17 Tips For Buying Second Hand Baby Clothes
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Buying second hand baby clothes is both great for the environment and for the purse strings! I’ve put together this post full of tips for finding the best deals on second-hand baby clothes to help you stretch your budget as far as possible.
Did you know that fashion is the second biggest polluter of our planet after the oil industry?
Switching from fast fashion to slow fashion is something I’ve been trying to focus on in the last few years.
While I only bought around half of my baby items second-hand for my daughter in 2018, when my son was born in 2023 I don’t think I bought a single new item of clothing for him.
I also reused everything I could from my daughter such as her pram, cot and baby bouncer (even though it was pink!).
The only things I did buy new were mattresses as these are a safety risk and should be bought new for all babies, even when the cot or pram is pre-owned.
First of all, I thought we should take a look at some of the reasons to buy second-hand baby clothes.
Reasons for Buying Second-Hand Baby Clothes
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Second-hand baby and toddler clothes are fairly easy to come by, can save you lots of money and are much better for the environment.
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If you buy from Charity shops, you’re supporting a charity too.
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If you’re buying second-hand baby clothes from other Mum’s and Dads on Facebook or eBay you could well be helping them afford the next set of clothes they need for their children
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Buying from a reseller on eBay or Facebook helps to support a small business.
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You could buy brands that you may not normally consider because of price.
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You may be able to buy better quality clothing, which will last longer, for less money
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Buying bundles of clothing second-hand could save you lots of money.
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Buying second-hand baby clothes is the cheapest way to buy outfits that might only be worn once or twice such as a Halloween Costume or Christmas baby grown.
Buying Secondhand Baby Clothes Doesn’t Have To Mean Buying Used
One thing that I think does put some people off buying second hand baby clothes is the idea that they are too well worn, dirty or covered in germs.
While this doesn’t bother me personally, I do know some people don’t like the idea of used clothing for their children.
However, it’s worth remembering that there are plenty of ‘brand new with tags’ baby and toddler clothing to be found, both online in places like eBay and Facebook and in charity shops.
These are brand new items that have not been worn or used but that weren’t able to be returned to the shop for whatever reasons.
People often give baby clothes as gifts and more often than not, not of all of them end up getting used.
This could be because the baby has too many of the same things, items weren’t to the parent’s taste, or the baby was bigger than expected and didn’t need newborn items for very long (my daughter was 8lb 9oz and only wore newborn clothes for a week!).
This means there are plenty of new, unworn baby items out there which are often a fraction of the cost of buying new and as they are getting reused it’s better for the environment too.
Where To Buy Baby Clothes On A Budget
My 6 Best Second-Hand Baby Items
Buying Second Hand Baby Clothes From Charity Shops
Below I’ve posted a couple of my favourite purchases from charity shops for my daughter so you can get an idea of what there is to be found.
Of course, it will vary greatly from shop to shop but it’s always worth just having a look although I do find the charity shops near me stock a very limited amount of children’s clothing.
First up is this adorable cardigan which cost just £3.50 and was originally from Boden. There is no way I would have paid full price for it at £32.00!
However, this little gem was in like-new condition and the baby girl got loads of wear out of it last autumn.
17 Tips For Buying Second-Hand Baby Clothes
1. Don’t Discount Clothes That Have Marks
Buying second-hand means that clothes may not always be in perfect condition.
But honestly, it doesn’t matter. Especially on items that aren’t seen much as vests or babygrows that are worn at night.
And it won’t be long before your bundle of joy is adding to those marks anyway, with poop, sick and eventually food stains of their own.
You may even be able to get some marks out yourself with some vanish, a soak and a warm wash.
2. Buy Ahead – Babies Grow Very Quickly!
Planning ahead is one of the best ways to save money.
Although you might not know exactly what size clothing your baby will be in at what time of year (my little ones were always in one size ahead of their age) there are still items such as pyjamas and vests that you can stock up on in the next couple of sizes that will always be needed.
Especially when shopping on Vinted, you may find sellers who are selling items in the next two or three sizes that you’ll need.
So if you spot a bargain bundle in the next size up, definitely buy it!
3. Scour Facebook Marketplace
Buying from local Facebook groups is usually fairly easy although these don’t offer any sort of buyer protection and payment is usually in cash.
So if the second-hand baby clothes you buy aren’t what you expected, there isn’t really anything you can do.
However, there is the advantage of no fees and no postage.
4. Tips For Buying Second Hand Baby Clothes: Find Big Bundles On Vinted
If you asked what had saved me the most money when buying baby items for my little boy, the answer would probably be ‘buying bundles on Vinted’.
I have bought bundles of 7 babygrows for £1.50. Even with delivery and fees that’s still cheaper than buying from the supermarkets. And it’s a great way to support other parents who just want to buy the next size-up clothes for their children.
How To Find The Best Bargains on Vinted (8 Aweseome Hacks!)
5. Use Filters To Search For New Items
Even if you prefer to buy brand-new items, that doesn’t mean you can’t shop second-hand and still save a load of money.
Use filters on eBay and Vinted to find brand new with-tagged items, often with discounts of up to 75% off the RRP.
People often sell brand-new items due to sizing issues, duplications, or simply being given items they don’t like.
6. Take Advantage Of Build Your Own Bundle Discounts (Vinted)
As well as searching for bundles on Vinted (where the seller is selling several items together in one listing) you can also create your own bundles by buying more than one item from the same seller.
Even better, many sellers offer a discount if you do this.
You will usually need to wait for the seller to confirm a new parcel size, and if buying several items the cost of postage may increase slightly, but I always find this is much cheaper than buying several individual items from different sellers and paying several lots of postage and Vinted fees.
7. Find A Mum2Mum Market (Or Similar)
A bit like a modern jumble sale, recent years have seen lots of Mum and Baby-themed selling events pop up.
I went to one while I was pregnant and got loads of second-hand baby items, including vests, booties, hairbands, a baby bouncer and babygrows, all at very reasonable prices.
These events are usually held once every few months at village halls, leisure centres and sports halls up and down the country.
It’s a great way for Mums with loads of baby stuff to sell to get a captive audience of people who want to buy.
I went to a Mum 2 Mum Market but you could take a look at Little Monsters Nearly New Markets which are a similar thing.
The event I went to did have an entry fee of £2 per person but the savings we made more than made up for this, and there was also a discount if booking ahead of time online.
Tips For Buying At A Mum 2 Mum market:
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Get there early for the best bargains and best items. The markets are only usually open for a couple of hours and the last one I went to we were queuing with around 100 others to get in for a good 15 minutes before it even opened.
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Take someone with you, especially if you’re heavily pregnant, you never know what you might find and you don’t want to be lugging loads of stuff around.
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On that note, don’t forget to take your own carrier bags.
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Make a list of what you need and take it with you for reference
8. Join Second-Hand Branded Clothing Facebook Groups
Another great thing about Facebook is there are lots of groups dedicated to buying and selling specific brands of baby and toddler clothes, so if you love the style and quality of Next clothes, for example, these groups could be a great place for second-hand bargains.
I use a group dedicated to Boden and Joules baby clothing as these are two of the brands I like the most.
Generally, in these groups buyers and sellers organise payment and postage between themselves so there isn’t the protection there would be if you shopped through eBay or Vinted.
My advice is to always use PayPal goods and services for these purchases – it’s worth paying that little bit extra in fees to ensure you have recourse if anything goes wrong with the transaction.
9. Look For New Sellers On Vinted
This is another Vinted-only tip, but if you can find a new seller you could be in for a bargain.
To encourage sales, Vinted offers new sellers free or discounted delivery on their items.
While there is no way to specially search for new sellers, if you find some baby clothes and the postage says 0.00 they are worth snapping up!
Tips For Buying Kids Clothes From Vinted
10. Set Up Alerts On eBay
If you’re looking for a specific size bundle or brand of clothing, you can set up alerts on eBay so you’re notified every time something new is added.
While this is a great idea, just be aware that it can mean a lot of notifications!
Tips for buying second-hand baby clothes from eBay
- Bundles from eBay are a great way to get extra value for money.
- eBay sellers often set listings to end on a Sunday afternoon when buyers are more likely to be around to bid – take advantage and set a reminder on your phone if there’s something you want to bid on last minute.
- When browsing I tend to save lots of items and then go back and compare, eliminate or bid.
- Always check a seller’s other items – you could see something else you like and save money combining postage.
11. Look Out For Clothes Swapping Parties
Local clothes swapping parties can be a great way to clothing, especially baby clothing for a small fee.
On the day of the clothes swap you take at least five good quality items of clothing to the location of the swap and exchange for a ticket that will let you into the clothes swap later on in the day.
Alternatively, you can pay £5 for access to the clothes swap, my local ones are run by charities so I wouldn’t mind paying if I had nothing to donate.
During the day, everyone’s donated clothes are sorted by size and hung on rails or placed on tables. The charity will have been taking collections for months leading up to the event so there will be plenty of clothing to go around.
On arrival, usually early evening, you will be given a bag that you can fill with as many items of clothing as you would like. Be fair and take only items you’ll genuinely use for you or your family.
That’s it. Lots of lovely second-hand clothes for a small donation or a fiver!
If you want to find a clothes-swapping party near you, have a look on Facebook to see if any events have been set up.
12. Make An Offer (Vinted)
Vinted allows you to make an offer to any seller with a reduced price on any of their items. This can be a great way to save money if there are items that are slightly out of your budget and of course, with Vinted there are always the postage and buyer protection fees to consider.
The seller may accept your offer but they may also reject it or come back with a counter offer.
Keep in mind that you can only send five offers per day, so use them wisely. I tend to use it on more expensive items rather than big bundles that are already great value for money.
13. Head To Charity Shops In An Upmarket Area
If you want to grab some nice baby clothes, head to the charity shops in a more upmarket area.
The clothes are likely to be better quality and wealthy families are more likely to donate baby clothes than sell them to fund new purchases.
14. Save Your Searches
One thing I do frequently on both eBay and Vinted is save my searches. This makes it quicker and easier each time I go to look for something and on Vinted I can see how many new items have been uploaded that match my search terms.
15. Sell To Fund New Purchases
One of my New Year’s resolutions this year was to make more on Vinted than I spend. Selling old baby clothes to fund the buying of new ones is a great way to be cash-neutral and feel like you’re saving money.
16. Ask Family & Friends For Hand Me Downs
If you know lots of other families with children of a similar age to your child it might be worth asking if they’d be happy to put clothes aside for you when their children grow out of them.
I’ve been lucky to have been gifted lots of baby clothes through a friend of my Mum’s. I
f you’re considering using cloth nappies you could also see if anyone would be willing to pass theirs on to you when they are done. Using cloth nappies will save you a fortune and is great for the environment too.
It’s always nice to offer something if you can afford to, you’ll more than likely get way more clothes than you could have bought second-hand elsewhere and the person then feels they are least getting something for them without the hassle of selling on eBay or Facebook.
Everybody wins!
17. Find Dedicated Childrens Charity Shops
While I love buying clothes from charity shops, the ones local to me don’t always have a huge selection of baby and children’s clothes.
However, across the country, there are lots of dedicated children’s charity shops which only sell children’s clothes, toys and baby equipment such as prams and high chairs.
If you have one near you then it could definitely be worth a visit to find some bargains.
That’s it 17 tips for buying second hand baby clothes!
Well there are numerous of reasons to buy second hand baby clothing however it all depends upon you if you want to buy fresh clothes for your baby you can buy but if you buy second hand then it will be help for charity which is best part of doing funding to society.