Post by missmaddie on Nov 20, 2014 22:33:49 GMT -5
I don't find the deals worth it. Even when we've gone looking for costume pieces, I can't believe the prices. Having stores like Old Navy and Joe Fresh has spoiled me. No, I'm not going to pay $8 for a used Joe t-shirt because you charge $8 for all t-shirts when I can buy for $10 new in all the colours and sizes I want.
Most of DS's clothes are from his big cousins and gifts, and we just fill in the gaps, snow suits, shoes, etc. that didn't survive two boys previously. We are very lucky.
Honestly, I prefer GW, thrift/consignment shops, varagesale, etc because there is more variety. I like picking through them because I can find wonderful things that no one else has right now. Our GWs locally have a wonderful selection of name brand stuff that's all either $1 or $2. I base my buys at other stores on those prices and rarely pay more than $3-$4 on anything for him. The hat and sweater he's wearing in my sig are both Janie and Jack and were only a couple of bucks each.
Shunning people for clothing labels seems very after school special to me. I'm not saying it doesn't happen in other regions, but it doesn't happen where I live. Maybe it happens more with girls? The median income where I live is about $48K. Nobody is wearing fancy clothes. This season's blue t-shirt looks exactly like last season's blue t-shirt.
dude. I teach a school full of kids who don't have two pennies to rub together, wear a uniform and even they give each other shit for clothes and accessories.
I was made fun of in school for wearing clothes from jc Penney much less thrift store clothes. After-school special my ass.
And psa- UOAC and consignment =\= goodwill. I feel like most everyone knows that so I don't know why everyone keeps bringing them up as if they're relevant.
Eta- I also find it interesting that this nbd, breezy attitude is coming from a bunch of people who, for the most part, choose to shop there bc the clothes are nice and fit their standards- as if poor people have that same luxury.
Post by thecatinthehat on Nov 21, 2014 2:45:41 GMT -5
90% of DS (17 months) clothes at the moment are from new friends we met here who have slightly older kids, and a few from his cousin. I honestly could not care less what he wears (heck I live on shorts and a t-shirt everyday), I SAH and we live in HI so this helps. LOL. I think when he starts going to school I will care a little more.
ETA: and to answer the question, yes I go to the thrift store on almost a weekly basis Target is 45 mins away and I love thrifting on the weekend when DH can stay home with DS and I can really pick through and find the good stuff
Shunning people for clothing labels seems very after school special to me. I'm not saying it doesn't happen in other regions, but it doesn't happen where I live. Maybe it happens more with girls? The median income where I live is about $48K. Nobody is wearing fancy clothes. This season's blue t-shirt looks exactly like last season's blue t-shirt.
dude. I teach a school full of kids who don't have two pennies to rub together, wear a uniform and even they give each other shit for clothes and accessories.
I was made fun of in school for wearing clothes from jc Penney much less thrift store clothes. After-school special my ass.
And psa- UOAC and consignment =\= goodwill. I feel like most everyone knows that so I don't know why everyone keeps bringing them up as if they're relevant.
Eta- I also find it interesting that this nbd, breezy attitude is coming from a bunch of people who, for the most part, choose to shop there bc the clothes are nice and fit their standards- as if poor people have that same luxury.
Ok. I don't know what you want me to say. I said it could/does probably happen in other areas. The poster who said median income in her area was $150K said clothes matter. Ok, they matter where she lives, I understand. That doesn't mean that is the case everywhere.
I asked my son last night if kids in his school gave a shit about what other kids were wearing and he looked at me like I had two heads. "Why would they care?!" Exactly, Son.
I think the PP that said middle school kids will find SOMETHING to give each other shit about has it right. In my experience, and my son's experience, it isn't clothes.
And, I would imagine a lot of us posting here shop at thrift stores and Goodwill out of necessity. Not because we like taking the good clothes from the poors because they fit our standards.
Post by jeaniebueller on Nov 21, 2014 9:17:10 GMT -5
I do not. I am not opposed to second hand clothes, but I live in an area that has a high percentage of households that are considered low income and part of me doesn't feel right shopping at goodwill or salvation army when I don't need to (if that makes sense) when there are so many families that do. Plus, the consignment and goodwill stores in our area are generally pretty picked over and I have never had luck in the past trying to find things. That said, I don't care about brand names for my kids and most of my kid's clothes come from Walmart, Kohls, Meijer or The Children's Place.
I don't mainly because I don't have enough patience to dig through it all to find stuff that would fit and work for us. If things aren't organized somewhat I just can't handle looking through it without losing my mind, even a clearance rack/bin at a regular store. My friend has taken me with her to goodwill a few times and it's just too cluttered for me. Some weird anxiety kicks in lol. I'm usually fairly happy with Target prices and quality, the best fitting and lasting jeans he wears are the Circo brand ones. And they are like $9? $10? Not too bad. I'm not opposed to hand-me-downs and at work for awhile everyone had boys spaced out the right sizes to pass along lots of things. Now they are all different sizes so it doesn't work as well.
I remember as a kid having lots of hand-me-downs and cheap new yucky ugly stuff, and never getting teased for that. Maybe for my horrible perm or my super thick glasses, but clothes were never something other kids seemed to focus on.
I don't buy kid's clothes there but most of my son's clothes are hand me downs from family/friends. I supplement his wardrobe with stuff from Target and Old Navy mostly. Twice a year I go to a kids' consignment sale and I've bought a few clothes there.
I don't know if someone said this (skipped a few pages) but Goodwill's primary mission is to provide jobs to people who otherwise wouldn't have them. Thrift shops is just a secondary part of what they do.
I was a rich kid, I had brand new everything and sometimes wore things once. That certainly didn't preclude me from being picked on, kids will find something and it doesn't have to be your clothes. Can I afford to shop regular prices? Yes, but don't typically do that, because it feels excessive and indulgent. Now that I'm an adult and understand the value of money, I can't spend $100 on a coat for my kid and feel good about it. iamgrace, l knowing how to navigate the old navy/gap sales is pretty much thrifting if you do it right!
I agree with this 100 percent. I discovered Once Upon a Child when Henry was about three months old and the majority of his wardrobe for daycare came from there for the next three years.
I think it's going to depend on the store but I never had to dig, most of what he wore was NWT. Ours has really high standards and doesn't take anything that isn't in EUC - he wore Janie and Jack, Hanna Andersson, Boden and Ralph Lauren at a 1/10 the cost. When I buy those brands myself, I almost never pay full price - I just shop a year ahead on sales. Same thing with the Gap or any place else I shop. He's almost 4 and I buy classic pieces. The idea of "last season" for a preschooler is hilarious.
I've not bought clothes at a consignment store or thrift store yet, but it sounds like a great idea.
How much do items generally cost there?
The one I go to has great prices. It's mostly higher end, due to our location, in very good condition. They sell new and used items. Lines like RL, CK, J.Crew, Tea Collection, Ella Moss, Ted Baker London range from $3 - $9. They have lines like Gymbo, Baby Gap,Carters, J&J etc. for slightly less ($2 - $5). New hair bows are $5 or less, instead of $15. On big sale days ($5 a bag or $10 a bag), $100 will yield about 5 bags of clothes. It's really great for things like ski clothes that we'll only use two weeks out of the year.
Hmm. This doesn't seem like a great deal, given that I can get brand new clothes at the same or better prices at outlet sales (excluding the big bags of which you speak).
Also.
I still don't know the difference between consignment and thrift. LOL.
I buy almost everything except shoes, socks, and underwear from either Once Upon A Child or Goodwill. I have to buy J's jeans retail because he's skinny and needs slim fit. I usually go just before Spring/Fall and buy all the clothes we'll need for the season. I usually get enough for both boys for under $150.
We live in a rural, middle class town. I don't think clothing labels are much of a thing around here so I don't worry about them getting teased.
Post by runforrest on Nov 21, 2014 11:39:54 GMT -5
No, but most of the kids' stuff is Old Navy, Target, JCrew Factory, Gymboree (when the whole store is on sale) and Janie and Jack sale stuff. Still more expensive than the thrift store, I imagine, but it is worth the extra cost to me bc I can order most of the stuff online without ever leaving my house/couch. I'm lazy, lol.
I was a rich kid, I had brand new everything and sometimes wore things once. That certainly didn't preclude me from being picked on, kids will find something and it doesn't have to be your clothes. Can I afford to shop regular prices? Yes, but don't typically do that, because it feels excessive and indulgent. Now that I'm an adult and understand the value of money, I can't spend $100 on a coat for my kid and feel good about it. iamgrace, l knowing how to navigate the old navy/gap sales is pretty much thrifting if you do it right!
totally. I rarely buy anything full price (from gap, anyway) unless I love it. Why would I when they do 40 percent off practically every other week?
We don't have any good thrift stores locally but I do shop consignment shops. I go to Once Upon a Child for M and take the older girls to Plato's closet. They're teenagers and want to wear nothing but Hollister, American Eagle, Abercrombie clothes, and with 5 of them to shop for, it's near impossible.
I think that my daughter and second son have probably had very little to no new clothing for the first few years of their life. My first born I was a stupid snob and wouldn't put him in used stuff. I learned quick how stupid that was.
Yes. And then I go to Target and realize I could have gotten new clothes for the same price.
Yep, this is where I've landed too. What really gets me is when the "gently used" kids clothes place sells Circo brand for the same price it is new at Target. Dumb. I bought a few things though when DS2 was a newborn. Most of the time I wait for sales and go to the outlets with Carter's/OKB/TCP coupons.