child has outgrown – and make some money in return.

How It Works

A children’s resale shop works like a consignment shop, but with a bonus: the seller receives cash upfront for their items.

“At a consignment store, you take in an item, agree on a price, and you don’t get paid until that item is sold,” says Kim Burtner, owner of three Once Upon a Child resale stores in Indianapolis. “A resale store is different because we pay cash on the spot.”

Once the seller has dropped off their items, they can shop while the store staff goes through the items and decides what to buy. When they’re finished, and the seller is ready to check out, the resale store is ready to pay cash for the items.

What They Will Buy

Safety and condition are the two most important factors when deciding what to buy from the customer.

Gently used clothing, shoes, toys and baby gear are some of the things you can sell – and buy – at a resale store. And the better condition that the items are in, the more interested the resale store will be in buying your used items.

When organizing items to sell, resale shops like Once Upon a Child like to see clothing tops and bottoms paired together. Toys and equipment should be complete and in good working order.

“If it’s a toy or equipment, make sure all the pieces are with it,” Burtner says, “right down to every screw that holds it together.”

Sellers can expect to sell most of their gently used children’s items, but Burtner says that there is one thing they will not buy for safety reasons.

“We do not purchase car seats,” Burtner says, because it’s difficult to tell if a car seat has been damaged from an accident. They also don’t buy things that don’t resell well, including stuffed animals.

“If we bought them, the whole store would be full of stuffed animals,” Burtner says with a laugh. “You would be walking into a maze of stuffed animals. They just don’t resell.”

What You Can Save

Burtner says that resale shoppers can save some serious money compared to buying the same items at a retail store.

“On average, shoppers can expect to save around 60 percent off retail,” Burtner says. And because resale stores like Once Upon a Child are picky about the quality of items they buy and sell, shoppers can rest assured that they’re getting a good value.

“Many people are surprised at the quality of clothing,” Burtner says. “They’ll often say, ‘These are used?’ That’s the #1 question that we receive from a new customer.”

WORDS BY NICOLE SIPE