Has the market for secondhand kids clothes totally dried up?

[Anonymous]

IME yes. I gave up selling and just donate now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In my Bethesda neighborhood people just give things away. Nobody wants to deal with the work of washing, sorting, photographing, dealing with emails. Not worth it for the money. Either people donate to a charity or give to neighbors to reuse. In my former Moco neighborhood,, which is less wealthy and where I'm still on some lists everybody sells everything still. Guess they value money more and time less.

+ I live in an expensive close-in zip code have been given SO many nice hand me downs (like expensive winter gear, gobs of every day clothes, dress up items, barely worn Natives and cleats, etc.) and then will add a few things to the pile and hand them down to the next friend. It’s more an environmental thing/not wanting to deal with the hassle of selling.

I do sometimes think about the fact that living in a wealthy area means you get more nice stuff for free because people don’t need to re-sell, and you probably have the money to buy a lot of this stuff new anyway. So it’s more just a perk.

Occasionally I buy stuff for myself off PoshMark though because I can look for a particular expensive item I want and generally find it for a fraction of the price barely worn. But most kid clothes don’t cost enough to spend my time looking online.

And the people who do need to save money by searching online want a cheap bargain (and re-sellers are competing with the constant sales/promo codes being sent for new clothes).

[Anonymous]

I agree that many resellers have an inflated value of their clothes, but also I think preferences have changed. When my 10 yo was younger he wore a lot of Biden/HA; my 5 yo has not worn most of it. When Gymboree bough HA the quality went down and they flooded the market. I still buy second hand because it’s better environmentally than Target level fast fashion, but a lot of people I know prefer the Cat & Jack, which is about the same price but doesn’t last to be passed on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The market seems to have moved to brand-specific buy sell trade Facebook groups rather than marketplace. Having said, people often ask for near retail prices. The things sell anyway because a lot of the brands do limited releases of the designs.

This! Look for private groups on Facebook. I’m in one for HA and Boden reselling and there still seems to be a lot of activity.

+1

I often buy secondhand for vaguely environmental reasons, and because I think even used Hanna andersson is typically better value than most target.

[Anonymous]

HA quality/consistency has nosedived, and Biden can be kind of niche - maybe the nicer dresses and outerwear have resale value, but for basics like graphic tees and sweats, new Target/Old Navy is the same price or cheaper and you don’t have to wade through pilled and stained crap to find anything decent.

[Anonymous]

You can get Boden/Hanna end of season clearance brand new for the same price as used. You just have to think a head and be on top of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:HA quality/consistency has nosedived, and Biden can be kind of niche - maybe the nicer dresses and outerwear have resale value, but for basics like graphic tees and sweats, new Target/Old Navy is the same price or cheaper and you don’t have to wade through pilled and stained crap to find anything decent.

I agree, part of the issue is the quality isn't the same. I used to buy a lot of used HA on the Facebook groups, maybe 5 or so years ago. But the quality of newer Hanna is so meh now that I'm leery (one pair of PJs I bought NEW lasted from Christmas until a few weeks ago before getting a hole in them). I'd still buy old school Hanna used. I found a HA sweatshirt at a kids consignment store last summer that is old-school quality and the difference is really noticeable. The brand really did used to be something you could pass down. Now it fades quickly and gets holes in it. I don't even shop their sales online anymore.

Also, I just don't want to pay $20 for a pair of used Boden shorts for my kids, when I can buy 4 pairs of new Cat & Jack ones. They only wear them for a summer or two at most. Even in my house where that means two kids will wear the heck out of them for 4 summers in a row total... it's fine. I'll buy particularly cute stuff if I see it used, but most of the time, a $4 t-shirt from the Children's Place is fine.

I also frequent consignment sales and used kid clothing stores. I can't be bothered with looking on Poshmark unless I'm looking for something specific (e.g. a size-up in a favorite shirt or to buy a matching top so my kids can twin), or if I can find a seller who is selling something like 10 pairs of shorts for $20. I did that a few times, and it worked well. But even then, sometimes the waistband has been stretched too big for my skinny older kid.

I always thought I'd be someone who sold stuff onward, but I donate it to friends and family instead. I don't have the time to deal with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In my Bethesda neighborhood people just give things away. Nobody wants to deal with the work of washing, sorting, photographing, dealing with emails. Not worth it for the money. Either people donate to a charity or give to neighbors to reuse. In my former Moco neighborhood,, which is less wealthy and where I'm still on some lists everybody sells everything still. Guess they value money more and time less.

+1 I live in a rich neighborhood and no one sells children’s clothes, it’s all on Buy Nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can get Boden/Hanna end of season clearance brand new for the same price as used. You just have to think a head and be on top of it.

This!

For many of the things that I was planning on buying second hand, I've actually seen for lower price (on sale) new on the Hanna/Boden sites. Even though it is better for the planet, I just can't justify buying used for MORE than new for the same exact item.

[Anonymous]

I buy used clothes at kids consignment shops in NOVA (Bellies & Babies, Blossom & Buds, 529, Lemon Lane, etc.). I think they have great, well-priced selections.

Like others mentioned, my area (Old Town) has a very active Buy Nothing group where I have gotten great clothing (and it’s where I give away all our clothes). So never a need to look on marketplace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can get Boden/Hanna end of season clearance brand new for the same price as used. You just have to think a head and be on top of it.

This!

For many of the things that I was planning on buying second hand, I've actually seen for lower price (on sale) new on the Hanna/Boden sites. Even though it is better for the planet, I just can't justify buying used for MORE than new for the same exact item.

Yes. Can't understand why anyone would by used at the inflated prices. I get everything i need through buy nothing. Sometimes my mother buys HA on clearance to get some cute character PJs. Of course my daughter likes those the best. None of my HA are in good enough condition for resale.

[Anonymous]

I buy lots of kids clothes on poshmark.

Also at thrift stores but those are places that take donation.

[Anonymous]

Pp *lots as in bundles of clothing, not piece by piece. Sometimes I sell also but yes it's a lot of energy.

[Anonymous]

People are giving away bags of kids clothes on Buy Nothing. There is almost no reason to buy used clothes if you can get it for free. My child has a capsule wardrobe - for everyday wear, I buy new, usually Target or things on sale. I will buy a few used/like new special occasion outfits (holiday themed, dresses, jackets, sweaters) on FB marketplace or consignment. And if my child needs a few more filler pieces of clothing (usually for play), I will put my hat in the ring on Buy Nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In my Bethesda neighborhood people just give things away. Nobody wants to deal with the work of washing, sorting, photographing, dealing with emails. Not worth it for the money. Either people donate to a charity or give to neighbors to reuse. In my former Moco neighborhood,, which is less wealthy and where I'm still on some lists everybody sells everything still. Guess they value money more and time less.

+1 I live in a rich neighborhood and no one sells children’s clothes, it’s all on Buy Nothing.

Why are rich people doing buy nothing groups? I mean other than self righteousness.