Consignment Store Finds

It's been a little while since I've posted here, and I don't have much of an excuse except that I was sidetracked by another project. But let's forget the break ever happened and we'll just jump right into this next topic...

I wanted to talk about consignment stores today. I think whether you're buying for your baby or yourself, consignment makes sense because it is basically recycled clothing, and we already know that recycled = good. I think the whole concept clicked for me after I had M and after she outgrew all the baby shower outfits, which was much sooner than I expected! (I thought we were going to have a small baby, but M is consistently in the 70th percentile for both weight and height.) Even with generous donations of hand me downs from her cousin, we still ended up with a baby clothing deficit and soon found that baby clothing is relatively expensive. This is especially true considering M will only wear any article of clothing for a very short period of time... and even when it fits, it sits in the laundry most of the time!

The Vancouver neighbourhood that we live in (Mount Pleasant) is actually a hub of high quality consignment stores. There are at least three within a short walk that specialize in kids' attire (Wee Ones Reruns, Tiggy Winkles, Kiddo), and too many to count that deal in adults'.

The great thing about gently used clothing is that you know it was built to last! Some of the things I buy new shrink or fade or even shred in the first wash... that is always so disappointing. I am definitely the type of person who has basics that last me years and years, so when I buy a T-Shirt where the seam comes undone on the first wash I get super angry! (But not angry enough to actually return the T-Shirt... that would disagree with my passive aggressive nature.)

Used baby clothing is often hardly used at all. Sometimes, the original tags are still attached, and even when you know that the piece has been worn a few times, it's usually in really good condition or it wouldn't make it on the rack. Quality consignment stores will weed out the soiled or damaged pieces so all you have to worry about is whether it will fit your (chubby, in our case) baby.

There are also a few thrift stores in our neighbourhood, and the difference between thrift and consignment stores is that the former is a charity shop. That means that items for sale are usually donated to the shop, and the sale proceeds are funneled towards the charity. In terms of karma, thrift stores are one up on consignment, however, I find the quality of items in thrift stores is sometimes inferior to those found in shops where the sale revenue is split between the consignee and the store.

Wherever you buy your used clothing, though, I think it's a positive act... It saves money and keeps perfectly wearable items out of the landfill. And we should definitely focus our energies on keeping things in circulation for as long as possible!