In these tough economic times when every opportunity to save counts, there are many ways to spend less when shopping for young children - whether you want to purchase brand new clothing at a discount, or preowned clothing. Here are some points to consider in deciding which way you want to go:
1. Up to a certain age, most children do not care much about what they wear - except perhaps that it is colorful, and probably has some sort of cool graphics. While they are in this wonderful stage, preowned clothing is your best option for saving money.
2. Children grow quickly - they will likely out grow every piece of clothing long before it it worn out. Again, preowned clothing is your best option for saving money.
3. If your child is obsessed with a particular currently popular tv or movie or video game character or subject, you will probably only find popular subject matter on new clothing. This also holds true for clothing which is new on the fashion scene - unless it is a trend from the past which has become popular again, but this can be a challenging and time consuming search in the preowned clothing world - you will probably be better off purchasing new clothing in this case.
4. If you are artistic and already own sewing supplies, you can alter used clothing to give it a new look. Many people are under the misguided impression that you can save a lot of money by making your own clothes. Realistically, it can actually be more costly. And on top of the cost of materials, there is the cost of all of the time and effort you must expend to make it.
Once you have decided what type of clothing you want (preowned or new), here are some ways to find the best deals:
Used Clothing Sources: In a previous post, I explained the advantages of shopping at Consignment Stores, Thrift Stores, Goodwill stores, and Salvation Army stores. Another great source for quality preowned clothing is the ebay website: http://www.ebay.com/
For preowned items, ebay provides you with the greatest selection. If you are unfamiliar with bidding and buying on ebay, read the tutorials on the website.
Here are few tips and guidelines I follow when purchasing through ebay: I only bid or buy from sellers who have a 100% (or very close to it) feedback score, meaning all of their customers/business partners have been satisfied. If the score is lower than that, I will look at the comments/situations which lowered the score and decide if I should be concerned, or if the person who complained was just a nutcase. I also look for sellers who offer a refund - no refund, no purchase! Photos are important too, so you can see what you are buying - I skip past ads without photos. I also look for ads which contain a lot of detail - in my experience, these are sellers who want to accurately portray what they are selling. If information is missing, ask before you bid or buy. Many sellers will sell large quantities of clothing in a "lot" - you can search for these by entering terms like "T shirt lot" or "size 6x lot". Be sure to check the shipping charges before you bid or buy - and don't hesitate to ask for reduced or discounted shipping. Many sellers are willing to do this to make a sale. Ebay shopping can be a lot of fun and can save you a lot of money, but it may take you a while to find the perfect deal. Be patient, and don't rush - take your time, and you will likely be thrilled with the results.
Here are few tips and guidelines I follow when purchasing through ebay: I only bid or buy from sellers who have a 100% (or very close to it) feedback score, meaning all of their customers/business partners have been satisfied. If the score is lower than that, I will look at the comments/situations which lowered the score and decide if I should be concerned, or if the person who complained was just a nutcase. I also look for sellers who offer a refund - no refund, no purchase! Photos are important too, so you can see what you are buying - I skip past ads without photos. I also look for ads which contain a lot of detail - in my experience, these are sellers who want to accurately portray what they are selling. If information is missing, ask before you bid or buy. Many sellers will sell large quantities of clothing in a "lot" - you can search for these by entering terms like "T shirt lot" or "size 6x lot". Be sure to check the shipping charges before you bid or buy - and don't hesitate to ask for reduced or discounted shipping. Many sellers are willing to do this to make a sale. Ebay shopping can be a lot of fun and can save you a lot of money, but it may take you a while to find the perfect deal. Be patient, and don't rush - take your time, and you will likely be thrilled with the results.
New clothing sources: Many retail stores offer clothing at standard low prices. It may not be the best quality out there, but for the brief amount of time kids wear it before they've outgrown it, it will hold up. Look at stores such as Target, Old Navy, Kohls, Wal-Mart, KMart, Marshalls, Ross, and JCPenney to name just a few, for low priced clothing year round. Higher end department stores like Macys and Bloomingdales also offer great discounts through sales which you can increase with store coupons, available by mail and in the newspaper. Always ask at the counter if there are any discounts/coupons they can apply for you - very often they will scan a coupon or code even if you don't have it in hand. These stores offer the best bargains at holiday time and when items are out of season - but you can save a fortune with a little planning ahead.
(Claire's has always been a favorite place for girls to shop for cute and inexpensive accessories such as hair clips and bows, jewelry, purses, and belts.)
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