I come from a long line of thrifters, so I consider myself an expert on secondhand goods. As far back as I can remember, I loved going “yard sale-ing” with my family. The kids would load up in the back of a pickup truck (when it was probably still legal!), and head out, cooler of drinks and sandwiches in tow, to search for treasures. It’s always been a game to me. What little gem is hiding amongst the surplus of chipped tchotchkes, stained couches and leisure suits?
I have found tons of super stuff at thrift stores, flea markets, yard sales, consignment stores, and yes, even on the side of the road. (Yep, I’m the person you’ve seen trying to fit an abandoned antique vanity table into a Jeep Wrangler. Some people throw out the best stuff!) I consider my scavenging a great attempt at rescuing an unwanted piece of the past and giving it new life and love. There’s nothing quite like the musty old scent of antique furniture to invoke visions of days gone by.
Photo: Kid's Birthday Parties/Flickr
When I found out I was pregnant, I knew nothing about buying clothes, furnishings or toys for children. I quickly realized how expensive baby and kid stuff is. How can retailers charge the same price for a toddler’s T-shirt as an adult’s? The numbers started to add up, so I chose what to buy new, and what I felt we could thrift for. No. 1 on my thrift list was, and still is, clothing.
Kids grow out of clothes quicker than you can say, “Oh no, he spilled ketchup, AGAIN!” If you’re fortunate enough to have family to beg, borrow or steal clothes from, lucky you. If not, you’ve got to come up with some creative ways to clothe your kid without breaking the bank.
People always compliment my son’s clothes and ask where I shop, and nine times out of 10, I answer, “I thrifted it!” And if it wasn’t thrifted, you can bet your bottom dollar (pun intended) that I got it as a hand-me-down or on clearance at a retail store. I love quality name brands, but hate paying full price for them, so that’s why thrifting has always been a passion. I love scouring the racks for fancy brands at a fraction of the price, and no, I don’t mind gloating to others about it.
So, before you head to the mall to pay full price, take a look at my top five tips for thrifting for kid’s clothing:
Think ahead. I’m terrible at math, but have gotten pretty good at determining what size kids will be during what season. It’s a good way to stock up on clothing for later.
Look for NWT (new with tags) clothing. These usually have the original store tags or manufacturer’s tags on them. We all know people love to buy clothes for your kid, but sometimes they don’t consider the size versus season. After all, if a baby was born in the heat of summer, chances are, they don’t need a ton of newborn size fleece pajamas, so they sometimes end up at thrifts.
Narrow your search. I do this when shopping for myself, too. I look along the racks for colors and patterns I like, and overlook ones I know I don’t care for. That makes those endless racks of clothes seem more manageable.
Inspect the garment closely. It’s secondhand, yes, but that doesn’t mean you should buy something that’s really worn out just because it’s cheap. Look for “pilling” of fabric (those annoying little balls of fiber that refuse to come off), stains, holes, tears and loose stitching.
Thrift for play clothes. On the other hand, look for comfy play clothes that you don’t mind your kid getting dirty/wet/muddy. After all, what kid wants to be chased around the playground with a stick of stain remover?
Locally, we have some great options for finding kid’s clothes at deep discounts. Get started on your journey, good luck, and happy thrifting!
Thrifting hot spots
CONSIGNMENT STORES
Back By Popular Demand
4915 Lawrenceville Highway
Lilburn, 30047
770-923-2968
www.bbpdconsignment.com
Crib-It
433 Bishop St. NW
Atlanta, 30318
404-817-0905
www.atlantamoms.com/pages/cribit.html
Finders Keepers
84 N. Avondale Road
Avondale Estates, 30002
404-296-0285
www.fkconsign.com
Hangar-Roo
5352 Peachtree Road
Atlanta, 30341
770-451-8911
Jack and Jill’s Consignment
31 N. Avondale Road
Avondale Estates, 30002
404-508-0611
www.consignwithjackandjill.com
Tadpoles Consignment Store
2255 Pleasant Hill Road
Duluth, 30096
678-417-9266 and
425 Ernest Barrett Parkway
Kennesaw, 30144
770-499-7010
www.TadpolesAtlanta.com
CONSIGNMENT SALES
(huge sales usually held
in the spring and fall)
Check www.thebargainwatcher.com for a more complete list of area consignment sales.
Kids Used Clothes and Stuff
Decatur First United Methodist Church
300 E. Ponce de Leon Ave.
Decatur, GA 30030
www.kidsusedclothesnstuff.com/index.html
Kidsignments
Gwinnett County Fairgrounds
2405 Sugarloaf Parkway,
Lawrenceville, GA 30045
www.kidsignments.com
THRIFT STORES
Value Village
3857 Lawrenceville Highway,
Tucker
770-840-7283
and other locations
www.valuevillageatlanta.com
Last Chance Thrift Store
1709 Church St., Decatur
404-296-1711
and other locations
www.lastchancethriftstore.com
ONLINE
Craigslist.org
Freecycle.org
Ebay.com
