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Could there be anything more miraculous than the birth of a child? And, at times, could there be anything more stressful than trying to find cute, useful, high-end items for your baby at a fraction of the cost? After all, while you want your child’s clothes and accessories to be at least half as cute as they are, you don’t want to go broke doing it. Here are some ways to find some high-end items without paying the high-end prices.
Find your friends. Well, more specifically, your friends that are mothers with children that are six months to one year older than yours are. The reason why this is a good idea is because it’s a win/win on a couple of levels. One, there’s a really outstanding chance that your friends felt the exact same way about their baby’s needs as you do and so they probably made some purchases that will be right up your alley. Also, because you have a personal relationship with them, they will want to provide you with the best that “used” has to offer.
Look for high-end baby store sales. Shops like Zulily.com, TeaCollection.com, Carters.com, JuiceKidsCouture.com, MyChildClothing.com and BabyLaundryBoutique.com are just a few examples of companies that market their baby clothes as being “designer wear”. And yes, this means that the price tags reflects the advertising. If you’ve just got to have that toddler dress or a pair of baby boy jeans, shop with the same mindset as you would have for yourself: Purchase things during “off seasons” (winter clothes in the spring, summer clothes in the fall), look for clearance sales and stop by promo code websites like RetailMeNot.com, CouponCabin.com, and CurrentCodes.com, type in your favorite store and see what online discounts you can apply to your sales transaction page.
Seek out quality discount stores. Some shops are not considered to be “high-end”, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have quality items for babies. Take Target, for example. They carry favorite baby brands like OshKosh and Just One, but you can often find recurring sales with merchandise being as much as 75% off. BabyMallOnline.com has an entire section that’s devoted to items being sold for “Under $5”, PolkaDotPatchBoutique.com regularly has children’s products that are discounted at 50% off. eBay is also known for featuring items that are gentle used, but oftentimes designer and one-of-a-kind. Honestly, when it comes to finding the good stuff for a relatively cheap price, the challenge is not locating the right store, but being patient enough to seek out the ones that will meet your specific needs.
Try a few garage sales. Even with all of the great finds that people can happen upon at a garage or yard sale, unfortunately, there still tends to be a stigma that you shouldn’t expect to get top quality items if you shop at one. The thing to keep in mind, especially when it comes to baby items is that a lot times, especially with firstborns, people are inundated with clothes and other things. Sometimes people are selling them, not because they don’t like what they have but because they can’t use it all (or anymore). So, if you live in Minnesota, why not try out a couple of Minneapolis garage sales? You never know what you might find that still may even be in the original box…unopened.
Be willing to test out a few things. Have you ever heard of the website, OneStepAhead.com? Basically, it’s a place where people design specialty children’s clothes and other products that you may not be able to find (or easily find) anywhere else. For instance, they have baby toothbrushes (four months and up) for $13.95 (for a 2-pack) and what is called a “SleepSack” for kids that are known for kicking off the covers in the middle of the night for around $20 (on sale). The great thing about seeking out shops like these is that the companies know that the more people they can get to buy their stuff, the bigger they will become. So, in the beginning stages, they are willing to sell some really cool things at a really cheap price to get you interested enough to spread the word. And oftentimes, it’s was really worth your money and your time.