One of the ways we choose to make raising our little guy a little more affordable is by dressing him in second hand clothes. We were extremely fortunate that before baby boy was born our families hosted baby showers where tons of sweet, tiny baby clothes were bestowed upon us. I remember spending hours sorting through all the little outfits and accessories as we moved homes (at 8 months pregnant– not recommended!) and set up his nursery.
We also had several friends and relatives who knew they were done having babies that were more than happy to give us their children’s gently used clothing. The hand me downs included big ticket items like jackets and snow suits, ultimately saving us money that was better spent on diapers and everything else a baby needs.
Of course, gifts and hand me downs didn’t cover all of baby’s clothing needs, so we did have to buy a few items here and there. I still wasn’t sold on buying brand new newborn or 0-3 month clothing, knowing their lifespan would be super short (not to mention diaper blow-outs making some onesies “one and done” items). So, I decided to check out Hamilton and Burlington’s Once Upon a Child locations.
If you’ve not yet made a trip to Once Upon a Child, their business is twofold: They sell second-hand, excellent used condition clothing, toys and accessories; and, they buy items of the same condition for resale.
Going back to my desire to clothe baby inexpensively, I love Once Upon a Child– you can buy clothing for a fraction of the cost, sometimes with the tags still on (remember that gorgeous 0-3 month Baby Gap sweater someone gifted your baby who was born in June?); and, you can take in the clothes your baby or child has grown out of and make some money to put towards clothes of the next size up! (Or, you can take the money home and put it in baby’s RESP! Or… go out for date night!) It’s a great way to stretch baby’s clothing budget, not to mention reducing our generation’s “disposable clothing” footprint.
Here are some tips that I’ve discovered when planning to buy and sell clothes at Once Upon a Child:
Decide to part with your baby clothes sooner than later– OUAC has a style guide that they follow each season and the newer the clothing, the more likely they are to buy it back
Follow OUAC’s Instagram page– they often advertise upcoming sales or buying events. Each season they seem to have a Clearance sale where their already inexpensive clothes cost next to nothing. Last summer I got all of baby’s shorts for less than a dollar a pair (and again– infant shorts have literally no wear and tear, so they were basically brand new), and this fall I got some cute plaid button up shirts for about 40 cents a piece, and Baby Gap fleece lined jeans for a dollar. Can you say, “daycare wear?”
Go in with an idea of what you need– because there’s such a huge selection it’s easy to start buying things because they’re cute and ultimately spending more money than you intended. I usually go in with the mindset of “I need to get baby enough onesies to get us through the week at daycare” or another specific goal.
You can sell clothes anytime OUAC is open, but the weekends tend to be really busy. If you’re able, aim to go during the week. Keep in mind, the selling process has to happen in one day– they won’t keep your clothes and money until later in the week.
Of course I’d be remiss if I didn’t highlight some of my favourite finds at OUAC:
4-6 month H&M spring/fall jacket for $7 that baby wore from October-May that was the perfect weight to be appropriate in the car seat but keep him warm outdoors (retail: $29.99)
Never-worn Puma Ferrari crib shoes for $5.50 (retail: $35)
Janie & Jack shawl sweater for $6.50 (retail: $72)
20 onesies for $10, including some great brands like Calvin Klein, Hatley and Quicksilver
Halo fleece sleep sack for $5.99 (retail: $34.99)
Pros:
You don’t have to put a lot of time and effort into selling your clothes like you do on Kijiji. No taking pictures, no answering fruitless emails, no bartering, no inviting strangers to your home, working around baby’s nap schedule!
Especially with clearance sales, the clothes are very inexpensive and relatively good quality because they’ve been put through OUAC’s screening process.
Cons:
If you’ve paid full price for the clothes you are trying to sell, you’ll likely be disappointed with the amount of money OUAC offers you for them. If you’ve paid full price for something like a snow suit or shoes, you might fetch more money selling them on Kijiji.
The toys and accessories seem quite a bit more expensive than other thrift-type stores, such as Value Village or Salvation Army. Check those places first if you have a specific toy in mind!
Some of the locations are literally stuffed with clothes, toys and accessories! Bring your baby a snack and something to do so that you can browse in peace!
I’d love to hear your thoughts on Once Upon a Child! Have you made some incredible finds? Do you have any selling tips or tricks? Happy buying and selling!
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