The best way to afford the adorable, high-end children's clothes you love is to BST (buy, sell, trade). You can save money by buying used clothes from other parents, or by buying the clothes you want new and then selling when your children have outgrown them.
BST groups abound on Facebook and can be location-specific (like Ann Arbor High-End Kids Clothes BST) or brand-specific (Hanna Andersson, Tea Collection, Mini Boden, Matilda Jane, Janie and Jack, and many more). BST can seem like a hassle at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's easy and addictive.
To keep the resale value of your kids' clothes high, it's important to keep them nice. In our house, Luisa has to earn the privilege of wearing clothes during meals. I find it way less of a hassle to undress her before meals than to treat laundry stains. If you do have to treat stains from playing outside or eating, Resolve Max Power gel will save the day. Wash the clothes inside out in cold water and consider hanging to dry.
Once you're ready to post the clothes for sale, be sure to read the BST group's rules (usually in the pinned post of the Facebook group). This will make it easier for you and ensure that your post won't get deleted because you inadvertently didn't follow the rules. Iron the clothes just a little, if needed, and take good pictures with your phone (or DSLR, if you're feeling ambitious). Honestly describe the condition of the clothing and price it fairly. Remember, you'll make more money by selling for a fair price than you will by pricing it so high that no one wants to buy it.
Here's an example listing that I recently sold on a Tea Collection BST group: "VGUC 3-6 months romper from Morocco. No signs of wash wear or fading; would say EUC, but VGUC to be safe. $15 shipped." You can describe clothing as NWT (new with tags), NWOT (new without tags), EUC (excellent used condition, practically new), VGUC (very good used condition, possible slight wash wear), GUC (good used condition, more wash wear and fading), or play condition (stains, small holes, or other damage). It's better to underestimate the condition of the clothing than to risk overstating its condition.
Once someone has decided to buy your clothes, send them an invoice via PayPal. After they've paid, weigh the clothing and packaging together with a kitchen scale. You can enter the weight of the package and print a shipping label on PayPal, tape it to the poly mailer, and leave it in your mailbox with the flag up. (Poly mailers are the cheapest packaging for just 1-3 items of clothing; more than that, your best bet is a USPS Priority Flat Rate padded envelope.) So easy - you don't even have to go to the post office!
On local BST groups, on the other hand, you'll usually meet with a buyer in a public parking lot or just leave the clothing in a bag on your porch with a jar for cash (ppu, or porch pick up).
Have you tried BST? What are your favorite kids' clothing brands? I'd love to hear!
P.S. Buying clothes in advance and stashing is another great way to save money on adorable kids' clothes, if you buy during end-of-season sales. (What you wanted to buy may be sold out by then, though.) If you buy clothes on sale and resell later, you can really save money!
(Top photo by me of Luisa in our all-time favorite outfit: the Tea Collection Matisse dress from Morocco, spring/summer 2014.)
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