If I could give new parents one piece of advice, it would be this: shop consignment!  You will save a ridiculous amount of money by buying clothes, gear, and toys used. I have bought most of Henry’s clothes and toys on consignment and saved hundreds of dollars in the process. I bought a lot of his gear new (highchair, strollers), but I kind of regret this now.

weesale

Anyway, last night, I hit up the The Upscale Weesale.  I wanted to write about it so my local Charlotte readers can check it out, too.  Yesterday was the charity pre-sale, but it’s going on for four more days (Thursday – Sunday).  It was by far the best baby consignment event that I’ve been to (and I’ve been to a lot).  There were swings and strollers, toys and games, clothes and shoes.  I was there for one purpose, however: I needed to buy Henry’s spring and summer wardrobe

 

I wanted to share what I bought at the Weesale (hahah – that name kills me) and how I’m building Henry’s spring and summer wardrobe.  Here’s what an active baby boy who wears/will wear a size 9 months to 12 months will be rockin’ all spring and summer long…

 

TOPS

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Consigned at The Weesale:  Five short-sleeve onesies and four shirts.  Bought new on deep discount from OldNavy.com: four long-sleeved onesies (not pictured).  Also consigned at another event: a green and black checkered hoodie for chilly mornings (not pictured).

 

BOTTOMS

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Consigned at The Weesale: Four shorts and one pair of gray pants.  Also consigned at another event: two pairs of khaki pants in navy and beige (not pictured).  Bought new on deep discount from OldNavy.com: four pairs of cotton pants in blue, green, red, and gray (not pictured).

 

ACCESSORIES

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Consigned at The Weesale: Sneakers in size 4 (he’s currently in size 3), a ‘vintage’ black hat, and a plaid hat. I just gotta say it… the grand total for these shoes and hats was $5.50 (!!!).

 

BEACH GEAR

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Consigned at The WeeSale:  A rashguard top, Spiderman water shoes, and red sunglasses (like the hats, I’m crossing my fingers he will wear these with practice).  Bought new from Amazon.com: Swim diaper.  Bought on sale from OldNavy.com:  Swim trunks.

 

With the exception of the swim trunks and swim diaper, which I bought new and just threw in the picture for completeness’ sake, all of the items pictured above were bought on consignment at The WeeSale and cost me a total of SIXTY TWO DOLLARS.  Yes.  $62!  In case you’re counting (because I certainly am!), that’s nine tops, five bottoms, two pairs of shoes, sunglasses, a rashguard swim top, and two hats for just $62.

 

Truthfully, when crafting this list, I felt like I had overbought for his spring and summer wardrobe, especially when you throw in the things I bought from OldNavy.com.  He probably doesn’t need so many tops or bottoms, but it is nice to have options, especially because stuff inevitably gets torn or stained.

 

Sample outfits!

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Gosh, he’s going to look cuuuuute!

 

I also snagged these plastic balls at the sale.  I am SOOOO jazzed about this find.  Each bag of 200 balls were $5.  Buying the equivalent new on Amazon is $20 or more.  I plan to (thoroughly wash and then) put the balls in his pack ‘n play to create an at-home ball pit.  

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I’m so excited.  Henry is going to freak out.

 

Behind the scenes of what this blog photo shoot REALLY looked like:

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For another laugh, here’s what my Veggie Tacos photo shoot REALLY looked like!

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Anyone else love poppin’ tags at thrift stores or consignment events?

{ 45 comments }

 

  • Lindsay March 14, 2013, 12:53 pm

    No kids for me yet, but you’ve convinced me that consignment is the way to go! I never (ever) buy anything full price at Old Navy. Their sales are too good– last time I was there, I got 2 sweaters, 3 workout tank tops, one long long sleeved shirt, and a pair of shoes for $41. Insane!

    PS- Henry. So so cute. Is he officially a red head? 😉 (I’m biased)

  • Erin March 14, 2013, 12:54 pm

    Sigh, this makes me wish we had consignment events in the (mostly) rural area where I live. I would hate to drive an hour+ and have it not be worth it.

  • Sana March 14, 2013, 1:01 pm

    LOVE the pic of Henry looking at your taco 🙂

  • Courtney Leigh March 14, 2013, 1:08 pm

    Ah! The seersucker shorts just slay me!! And those hats!!! I know some people say little boys’ clothes just aren’t as cute as girls, but I think they’re crazy.

  • Amanda K. March 14, 2013, 1:09 pm

    we have the same balls! my son is a ball addict and he got them for Christmas. he went WILD when he saw them. we bring them out now on special occasions….like rainy days and road trips 🙂
    (this is him opening them: http://www.thekriegers.org/2013/01/merry-bright/)

  • Beth March 14, 2013, 1:13 pm

    I have been making the trip to Once Upon a Child with clothes and toys to sell and and get the next size wardrobe and it is so worth it! It’s so small compared the the consignment event you went to…jealous!!

  • Natalie @ will jog for food March 14, 2013, 1:14 pm

    Great buys! I love those camo shorts 🙂

    Where I live in Cali, they just had a huge annual sale that is basically like a Goodwill on crack. It was WAY too crowded for me and we ended up leaving, but I’m sure there were tons of good deals.

  • Marisa E March 14, 2013, 1:14 pm

    Great finds!!! Next time your out poppin’ tags look for those one-piece short thingies, they are so easy peasy to throw on and look too cute- IMO 😉
    ROMPERS!! Like this….

    http://www.carters.com/null/Knit-Polo-Style-Romper/886149100432,default,pd.html?cgid=carters-baby-boy-one-piece-rompers-sunsuits&start=

    I wish I could still throw those on my boys but they’re too big now :-/

    I love the look on Henry’s face- glaring at your tacos….’GIMMEE SOOOOME!!!!’

  • Rachel March 14, 2013, 1:21 pm

    How do you find a consignment event? There’s a consignment store for kids’ stuff near my house, but everything there seems too expensive. Like $4 for a onesie- that’s what I would pay for new!

  • Jenn March 14, 2013, 1:28 pm

    It’s the start of the spring consignment sale season this evening where I live (upstate NY) and I am off to a pre-sale event myself. I LOVE consigning and wouldn’t shop retail unless I absolutely had to. Of course I have a tendency to over buy at these sales, but at these prices I don’t feel nearly as guilty.

    Happy shopping!

  • Kay March 14, 2013, 1:42 pm

    I know that little girl clothes are stereotypical the most fun to buy but, man, there is something so stinking adorable about little boy clothes! It’s like they took clothes for men and then made them teeny tiny. Everything is cuter when it’s little.

  • Katie March 14, 2013, 1:46 pm

    Great post! I think you were spot on with what you bought – my daughter is Henry’s age and is already wearing size 18 month. I wasn’t prepared for how fast she would fly through each size and bought wayyy too much at each stage. If I could give one piece of advice to new Moms it would be to only buy a few tops and a few pants because of how fast they go through them.

  • Eli's Mom March 14, 2013, 2:02 pm

    I am with you with not buying new for clothes and toys. I, however, don’t shop on consignments but begged my friends who are done having kids for their boys’ hand-me-downs. 🙂 They all happily obliged to give their old stuff to us. 🙂

  • Cassie March 14, 2013, 2:03 pm

    Thrift stores are my favorite! Since I started buying my own clothes in college, I have shopped almost exclusively at thrift shops. It doesn’t cost clothing companies $40 to make a shirt, so it’s absurd for me to spend that much on it! I like Goodwill the most because it has set prices, so I can shop without having to check and recheck price tags. My favorite Goodwill is the one I used to go to with my grandma. It’s right next door to a wealthy neighborhood, so I can often find high-end items in perfect condition, tossed out because it’s last season’s fashion. I get a thrill finding Ann Taylor pieces in my size, with the tags still on them! My grandma isn’t able to go to stores anymore, but she still loves to see what I’ve found.

  • Gina March 14, 2013, 2:14 pm

    This post was pure awesomeness. He’s going to be a stylish little boy! Also, the last two pictures made me laugh. I love when bloggers are just so REAL with their readers 🙂

  • Anna March 14, 2013, 2:16 pm

    have you seen this “operation beautiful” ?
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZagvqySITo

  • colleen March 14, 2013, 2:17 pm

    I’ve done consignment stores for some items, mainly hand me downs for the second son and clearance on the other items. I learned to hit the stores’ clearance racks after each season. Saved a ton. Can’t say that about my son and husband’s last trip to the store on Sunday for shoes and pants. Darn kids need to stop growing!

  • Sarah @ Yogi in Action March 14, 2013, 2:21 pm

    I don’t have kids, but even for adults, consignment is amazing! My friend and I will occasionally go and make a day out of it. A lot of the stuff you find is terribly outdated, but there’s always a couple good finds!

    The two things I usually won’t buy used is underwear (which grosses me out) and books (because you can’t wash a book and who knows what they did with it)

  • Nicole March 14, 2013, 2:23 pm

    I’ll have to pass this info on to my expecting sister in law! Seems like the way to go!

  • Katie @ Talk Less, Say More March 14, 2013, 2:41 pm

    Careful! Baby wants mama’s food! But I’m ALL about buying at thrift stores or consignment shops and actually some of my favorite pieces have come from those stores. In fact, I’m even headed to a local store in a bit for some nicer work clothes. 🙂

  • Sarah March 14, 2013, 2:46 pm

    I was not much of a consignment shopper before I got pregnant but I have found two really great consignment stores in my city that sell maternity clothes and baby/kid clothes — it has been a life (read: money) saver! I got 5 pairs of maternity pants for $29 and most all of my tops are from Old Navy and Target on clearance. I know I’ve spent less than $100 on a pretty decent maternity wardrobe. And it’s all nice stuff that will last me through another pregnancy later on.

    As for baby stuff, we expected to get newborn & 0-3 month clothes at our shower, so we stuck to 3-6 months and 6-9/6-12 months stuff and a few things bigger that we just liked. We are pretty loaded and we’ve only spent I think $60 so far. One of our consignment stores regular does Groupons and Living Social deals, so we still have $60 to spend that we only paid $30 for so we’ll probably be able to get 12 month+ stuff next which is just crazy to think about since he’s not even here yet. But I’m definitely like, “where has this been all my life?”

  • Monica March 14, 2013, 2:49 pm

    I love Gymboree. I have shop during sales and clearance with a coupon and have gotten pieces for $2!

    • Cassie March 14, 2013, 3:07 pm

      They have a good clearance section! My cousin had a baby in November, and I was able to find a few outfits with long pants on the clearance rack. They were less than $3 each! Then, since I worked at a big department store as “Holiday Help,” I used my employee discount, stacked with after-Christmas sales, to buy all his presents for next year. Personally, I would have no problem buying thrift or consignment for a child, but she would never let him wear something used, so this was a good compromise for me.

  • Lydia March 14, 2013, 2:50 pm

    When my brother’s twins turned 1 year old, their mama bought a huge thing of those plastic balls and threw them in a little kiddie pool in the backyard. The twins LOVED IT so much their heads almost exploded. And honestly, they got so much use out of those little plastic balls. Best purchase ever! They still play with them sometimes and they are 3 and 1/2 now!!

  • Kim L. March 14, 2013, 3:04 pm

    Those shoes are TOO CUTE! I also love the picture of Henry eyeing your tacos! Did he get his hands on them?

  • Karen @ Runner Girl Eats March 14, 2013, 3:11 pm

    I am a few years away from kids but def see lots of thrift stores in my baby future. They only wear things for a few months before its too small/ruined anyway!

  • Natalie March 14, 2013, 3:50 pm

    I lervvvv poppin’ some tags at thrift/consignment stores! And love that you do, too. 🙂 Henry will be a cutie this summer! And the ball pit automatically mean you = awesome mom. Love it!

  • Maria @ lift love life March 14, 2013, 3:53 pm

    Just shopped at a consignment a few days ago. They’re happening everywhere in NC!

  • Laura @ My Pink Thumb March 14, 2013, 4:11 pm

    Great buys!! My first is due in May and we definitely haven’t shied away from second hand stores! i’ve bought so many pieces of clothing for $1 each!! 🙂

    and umm omg.. Henry’s face in that last photo = priceless.

  • Lori March 14, 2013, 4:46 pm

    garage/yard sales also super places for baby/toddler clothes!

  • Kate March 14, 2013, 5:04 pm

    Totally not kid related, but THANK YOU so much for sharing those last two photos! One of my favorite things about your blog is how transparent and honest you are with your readers — you’re a real person who has a blog, not someone who has created a blog lifestyle that feels unobtainable to readers.

    Also, I am fairly new to your blog but your past posts have been so incredibly helpful to me as I’m training for my first full marathon and my first triathlon (you weren’t kidding about needing extra sleep!). I could go on and on about all the things I like about HTP but most of all, thank you from the bottom of my heart for being so honest! I read HTP in the morning and it truly helps set the right, positive, motivated tone for my day. Thank you, Caitlin!

    • Caitlin March 14, 2013, 5:13 pm

      Thank you!!!

  • Chantal March 14, 2013, 5:28 pm

    BALL PIT!!! Best mom ever!

  • Mikella March 14, 2013, 5:31 pm

    Oh. My. Gosh. Those seersucker shorts. I can’t even handle it. Your blog gives me the stupidest case of baby fever and I am only 24!!!

  • KaraHadley March 14, 2013, 6:11 pm

    That’s an AWESOME haul! I reaaaaaally need to make myself thrift shop more, because you can save so much, but I have no patience.
    Sigh. I’ll get better eventually.

  • Kelly @ Kelly the Culinarian March 14, 2013, 6:18 pm

    I’ve been popping tags since before it was cool. There’s a thrift store near me that does a sale every week where you can get three items of a certain color tag for $1. I splurged there once and got a pair of 7 for all mankind jeans for $5.90.

    I’m happy this song has made thrifting cool.

  • Brenda March 15, 2013, 12:34 am

    I’m in a local Mom Exchange group on Facebook, and I just bought 11 pairs of shorts, 12 t-shirts, 3 onesies, and 3 polo shirts for $25 in size 18 month. I would say, you can’t beat it, but I bought his summer 2T wardrobe from a mom off the group- all Polo Ralph Lauren, Children’s Place, and Gymboree for $25 as well. Used clothes are just as cute as the new stuff. Plus, I love that I can resell the clothes when he grows out of them and not feel like I am losing a lot of money. In fact, when I do sell them, I’ll probably break even.

  • luv what you do March 15, 2013, 12:43 am

    At home ball pits are the BEST!
    I think you can clean them in the dish washer on high heat!

  • Coco March 15, 2013, 9:23 am

    I LOVE the outfits you picked up! I don’t have any kids but if and when I do I’m totally with you- consignment and used stuff all the way!

  • Ashley O. @ The Vegetable Life March 15, 2013, 9:29 am

    hahaha I love henry’s face is that last photo… he’s like “Gimmeee taco noww!!!!!!!!”

  • Brigid March 15, 2013, 11:34 am

    The swim stuff is so freaking cute. I cannot stand it! I love the yellow shirt with the doggy, too. An at-home ball pit such a cute idea. I shudder to think what lives inside them at public play areas. Ha. I’m not a mom yet, but I grew up with thrifted clothes before it was cool, so I’m sure I’ll go that route, too. Heck, half my clothing now is second-hand. It’s good for the environment, and it doesn’t support sweat shops.

  • Lindsay @ Trial By Sapphire March 15, 2013, 12:06 pm

    Congrats, girl! All of that for $62 is something to be proud of!

    Also, the behind-the-scenes photo with Henry is just the best.

  • MomHTP March 15, 2013, 1:25 pm

    Henry’s new digs are too cute. I love the “Hunting & Gathering” feelings I get looking for inexpensive treasures at consignment shops….Not to mention the knowledge that I’m buying from a local or giving to a charity organization…and it’s “recycling”. WOW

  • Anna {Herbivore Triathlete} March 15, 2013, 7:23 pm

    I used to love shopping like that for my kids when they were babies and toddlers. Now they’re older and very picky with their clothing. I would never get away with buying clothes for them without their approval.

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