The Value of Buying Consignment
By Diana Hatcher
I wish I had known sooner that there is no shame in shopping consignment for your baby supplies (and it is in fact widely respected these days). The quality and quantity of choices is amazing because so much that a baby receives is so gently or seldom used in his first year of life that what parents buy on consignment is practically brand new but for a third the price.
The variety and quality of items is better than what is found at garage sales because most consignment stores or sale organizers have minimum standards for what is being sold. Think boutique brand items at Target prices. There are some items you just can’t risk, like car seats or mattresses, but when it comes to baby’s bedding, strollers, swings, pack n plays, toys, coats, shoes and clothing, it is worth a trip to a few consignment stores or sales to see what’s out there.
With my first child, everything I bought was new. It’s not like I didn’t know consignment existed, it was just that I thought I didn’t want to compromise anything on my very first child. Well, what I did not realize was that I could have easily found a gigantic selection of higher quality items than what I ended up purchasing new – and it was all barely used. Baby, friends and family would have never known otherwise. By the time I was properly educated on consignment value, I was already on the other end, as seller of my beautiful and well-cared-for baby supplies, receiving only a quarter of the price I paid for them new.
Don’t have any consignment stores in town? I can assure you there will be at least one if not dozens of consignment sales hosted by community organizations such as churches or mom clubs in your area. They are most popular in the Spring and Fall. As a good starting point, check out the website www.kidsconsignmentsales.com where you can click on your state and then narrow it down to your city or county for a pretty comprehensive list of upcoming sales.
Diana Hatcher is the mother of two kids, Aiden (4) and Kara (2) who lives in Atlanta, GA. She and I used to work together at UPS in Atlanta. Wish we lived closer to one another so we could hang out. She’s one of those people you always enjoy being around. Thanks for being my friend, Diana. And thank you for sharing your wisdom with The Mommyhood.
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