It's a fact of life that kids are going to outgrow a lot of their clothing before those clothes really get much wear. There is also plenty of gear - diaper bags, strollers and even toys and games - that children want or require. Online consignment stores are a budget-friendly solution that can reduce the expense of purchasing children's items. These shops are a great way to buy kids' clothes, gear and toys at low prices or sell them when they are no longer useful.
5 Great Online Consignment Shops for Kids' Items
The five consignment shops listed here feature a great selection of familiar and high-end children's brands.
1. Swap
Launched in 2013, Swap.com is one of the largest online consignment stores with more than 600,000 items. It operates out of the Chicago area.
Great Selection
Although the site has categories in addition to children's clothes, it has plenty of clothing and kid-centric products. Particular channels of interest are:
- Baby & Kids Apparel: This robust section is quick and easy to use because of the various search filters - size, costs, brand and gender to name a few - that fine-tune results.
- Baby Gear: This category includes everything from blankets to bottles, with many unopened items available at heavily discounted prices.
- Toys & Games: This is another channel with plenty of inventory. It includes unopened toys and games ranging from stuffed animals to electronic tablets for kids.
Buying
To buy or sell, activate a free account. Buy a specified amount (currently $20) and get free shipping on your first purchase. The company also runs clearance sales across all channels. Dissatisfied with a purchase? Return it for a full refund within 30 days.
Selling
Since all consignment stores operate best with a steady flow of product Swap, like other online consignment stores, offers free shipping for sellers. To sell on the site:
- Open an account
- Request a pre-paid shipping label or request an 'inbound box'
- Pay inbound fee (currently $10)
If the items pass inspection, the company will make an offer. If your items don't sell or are rejected, you must pay return shipping costs to get items back. When they experience a backlog, they will temporarily halt accepting items.
2. Little Sprouts
Based in North Carolina, Little Sprouts is an online shop that specializes in upscale and eco-friendly items for kids. The site sells new and gently used high-end clothes and accessories. Clothes sizes are preemie to 5T.
Name Brands
Despite being a niche market, Little Sprouts maintains a significant inventory. The store carries about 40 brands which includes names like:
- Baby Gap
- Ralph Lauren
- Juicy Couture
- Mini Boden
Prices range from less than $25 to more than $100. The site primarily carries clothing, but occasionally does sell child-related gear like diaper bags or baby carriers.
Buying
Since they specialize in clothing, only a handful of channels exists, but a couple worth mentioning are the clearance sale and overstocked sections. Both showcase products at substantially reduced prices. To be alerted when inventory is added to their site, sign up for the free newsletter. Overall, the site's navigation is clean and effective, but it does not allow users to filter searches. Because of this, you'll have to scroll through many product pages.
If you are not satisfied with your purchase for any reason, they offer a 30-day money-back guarantee and will fully refund the cost of the item. Shipping costs are nonrefundable.
Selling
The store accepts a wide range of brand names, and their policies are listed online. Unlike Swap, Little Sprouts does not charge a fee when submitting items for sale. They provide a free pre-paid mailer, or in you live in the vicinity, they will arrange for a free pickup. Once they have your items, they will review and offer you a bulk price. They do not itemize their quotes. If you decide not to sell, or your items are rejected, you can either donate them to the store or pay to have the items returned.
3. Dessie Kids
Launched in 2014 by a daughter-mother-aunt team out of Tennessee, Dessie Kids is another high-end children's clothing consignment store. Red Tricycle named Dessie Kids as one of the best online resale stores.
Name Brands
Since they carry high-end clothing, many of the brands found on Little Sprouts are also found on Dessie Kids. The layout of the site is clean and navigation to a specific size or gender is expedited by drop-down menus and filtering options. The site effectively delivers on the company's mission of simplifying online shopping since a shopper can quickly navigate to items of interest.
Buying
Besides the ability to quickly access a product, the site also places two important links at the top of each page: 'new with tags' and 'sale.' Another nice navigation tool, located in the lefthand column, lets a buyer search by category. The store sometimes offers free shipping on orders above $75; otherwise shipping costs vary by shipping service and weight. They also offer a no-hassle, 30-day money-back guarantee.
Selling
Like other online consignment stores, Dessie Kids presents an offer, but unlike some of the others, they inform sellers upfront the price range they are currently paying in each category. If items are rejected they can be returned for a $10 fee or can be donated to a children's charity.
4. Thred Up
Although Thred Up is not just a kid's site, it has a large inventory of children's clothes. Their robust inventory is one of the reasons the shop is listed in U.S. News & World Report's list of the top five online consignment shops.
Target Audience
With its target audience of busy moms in mind, the site is designed to be quick and efficient, with only six categories to navigate. But, before you can browse anything, you must register by submitting your email address or logging in via your Facebook or Amazon account. Child-centric items like clothing, shoes and accessories are initially divided by gender. Inside that category, shoppers can filter and refine the search by brand, cost, size or color. The left column navigation allows site visitors to view new arrivals.
Buying
The site runs various promotions at times, such as a percentage discount for new customers. Several shipping options are provided, including expedited delivery. They offer a 14-day money-back guarantee (minus shipping). A handful of items, like final sale products, cannot be returned. They have a detailed FAQ section to help with purchasing questions.
Selling
Like many other consignment stores, they provide free shipping when you want to sell on their site. They have a simple, easy to remember, method for accepted items - D.O.T. This acronym stands for defect-free, on-trend and top-brands. The seller will receive a payment on acceptance for items valued at under $60 and will be paid for items valued above $60 after they sell.
Consignment Buying Tips for Parents
Since online consignment stores are a growing segment plenty of options, both good and bad, are available. When purchasing items for children online, double-check your child's measurements and, to ensure a smooth transaction, pay special attention to the size and grading method used by the store. Note which brands they tend to carry. As with any store, online or offline, understand the return policy and read customer reviews to get a better indication of the store's reputation and quality.
