One of the best baby bargains I ever found was a barely-used Baby Bjorn for $25 that would have cost $80 at the store.
The Bjorn was the first thing I bought second-hand for my baby, but it certainly wasn’t the last. Babies are expensive, but it’s easy to save lots of money buying things that are gently used—from clothing to cribs.
Consignment shops typically sell baby gear and clothing for about 50 percent less than retail cost, according to storeowners. Buying baby stuff second-hand is especially attractive because babies outgrow everything so quickly—sometimes wearing outfits only a couple times, if at all. And, let’s face it, babies are annoyingly fickle. I think every mom probably has at least one piece of baby gear that seemed like it would be essential, but sat unused because the baby hated it.
My son hated his comfy $280 car-seat/stroller travel system we selected after much research, but strangely enough, he loves the flimsy umbrella stroller I bought him for $20 on whim. You just never know until you buy it and try it, and that’s certainly less painful if you’re spending less than full retail cost.
Parents are increasingly realizing that shopping second-hand offers a great savings, say industry veterans.
“There are a lot more customers who are embracing resale,” said Cathy Marks, Executive Vice President of Operations for Children’s Orchard, a national franchise of children’s resale shops.
Marks, who has been with the company for seventeen years, says the old stigma of second-hand shopping has all but vanished among modern moms and dads.
The company now has almost eighty stores in twenty-five states. It continues to grow, adding seven new locations last year.
The top-selling items nationally are clothing, cribs, and toys, but high chairs and strollers are also hot sellers, Marks said.
“Baby gear is so expensive new and you can get second-hand cribs, high-chairs, and strollers that are in excellent condition, so why not get one for half of what you would pay in a store?” Marks said. “There are a lot of things that parents today think they need and then realize they actually don’t, so it barely gets used.”
Lynn Sturgis, manager of ConsignKidz in Atlanta, says the best things to buy second-hand are infant carriers, bassinets, and high chairs. She says car seats are not as popular since parents usually want the newest, safest model available.
Clothing is always especially popular, and coats are a recommended buy since they are so expensive and children outgrow them after one season.
“It’s really easy to see the value in something that looks like it was worn just once and costs half of retail price,” Marks said.
But new moms are typically less likely to buy consignment than their more experienced counterparts.
“It’s the new mom syndrome,” says Sturgis. “They’re worried about everything and they want to buy everything new, but after the first baby, that changes.”
Many moms grow savvier about spending after the first baby. “They become way more conscious of what they are spending and they have also realized that they don’t use everything they think they will,” said Cari Floyd, who owns two second-hand stores in Portland, Oregon, called All About Kids.
Christi Dickson Feeney, an Atlanta attorney and mother of an eleven-month-old, is ahead of the curve. The first-time mom is already a pro at making the most of second-hand baby supplies.
She and her husband got their crib, changing table, and pack-n-play as hand-me-downs from family members. They also bought many items gently used: an extra playpen, an exersaucer, an extra car seat base, several toys, and more than twenty outfits for their daughter.
However, Feeney says there are a few items she would not buy second-hand. Since Feeney and her husband are both runners, they opted for a new jog stroller.
