What to Do with Outgrown Baby Gear: Should You Donate or Resell and Gain Profit
Babies can grow up to one inch every month – which means that by the time your baby gear manages to show any wear signs, your baby will also outgrow it. As a new mom on a super busy schedule, you don’t have the time or the nerves to bump into outgrown gear all over the house. So, there are two ways you can go around it: you can either donate it, or you can sell it.
Many moms prefer the latter option, especially if they purchased the items new. Baby gear can be expensive, and if the kids grow faster than you can afford, it can do some great damage to your budget. Luckily, you can get up to 70-80% of the baby gear value on the resale marketplace, as long as you take the right steps.
What Baby Items Can Be Donated?
Donations can keep clothing out of landfills, which is why an average of 52% of the general population prefers to donate items rather than throw them away. If you have baby gear that shows signs of wear but is still in good, usable condition, then it can be donated.
This can include baby toys, children’s books, baby clothing, or other items that could not be sold. For instance, if you kept your baby gear in the consignment store and not every item was sold, the remaining ones can be given to charities.
Which Baby Items Can Be Sold?
Reselling clothes and baby gear can be a great solution if you have expensive items that were barely used or are in great condition. For instance, you may have purchased some beach vacation gear that you only used once or twice last summer. Considering how fast kids grow, it’s safe to say they won’t be using it again this summer.
Overall, here is the baby gear that you can likely sell for a good price:
- Luxury and brand-name baby clothing and kid accessories
- Expensive baby gear that is in otherwise great condition (i.e., baby bed or a baby car seat)
- Expensive baby toys (i.e., your girl’s Barbie Dream house that she is no longer playing with)
- Baby shoes that have barely been worn and still look like new
- Baby clothes that still have their tags on them
As long as the baby gear is in excellent condition, you can easily get some money back by reselling it, especially if you use cross listing software.
How to Sell Outgrown Baby Gear
If you decide to sell your outgrown baby gear, there are several ways for you to do so. Here are some of the fastest, most efficient methods for a busy mom with very little time to spare.
- Consign It Online
If you are short on cash and time, then you may want to consign the items online. You may still need to pay for their transport, but an online consignment store can get a better price. Plus, the delivery company will take it off your hands from your home, so you won’t even have to abandon your mom-post.
- Consign It Personally
Consigning online does have its advantages, but we can’t ignore the fact that shipping can be fairly expensive. To cut down on those costs, you can find a local consignment store and take the items there yourself. You’ll likely get more profit by using this strategy.
- Sell It Directly
If you already know the baby gear’s resale value, you can choose to sell it yourself, without the help of consignors. You can do so on social media platforms such as Facebook Marketplace, or you can find out how does Mercari work – or any other seller platform, for that matter. By doing the sale yourself, you will be able to get the full profit.
- Set a Deadline
When selling your outgrown baby gear, you should also set a deadline. It doesn’t matter if you are consigning it or selling it through a yard sale – you’ll need a date. If you haven’t managed to sell your gear by that due date, you should consider donating the remaining items.
The Bottom Line
So, should you donate, or should you sell the baby clothing? You should consider selling if the baby items are barely worn and in great condition. You may get back up to 70% of their value, which is still more than you would have gotten if you donated.
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Gilles Couvreur is the founder of Crosslist, a productivity tool that allows sellers to list quickly on the world’s largest online marketplaces. In his free time, he loves to share simple tips that help resellers reach more customers.
Disclosure: This is a collaborative collaboration
