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Once Upon A Child: Reselling Your Baby Clothes

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It has taken me over five years to admit that I have purchased way too many clothes, toys, and baby gear for my children. Every closet door I opened (until recently) was stuffed with bags and boxes of old clothing, some of which had never been worn and with tags still attached. Over the past few years I have generously donated and passed down many of my new and almost-new items but as each season passed and my children outgrew their clothes, I would have yet another bag of clothes to add to the ever-growing pile. These bags of outgrown clothing and baby gear took up too much space no matter how well I organized them during every long holiday. My husband recommended that since I had a lot of new items, that I try to sell and make some money which I could use to buy new clothes for my children. It honestly wasn’t a bad idea.

I came across Once Upon A Child, on Facebook one day and decided to look them up. Once Upon A Child, located all over North America, buys and sells gently used children’s clothes, shoes, toys, baby gear, and furniture depending on location of course. You can check out the various locations here.

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Once you bring in your items, the staff will look through your boxes of clothing while you wait. The buyer will carefully select and make an offer on items that meet the current style, safety standards, and the store’s stock level. You will be paid cash for the items that they would like to buy should you choose to accept the offer. Your offer generally depends on the brand of the item that you are selling. Although the website states that they buy and sell everyday and that an appointment is not necessary, I would suggest calling ahead of time as sometimes the store will stop buying unexpectedly due to short staff.

When taking items into the store for selling, here are things to keep in mind:

  • make certain that all clothing (sleepwear, dress wear, costumes, swimwear, etc.) and shoes are clean, free of stains, free of wear and tear, and not fading
  • style matters when selling — ensure whatever clothing you are selling was purchased within five years
  • bring clothing neatly folded and arranged in a box or tote for faster and better service
  • not all locations accept furniture and blankets, so it is best to call the store to find out
  • furniture and gear must meet current safety standards and be in good working condition
  • toys and equipment must be clean and meet current safety standards
To give you an idea of what you can expect, I sold 63 pieces of clothing for about $112 dollars. I was happy with what I got and donated the unsold pieces of clothing to the nearest Salvation Army, rather than taking it back home. The buyer told me that I had a lot of great stuff but they couldn’t take it all due to the size of the store and their current stock level. She recommended that I try another location or that I come back in a couple months but I chose to donate the rest of the items because I didn’t need them and much preferred having the space in my home instead. If you have items that weren’t sold due to the store’s stock level, you can try reselling them at a later date or at a different store. The location I went to does not accept furniture due to lack of space but there are various locations that do — again it is best to call your neighbourhood store to find out.
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All in all my first experience at Once Upon A Child was a fairly positive one. This place is a fast and convenient way to make some extra cash on your gently used baby clothes, toys, and gear. As I waited for an offer on my items, I did look around and noticed that the store carries a lot of new clothing and toys with tags still attached. If you are looking to buy gently used items or new items for decent prices, I recommend taking a look at one of the many Once Upon A Child locations. You can be certain that whatever you purchase from Once Upon A Child meets current safety and style standards.
To learn more about Once Upon A Child, visit their website here.

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1 Comment

  1. L.v. mccree

    Hello.. What do you guys do with clothes that were accidently left there until closing? We went to a splash pad and didn’t make it in time before you guys closed.

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