There’s A New Kid In Town: Once Upon A Child – Buying & Selling Gently Used Kid’s Stuff!

02/14/2014

As some of you know, over the past month I have been on a basement-cleaning spree!  A sincere thank you to all of you who have purchased some of my items via my Facebook posts.  I loved seeing all of our stuff go to good homes, but to be honest, it was quite a time consuming task!  Between laundering, sorting, folding, taking photos, writing descriptions, posting and then dealing with the inevitable no-shows…I was exhausted!

Then I heard that Once Upon A Child was opening a new location in our neighbourhood, at 1 Titan Plaza, 1020 Islington Ave. (between Bloor and QEW) next to No Frills and Artisano’s.  If you haven’t heard of them before, Once Upon A Child buys and sells gently used kids stuff: Clothing, Footwear, Toys & Books, and Baby Gear.  They have a huge storefront, with tons of free onsite parking.  The store recently opened for buying merchandise while they build their inventory.  They plan to open for customers wanting to purchase over the next couple of weeks.

I had visited their website ahead of time so I knew that the most in demand items were shoes, toys, and larger children’s styles.  They conveniently display this list at the front of the store when you walk in.  There are certain items they don’t buy like car seats, safety gear, bedding, towels, stuffed animals, cloth diapers, bath gear, formula and any products not meeting current government safety standards.

Owners Duff and his lovely wife Vika, walked me through the buying process.  After filling in a quick form, I left my 7 bins to be sorted while I grabbed at coffee at the nearby Artisanos and did some quick grocery shopping at No Frills (also conveniently located in the same strip mall)  They called me once they had sorted through everything and I went back in to pick up my remaining items…and $157!  I love that they offer you cash payment on the spot for all items accepted – woo hoo!

Here are a couple of tips based on my experience:

• Be sure to launder and fold your clothes.  Hair (pet or otherwise!) is a definite no-no, as it smells of any sort.  Make sure two-piece items are stored together.
• On average, they buy about 1/3 of the gear that a parent brings in.  Save yourself some time and do a really thorough screening of your items before packing them up.  Be sure to look at every item in bright light. What might look good in your living room, actually reveals stains when under florescent lighting.
• Look for more than just stains.  Check the bottoms of pants and edges of shirts for fraying.  Look for wear and tear on the knees of pants. Is the elastic waistband and zipper still working?
• Shoes, jackets, sweater, pants and plastic toys will fair better – they get a ton of onesies and sleepers, and therefore they are more selective when purchasing those items.
• Brand names and larger kids sizes are more in demand, and may be forgiven a little wear and tear vs. baby clothes.
• Pre-label your bins with your name to make it easier for them.  And please use bins.  Over flowing shopping bags aren’t fun for anyone.  Make sure that your toys have all of the pieces and that they are stored together.
• There is no appointment necessary; it’s first come first serve so plan to drop off your bins at the beginning of your errand/shopping trip, and return on your way home – the store should have your Buy Offer ready to present to you.  Weekends can be busy; it’s best to sell your gear during the week.

Remember that Once Upon A Child is in a sense taking on a risk when they buy your clothes.  Unlike consignment, they are giving you cash up front for items that may never sell.  Please try not to take it personally if your favourite outfit is returned to you, it is a business after all, and they reserve the right to select the items they think best fit their store.   They review your items carefully and select the items that meet current style, safety and condition standards.   To make it easier for you, here’s the criteria they use for deciding what to purchase:

1. Condition
2. Brand
3. Style
4. Demand

Ask yourself, would you pick your item up off of the shelf?

While there is some personal judgment on behalf of the employee when initially deciding what to when initially deciding what to buy or pass-on, their pricing system leaves nothing up to chance.  They have an amazing database with nearly every kid’s clothing brand and SKU under the sun, created and maintained by parent company Winmark Corporation for the more than 265 Once Upon A Child Stores throughout North America (the Etobicoke store is the 19th store in Ontario), which sets the buying and selling prices for each item that the store decides to buy from you.

Overall, it was a wonderful experience.  It’s super easy and a great option for families trying to “clean house” and make a few extra dollars before donating items to friends or local charities.