CHILDREN'S CLOTHING BUYING GUIDE- Gap, Gymboree, more

CHILDREN'S CLOTHING BUYING GUIDE

Having bought lots of clothes for my kids on okay, and now having sold several, too, I have advice for children's clothing buyers at okay.


1) There are great deals to be had on previously worn (used) clothing. Some folks sell clothing that their own kids wore. Others get inventory from friends, garage sales, and consignment shops. YOU WANT TO KNOW who the seller is (read their feedback file) and if you recognize the brand. Usually, if you have tried a brand already and know that it fit well, was a nice material, kept up well after being washed, etc., then most likely you will like it again. In my experience, the better brands are much better deals for these reasons than the cheaper brands like Circo.


Brands to look for in my opinion that you will be happy with "used" -
Gap (Baby Gap, Gap Kids), Gymboree, Hanna Andersson, Lands End, and a few others.


Gap clothing usually lasts forever, with little signs of wear. So, why the Gymboree craze? Why isn't there a Gap craze? Gymboree's lines have names and coordinating accessories and lots of moms go nuts memorizing certain lines and looking for them. In addition, Gymboree has bigger sales and "gymbucks" that make Gymboree seekers find great deals to then use as selling inventory. If you really like Gap or another brand, then buy it. Evaluate the Gymboree trend based on what you like, not based on the hype. Gymboree items can be adorable and of high quality, but so can other brands, as well.


2) With previously worn clothing, READ all the details in the listing. Don't look at the picture and assume it will be great, instead - read. Read what the material is, read carefully about the condition of the item. Read the details, does it have a button fly? Are there pockets in the back? Is it 100% cotton? etc. If the description is lacking in detail, email the seller. Do not buy or bid if you aren't sure of what you are getting.


I have gotten my winning items in the mail only to find out that the item was a different material than I expected, to then review the listing and discover that it never said what it was made of. I should have been more careful.


I have also been disappointed on occasion with the signs of general wear or wash wear in used clothing. I advise buyers to ask sellers how much wash wear an item has before bidding or buying.


3) There are also great deals to be had in new or New With Tags clothing. Lines like Hartstrings, Ralph Lauren, Talbots, or Gymboree again - usually sooo expensive, can be found on okay new for much less. These items didn't "fall off a truck" don't worry. okay sellers don't cheat or steal, they simple find amazing bargains and spend lots of time shopping, to bring the sales to okay buyers. These types of brands are soft, feel "substantial" in weight and quality, and wash well. They also tend to fit better and have prettier details than clothes found at Walmart or Target or other discount places.


4) Shipping COSTS! Make sure to take into account the shipping costs of an item. There is no uniformity at okay. Sellers can charge whatever they want for shipping, the customers decide who is successful and who is not, whose shipping fees were ridiculous, and whose were reasonable. REFUND policies are also not uniform. Each seller has their own rules regarding returns, read them before buying.


5) Some okay sellers have stores, cute lay outs, and other bells and whistles. These can make shopping a more fun experience, but do not imply that the seller is better or has better deals than those with plain listings.


This is an exciting time for shoppers. Thanks to okay, we can buy cute clothing for much less and have more options and inventory to look through (imagine physically shopping in hundreds of stores, exhausting!). We sellers are also grateful for the opportunity earn an ingee doing something that we enjoy. I hope this guide has helped a little with your shopping!
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