Tips For Buying Second Hand Children’s Clothes
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Continuing my love of slow fashion, this autumn I decided to try to buy as much of Aubrey’s winter clothing second-hand as I possibly could. This guide to buying second hand children’s clothes explains where I found the best bargains, eBay fails, and generally how to embrace a more ethical way of shopping for your children’s clothes.
Buying Second Hand Children’s Clothes
We’ve been very lucky with Aubrey’s clothes. We were given plenty when she was born with bigger sizes too which lasted her up until around a year old.
Then we were often given clothes by a friend of our family whose daughter is a year older than Aubrey, so I’ve only ever had to buy odd bits and pieces for her.
Looking for a guide on second-hand baby clothes? Click here
Second-Hand Kids Clothes
When children reach 2-3 though, second-hand clothing can be harder to come by. Now they’re walking, playing, and getting messy, clothes often end up stained, shabby, and not really much good to be passed on. This is exacerbated by the fact we often buy cheap children’s clothes to begin with, such as from supermarkets and Primark.
These clothes aren’t meant to last, so often don’t get passed around after they’ve been used. Before I go any further I want to make it clear that this post isn’t a dig at anyone that does buy the bulk of their children’s clothing from Primark or anywhere similar.
They offer affordability and choice and I know especially for those on low incomes what a lifesaver that is. I still occasionally buy products from there myself and my Mum often says she wishes there had been somewhere to buy clothes from like Primark when I was small and they were struggling for money.
However, this year I wanted to see if I could realistically buy the bulk of Aubrey’s children’s clothing second-hand.
There are a few things I have bought new such as:
- Socks
- Vests
- Knickers
- Pajamas (some new, some second-hand)
- Wellies
- Daps
This was because either I wanted new or couldn’t find something suitable second-hand. In particular, Pyjamas were hard to find in good used condition so I’ve ended up doing a combination so she has enough.
I’ll be honest, I know buying everything second hand for their children won’t be for everyone and that’s okay. Plus, as you can see buying everything second-hand isn’t always possible anyway, especially for underwear, etc where I wanted to buy new.
For me, embracing slow fashion is all about taking small steps and making a difference where I can, but also not beating myself up when things aren’t perfect.
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Why Buy Second Hand Children’s Clothes?
There are definitely some pros and cons when buying second-hand children’s clothes which I am going to take a look at below. The biggest one for me is probably the environmental impact – did you know there is currently enough clothes on planet earth to last the next SIX generations of people?
Pro’s of Buying Second Hand Kids Clothes
- It’s better for the environment
- Saves money
- Can buy bundles of clothes
- Supports charities, small business,es and other families (depending on where you’re buying from)
- May be able to afford better quality clothing that will last longer and hold it’s resale value.
- Can still buy new with tags items
- Less plastic packaging
Cons of Buying Second Hand Kids Clothes
- Less choice in size and style
- Can be harder to match up outfits or match clothes with siblings
- Clothes may not be in the condition you were expecting
- Less new items
- Can be time-consuming
- Fewer return options if clothing doesn’t fit
- Postage costs if buying lots of individual items.
Where To Find Second-hand Children’s Clothes For Sale
The main places to get second children’s clothes, aside from friends and family, are listed below. I haven’t covered car boot sales or jumble sales as these are currently limited due to Covid-19.
eBay
Gumtree
Vinted
Shpock
Depop
Facebook Marketplace
InstagramCharity Shops
Below I am going to take a closer look at my personal favorite places to buy second-hand children’s clothing and where I feel I found the best bargains.
Personally, I tend not to use Gumtree, so it’s not covered here. I find the number of ads on the website makes for a terrible user experience so I avoid it.
Buying Second Hand Children’s Clothes From eBay
Of course, when we think of buying anything second-hand, eBay is probably the first place we think of. They have the biggest market share, and in turn will likely have the biggest choice when it comes to sizes, types of clothing, brand, and bundles.
When looking for second hands kids’ clothing on eBay I typically start by searching for bundles by age for example:
Girl’s winter bundle 2-3
Girl’s clothing bundle 2-3
If I want something a bit more specific, such as long-sleeved shirts, or clothes by a certain brand, such as joules or Next, I’ll add that to the search term too. When finding items or bundles I like, I usually add them to my wishlist and then go back and eliminate them later if they’re not quite right.
Personally, I find buying bundles on eBay cheaper than buying individual items and having to pay postage over and over which generally puts the cost over buying new. I’d only buy individual items if it was something big like a coat or I wanted something very specific I didn’t think I’d find elsewhere.
Now, I’ll be honest I didn’t have much buying second-hand children’s clothes for Aubrey on eBay. Firstly, a lot of bundles just weren’t right for our tastes – she doesn’t really wear dresses and tights and most girls’ clothing bundles contained these.
Also, even when I did bid on bundles that worked for me, I was almost always outbid at the last minute. I’m pretty busy and just don’t have the time to get into last-minute bidding wars with people. So, in the end, none of Aubrey’s winter clothes came from eBay, despite lots of searching and bidding.
Buying Second Hand Kids Clothing From Charity Shops
I’ve always been a big fan of buying clothes from Charity shops and this year I took a vow to try as buy as many of my own clothes second-hand as I could. The majority of my clothes come from charity shops but it can be harder to find children’s second hand clothing in them.
Where I live most charity shops have at least ten times more adult clothing than they do children. Again this probably goes back to the fact that many clothes end up very well worn and not suitable for buying. That doesn’t mean there aren’t bargains to be found though.
Of course, you’re never going to find the exact same items I did, however, I want to show what you can get from charity shops and give a rough idea of pricing too. Again this will differ up and down the country, but I always think it’s worth a look.
Items pictured below
Leggings/jeans in various colors and sizes £9.00 in total for nine pairs. Some are 2-3 and some are 3-4 but all of them fit. Brands include Next, Tu, Primark, and George.
Two long sleeve tops, £1 each
Joules Fluffy Jumper, £3
Clarks Winter Boots £2.99
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Buying Second Hand Kids Clothes From Depop, Vinted, and Shpock
I’ve really got into using these three apps to buy second-hand clothes in recent months. While Depop probably has the largest selection of clothing as it’s the most well known, my favourite of the three apps is actually Vinted.
For me, I think it has the best user experience, it’s easiest to use with fewer ads than Shpock and a better search function than Depop (which often shows items well away from what I’m actually looking for). It’s also great not to have to bid against other people as you do on eBay.
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More On Depop, Vinted, and Shpock
For the best results, I’ve found searching for clothes in months as well as years helps for toddler clothing so looking for 24-36 months as well as 2-3 years. As with eBay, if you buy lots of individual items, the cost of postage can start to add up, so I look for bundles.
You’ll also often see discounts for buying from the same seller and they’ll then combine postage too which can end up saving you lots of money. Another reason to love Vinted is that they offer potage from 99p which you pick up from your local parcel shop (this is usually a local corner shop, such as One-Stop or Londis. This can really help bring down the price of postage if you want to buy lots of individual items.
Pictured below are some Joules items I got from Shpock. For a long-sleeve T-shirt, Zip-Jumper and a waterproof jacket (not pictured) I paid £20 including postage. I love these items and while they are more expensive than most of what I bought, I know they will last and hold their resale value.
Also, these are items I never would have paid full price full for brand new.
This denim jacket was originally from Primark. I paid £6 for it including postage on Vinted. I love buying Primark items second-hand as I feel I’m not contributing to fast fashion and potentially saving something from landfill too.
Buying Second Hand Children’s Clothes on Facebook
When it comes to buying second-hand kids clothes on Facebook, there are actually a few options.
Facebook Marketplace
First, there is Facebook marketplace where pretty much anything can be bought and sold. Typically, people are selling things locally so you’ll either need to collect items or ask if the seller is happy to deliver to you. Facebook Marketplace can have a bit of a bad rep for people not turning up or not replying to messages, so do proceed with caution.
The majority of transactions on Facebook are cash and there is no seller protection or comeback when items don’t fit or aren’t as you were expecting. That said, it’s a great place to get cheap kids clothing without needing to pay for postage. Prices can be very varied from over-priced to dirt cheap – it all depends on the seller.
Specific Facebook SellingGroups
Another way to buy clothes on Facebook is to join a group specifically for buying and selling clothes. For example, I am in a group that is for people that want to buy and sell children’s Boden and Mini Joules clothing only. No other posts are approved.
If you love a particular brand this is a great way to find specific items as you ask if anyone is selling the sizes or designs you are looking for. Generally speaking, you do have to pay postage costs and the advice would be to always pay with Paypal using the business option, not friends and family.
There are hundreds of groups like these on Facebook with everything from Next to Fatface and most other brands you can think of.
Facebook Small Businesses
There are lots of small business on Facebook selling secondhand clothes through their pages. I used Pretty Little Tots Preloved Boutique recently to buy some tops for Aubrey and as the lady lived locally she was happy to deliver.
These cost £5 for all 4, originally from George.
Buying Secondhand Children’s Clothes From Instagram
Instagram is another great place to find second-hand kids clothes. Lots of lovely Mums and Dads set up businesses selling clothes as their little one grow. As always, it’s best to pay with Paypal and expect to pay delivery costs too.
Final Tips For Buying Second Hand Kids Clothes
Here are a few final tips on what to look for when buying second-hand kids’ clothing
- Don’t be put off by bad lighting and unironed clothes in pictures, especially if they are good quality or a brand you love.
- Set up alerts on your favorite apps so you get notified when items you are looking for are added.
- Create a list of all the items you need.
- Photograph items on your phone when you buy them so you can match them up with items as you find them.
- Always give clothes a once over in charity shops – as much as I love buying from them, some items can be stained or not in the best repair.
- Always pay with Paypal to ensure buyer protection.
- Clothes that aren’t in perfect condition may be great for Nursery, after school, or muddy days out.
Buying Second Hand Children’s Clothes: Conclusion
I am really happy with the number of clothes I have been able to find for Aubrey second-hand this year. All the items pictured, including the boots and one raincoat (not pictured) came to just under £50. So that’s 9 leggings/jeans, 7 long sleeve tops, two jumpers, a raincoat, a denim jacket and Clarks winter boots.
To be honest, the Joules items really bumped up the overall cost but at the same time, it’s nice to have some branded items I wouldn’t have been able to afford new.
I’ll admit shopping this way does take more time and energy. Searching for a bargain is something I really enjoy and I know some people would rather just spend that time doing other things which is okay too.
I hope this post has given you an idea of the types of things you can expect to find when shopping for second-hand kids’ clothing – whether it’s online or in Charity shops!
