Choose used baby clothing

By Shomik Ghosh | April 05, 2012

Secondhand baby clothes can save you money and help protect the environment from the destructive processes required to manufacture and transport new clothes.

Choosing secondhand baby clothes conserves valuable resources in a simple, affordable way. It also keeps those barely worn baby duds in circulation — keeping them out of the landfill.

Find it! Secondhand baby clothes vendors

So whether you're in need of something new for your little one, or on the prowl for a place to recycle things your child's outgrown, we've got you covered. These days there are many websites that offer a place for you to buy, sell, or trade almost anything — especially baby goods. Some, like Freecycle, even provide a place where others are offering to give away their used items for free. For a larger list of baby clothes resale websites and stores, visit Baby-Place.com.

Before you buy

Some secondhand items are in good condition, while others have seen more use. Be sure to carefully examine the item before purchase. Check snaps and other fasteners. If buying online, make sure there are good quality photos available of the item.

Choosing secondhand baby clothes helps you go green because…

No new resources are used to produce new clothes, and therefore, no additional pesticides or other chemicals are required to grow textile crops, like conventional cotton.
Items are resold and reused, rather than ending up in a landfill.

Dana M. 3 years ago

Once upon a Child is great for used kids clothes. Take your old ones in and get some cash or trade for some gently used. I can get so much more for my money there too. I've gotten brand new with the tags on jeans for $5. They also have all the toys you could ever need and everything for a baby too. High Chairs, Walkers, you name it they probably have it.

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tommy b. 3 years ago

Today

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Beverly W. 4 years ago

Kids grow so quickly when they are young that most of what you find at a thrift store or yard sale has only been worn a few times before you buy it. Many times, the previous owner never got it on the child before they "outgrew" it, and it ends up at the thrift store still "new" with tags on it. After a machine washing, anything cloth is just as clean as it would have been after your own family had worn it and washed it, so there is no need to worry about who owned it prior. I never buy secondhand shoes, however, because they cannot be sanitized in the same way. Once your children get older, they may wear the clothes much longer before they outgrow them, but they also are much less hard on them, so they still have a lot of life in them. Girls' clothes tend to survive much better than boys' clothes. Never buy only the sizes that your children are wearing right now, especially if your children are young enough to guarantee several more sizes of future growth. When the prices, clothing styles, and quality all match up to make for excellent bargains, buy them up for the next several years. You'll have a ready stock of whatever you need when the growth spurts hit, and you'll end up spending roughly 10% of a normal parent's clothing budget. Plus, when they outgrow those same clothes, you can either sell them at a yard sale or donate them to the thrift stores you bought them from and take the donation off of your taxes. If you are a smart enough shopper, you can pretty much get the clothes for FREE in this perpetual exchange!!!

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Jean R. 4 years ago

Join Freecycle! One person's trash is another person's treasure.

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donna s. 4 years ago

we give all our baby clothes to a thrift store that supports the veterans.

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