Consignment Shopping: Does it make sense?

When I first started hearing about consignment sales a few years ago, I kind of wrote them off thinking, I shop sales pretty well, buy off season and purchased from yard sale sites, I don't really need to shop those.


The challenge with my strategy was that it could be really time consuming, require searching photo albums or Facebook groups for the right items and sizes wasn't always easy and then coordinating a plan to meet a stranger at a convenient time was not always easy. Shopping clearance from previous seasons can be tough too, I've gotten burned a few times committing to a size for the next season while things are on sale but then realizing I overshot the size when spring or winter rolled around.

I went to my first consignment sale about 5 years ago and I was hooked. I look forward to shopping them each year, they save a ton of time, money and make getting what we need for each season way easier than buying sales the season before (you never quite know the sizes you need until you need them!) Here's a quick price break down giving you a feel for the kind of money that can be saved while shopping these events.

I have created a simple price breakdown using moderate pricing comparable to what you might pay at Target or Old Navy. Overall I'd estimate that many people may spend much more at higher end stores such as GAP or Gymboree so the total cost estimate could be significantly higher than the estimate of $216.  My estimate above allows the average mom to save almost $150 per season or more depending on how much you were spending on retail items.  If you multiple that times each child with two main seasons (fall/winter and spring/summer). That savings adds up pretty quickly! $300 in savings per child per year.  That's around $900 per year in savings for a family with 3 children!

Lower Prices + Higher Quality!

I find that I am able to buy those higher end brands of clothing that I knew will last for a fraction of the price at seasonal consignment events.  When I comb through the clothing racks at these events I often look for the brands I won't pay full price for and always come away with a TON of amazing, beautiful clothing, toys, books and more for a fraction of the cost of what I would pay retail. Want to shop consignment? Click here to learn more about The Kids Clothesline.

This girls dress marked at 50% off at Gymboree right now is still at least 3 to 4 times as expensive than you could expect to pay at a seasonal consignment event.

Another company we LOVE to buy from but can get pricey is Primary.com. The styles shown above are sold for $12-$18 each! You could easily but 3-4 items gently at a seasonal consignment event for the price of one here. I created a cart with a few items to build a spring wardrobe for my daughter and between bathing suits, short, shirts and 2 dresses my total was up over $263 and that didn't even include the sandals or sneakers we need!

Take a look at just how many items they will have at the event! This event slideshow is an awesome preview of the vast variety.

                

If you've never checked out a seasonal consignment sale now is the time! The Kids Clothesline's Spring event is going on this week! You can shop during the following hours and check it all out for yourself.  While we featured a price comparison for clothing, clothing isn't the only thing you will find at The Kids Clothesline.  You'll find amazing deals on outdoor toys, strollers, furniture, movies, books, games and much more. Saving on your kids' clothing is just the beginning!

We love shopping these sale events and always come away feeling like we got a great deal on lots of things we needed. Additionally it is really awesome to know that by buying at The Kids Clothesline you've supported another family by purchasing some of their items! 

Sponsorship/Affiliate Disclaimer: 

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