I know, I know…there’s something a little icky about the idea of putting your fresh clean baby into somebody else’s stained and faded baby clothes. I use to feel the same way. Until I discovered how great used clothes can actually be and how cheap they are in comparison to new clothes. Before you totally write off the notion of used baby clothes, consider these sources and the benefits of each.

Resale Shops
Children’s resale shops are becoming quite popular all over the United States. There are a number of national chains of stores including Once Upon a Child, Children’s Orchard, and Kid to Kid, as well as many independent stores. The beauty of these shops is that they only accept the best of the best in used clothing. In most cases, the clothes have to be in style and free from stains, rips, or fading. You can often find brand-new clothing at these shops. To sweeten the deal, you can then sell your old baby clothes to the shops for cash or store credit.

Yard Sales
Obviously, not all yard sales are created equal. But if you are careful to choose sales with high quality merchandise and reasonable prices, you can sometimes score a lot of baby clothes for just a few dollars. Be sure to examine each item thoroughly to check for tears and stains. Also, don’t forget to negotiate. I recommend at least attempting to negotiate before buying any item at a yard sale.

Ebay
Ebay is a great place to find baby clothes, though it is usually more expensive than other places on this list. Nevertheless, if you look for “lots” of clothing (several items be sold in one listing), you can sometimes get really great deals. Just be sure to factor in the cost of shipping when figuring out how much you are willing to spend.

Consignment Sales
Consignment sales are annual or semi-annual sales held in churches, gymnasiums, and other venue. Similar to resale shops, consignment sales are selling clothing or other items brought in by individuals. They are usually required to be in good condition and often, the sale coordinators will put a cap on how much individuals can charge for an item of clothing. When shopping at a consignment sale, arrive early and be prepared to spend some time sifting through all of the clothing.

Thrift Stores
Thrift stores require the most patience of all the places in this list. Because thrift stores don’t have strict standards regarding the condition of the items they sell, you may very well have to pick through a number of unacceptable items in order to find a few gems. Nevertheless, this is one of the cheapest places to buy baby clothes and should not be disregarded.