Consignment Stores

There are 3 main reasons that I think are benefits to shopping at consignment stores.

1. They are a great way to save money.

Toys are so much more affordable at a consignment store than they are brand new, especially those bigger ticket items like doll houses, ride a long toys, bikes etc. A lot of times you can get really nice brands at a fraction of the cost because some other family has outgrown them. Just make sure to really check them over before you buy, and regardless if you are buying something new or used it's best to give it a good cleaning before use.

Swap sites are another way to do the same thing.  The advantage of swap sites is that you can sell right from your home.  The dis-advantage of swap sites is you may sit on some of your stuff a little longer. 

2. You can get paid for bringing in items you don't need/want or anymore.

So I didn't always know this and think it is so cool. There are some consignment stores that will pay you for your stuff. Your old stuff! There are frequently different options with this. Some stores will just pay you up front cash for what you bring in. Other places will pay you based on what sells, and keep an account that you can either pull that money out or use towards your purchases there. Plus some will even give you the option to have what doesn't sell returned to you or donated. Call around to your local stores and see what options you have before taking the items to any specific place. At the very least your items will qualify you for a tax write-off. 

3. They are earth-friendly.

One day I was sitting in the play room while my girls were playing and I looked at all the toys they had. I started thinking about how many doll houses, musical instruments, sensory toys and even dolls like my daughters own, have been made over the years and discarded in the trash rather than recycled to the next generation. Could we decrease our waste by reusing old toys? Definitely! I mean yes, I understand that toys get destroyed and need to be trashed or recycled for parts, but some toys stand the test of time, and most toys with all the plastic will even outlast us.   

So next time you are wanting to get a new toy or have some things you want to sell, check out your local consignment store.