In terms of being frugal, is ebay better for kids clothes? - Page 2

[Stella_luna]

Try freecycle first! My daughter's last two winter coats and snow boots, all great condition, and many other clothes, are from Freecycle.

[earthmama369]

I was just going to recommend freecycle, too. It's possible to get crap, but usually I've gotten really nice clothes, some with the tags still on them! Anything I don't want just gets re-freecycled or donated to Goodwill. If someone gives out total crap, I turn them into rags. (That's only happened once.) Toddlers grow so quickly, and a lot of the freecyclers here believe in karma , so the vast majority of the clothes we've gotten have been in great shape.

[EmsMom]

I think the best way to get kids cloths is to get them for free. See if any of your friends have a slightly older child and are willing to pass them on to you. Try freecycle. You might be surprised what you would turn up. If that doesn't work you could try approaching someone you know less well and buttering them up with something like: Wow, your child has the most wonderful clothes. I really admire your style (etc, etc.). We are having a hard time making ends meet these days because of ... (the new baby, health costs, saving for a house, paying off some debt, etc. --just pick one!) Would you consider selling me your childs outgrown clothes? Then see what happens. If you pick the right person they may just say, gosh, I will give them to you, they are taking up so much room in my attic! Some folks might try to rip you off a bit (I wouldn't pay more than $1 a piece, $.25 to $1 is a common rate at yard sales with coats, snow pants, etc. occasionally being as much as $5). If they quote an outrageous price just pass and say it is more than you can afford at present! Yard sales are usually next best to "free". In some areas, clothes go for as little as $5 for a really stuffed shopping bag full. I have noticed in the past couple of years that the prices have gone up a bit because people are selling on ebay probably. However, I still find great deals with regular yard sale shopping. Many, many Moms really just want their kids clothes to not go to waste and will virtually give it away. If none of the above work, and/or if you have specific needs (such as style, colors, sizes, brands) then it seems e-bay would be worth a try. Around here I find consignment shops or resale shops tend to be more than the sale racks, though, especially if you shop ahead and hit the sale racks at the very, very beginning of the clearance sales (which ususally seem to start about mid-season). Remainder type stores such as Marshalls often have great deals as well.