I’m so excited….we are in the middle of the fall Mom2Mom sale season!
What’s a Mom2Mom sale? In short, these are sales where moms, dads, and grandparents sell clothes, shoes, toys, books, etc. that their children have outgrown or no longer use. Never would I have predicted I would be hitting up these resales. But, then I had kids and my life turned upside down, and now we do all the things we never thought we would. Anyway, I’m not one to shy away from buying name brand shoes, used {sometimes barely!}, for a fraction of the cost. Jeans, also name brand, that are going to be worn to play in the dirt at preschool for $1.00, and books for $0.25. Fast forward to a few years later, and I can’t help but feel the need to share these amazing sales and my tried and true tips to help make the most of your experience!
1. Take inventory
• Look through your little people’s closets and drawers a few days or the night before a sale to take inventory. What do you have enough of? What might you need in the next year or two? What are clothing items that your child seems to go through quickly? For us, it’s jeans, tennis shoes, and winter accessories.
• One step further on this note, track what your kiddos have in an ongoing email to yourself. Section the email off by child and size. Make a note when you make purchases or receive clothing so that you know what your child{ren} have or are in need of.
2. Do your research!
• There are many places you can look to find Mom2Mom sales: School bulletins, church announcements, even signs on the side of the road. I have found using a few websites to be the biggest source of sales and information on each. My favorite sites are here https://www.mom2momlist.com/ and here https://www.mom2momsalesmichigan.com/
• There are often multiple sales occurring on the same day. Double check to make sure you are at the right one! I may or may not have shown up to a sale an hour early and had to sit in my car alone in silence. It was glorious-not a complete loss, but I still disliked being early
• Since my child-free time is limited and weekend time {when most sales occur} precious, I tend to only go to sales that have a high number of tables {75+}. The way I see it, the higher the number of tables, the more likely there are to be items I am looking for.
3. Bring enough cash
• I always bring too much cash with me to a sale but have found that I would rather have enough if in the instance that I see something I didn’t know I was looking for.
• Many sellers will have adequate cash to make change for larger bills, but I TRY to bring a variety of cash denominations.
4. Bring your own bags
• Sellers occasionally have bags for those making purchases, but don’t count on it. Also, they tend to be the inexpensive, plastic grocery bags that rip easily.
• I like to bring reusable grocery style bags. They tend to be sturdier and are a bit larger than their grocery store counterpart.
• I have also seen super savvy moms use the large blue Ikea bags or even luggage!
5. Leave your kiddos at home if possible
• It can be very difficult to navigate room after room of clothes, shoes, and toys with a small child. My kiddos get bored, tired, hungry, and will find something they cannot live without, inevitably ending in a tantrum of some sort. I have opted to not go to a sale simply because I couldn’t find childcare.
• Wearing a younger child may work out just fine. Although, I did this once and was a sweaty mess before I had finished shopping.
6. Barter!
• Never shy away from trying to make a deal. If I am purchasing a large quantity of items from one table, I will often ask if they will take less than the asking price. Sometimes the answer is no, but often times, I’ve been able to score a deal.
7. Look over your items before buying
• Take a quick peek at the Velcro, buttons, zippers on clothing and shoes, ask if toys work or if there are any missing parts. Check pants for holes in the knees.
• Sellers are often very honest and simply want to get rid of the items they are selling. They may even offer a reduction in price if there is an imperfection.
8. Pay for the early admission!
• Larger items, often in the ‘big ticket rooms’, will sell out quickly. If you are looking for strollers, car seats, pack n’ plays, etc., I recommend paying extra for early admission and scoping out these items.
9. Plan your attack
• I will often scan through an entire sale quickly, stopping at tables that appear to have just what I am looking for-snow boots, tennis shoes, swim suits, jeans, etc.
• I will then go back through the sale stopping at nearly every table to take a peek at the tables more closely.
Hopefully, you find a few of these tips helpful and can score some amazing deals as I have in the past. Happy shopping and please share your tips and let me know if I missed out on something that has helped you! I’m always looking to up my resale shopping game!
