I know it has been a little while since my last post. Today I'm going to talk about a store I LOVE! It is called, Once Upon a Child, and it was recommended to me by a fellow mama in Bloomington, Indiana. It's a secondhand children's store that only accepts a certain quality of clothes/toys/gear for resale. I would go there often. I found many board books for $2 and less, and toys (they all work) and clothes and other things from time to time. I decided that every time George got shots we'd go and get something new for $5 or less. I also would research toys I knew I would eventually want and would wait to hopefully see it one time in Once Upon a Child. That's how I got my fisher-price zoo set! Anyways, I've gotten many things from there and according to Google Maps there was one in Thousand Oaks- so I was excited. Well, lo and behold, it has been shut down. But there is a store called Cribs to Teens in Simi that is supposed to be the same type of thing (though I haven't checked it out yet). In Utah (where my husband's parents are) I found a store called Kid to Kid that is essentially the same thing. I have bought a few things there. There are many of the Kid to Kid stores scattered throughout the Salt Lake Valley. The one we went to didn't have as much as Once Upon a Child in Bloomington, but here's a thing to remember: they are local stores. What each store has depends on what was brought into it. So check areas where there are lots of kids around and you'll likely have higher turnover and more options. (Also if you're done using something, take it to one of these stores to see if they'll buy it. I've done this and you can get some cash for your better stuff. Some stuff is not accepted that is still in good condition, but I would just take all my kid stuff there- see what they would take and then drop the rest by Goodwill.)
Other good places for children's books and SOMETIMES toys is Goodwill, or D.I.. Not all of these toys work, so you have to check the quality yourself, but the books are cheap and sometimes you can find some good ones. (If you don't have patience for thrifty shopping, this may not be the best place for you to go.) Generally richer areas have better selections, because richer people don't always care to take the time to resell items and just donate their stuff.
And since I love children's books... more places to buy books! Half-price books or used book stores. Some only have a small children's area, so it may take some time figuring out which store in your area is best for this. (I also check for dvds. I actually love the Wiggles because they sing and dance, so it encourages movement for your child. I have learned to recognize their symbol and can actually very quickly browse a discounted section for any Wiggles dvds.) Then there's TJMaxx- they're new, but sometimes may have a corner dented or sometimes nothing is wrong with the book at all. If there is damage, it is always minor, but the books there are a great deal. I've mentioned books through Kohls Cares. And then Amazon.... I have a list of kids books on there. I add whatever I want. When I have extra money I sometimes buy one that I've been dying to get, or I buy a certain amount of money's worth by looking at the best deals. The benefit to adding them to a list is if there's a lightning deal on anything in your list- you will get a notification. Another benefit to having them in your list is they'll tell you if the price has gone down and by how much since you added the item. The last time I bought books on Amazon, I got some that had gone down 65% in price! Anyways, these are a few of my tips. If you're starting out you can get some really good deals on book lots on ebay. Once you have a children's book library started though, you'll start to find that the lots you want have lots of duplicates in them (for you anyways). But it's still a good place to check.
Alright, well.... HAPPY SHOPPING!
Other good places for children's books and SOMETIMES toys is Goodwill, or D.I.. Not all of these toys work, so you have to check the quality yourself, but the books are cheap and sometimes you can find some good ones. (If you don't have patience for thrifty shopping, this may not be the best place for you to go.) Generally richer areas have better selections, because richer people don't always care to take the time to resell items and just donate their stuff.
And since I love children's books... more places to buy books! Half-price books or used book stores. Some only have a small children's area, so it may take some time figuring out which store in your area is best for this. (I also check for dvds. I actually love the Wiggles because they sing and dance, so it encourages movement for your child. I have learned to recognize their symbol and can actually very quickly browse a discounted section for any Wiggles dvds.) Then there's TJMaxx- they're new, but sometimes may have a corner dented or sometimes nothing is wrong with the book at all. If there is damage, it is always minor, but the books there are a great deal. I've mentioned books through Kohls Cares. And then Amazon.... I have a list of kids books on there. I add whatever I want. When I have extra money I sometimes buy one that I've been dying to get, or I buy a certain amount of money's worth by looking at the best deals. The benefit to adding them to a list is if there's a lightning deal on anything in your list- you will get a notification. Another benefit to having them in your list is they'll tell you if the price has gone down and by how much since you added the item. The last time I bought books on Amazon, I got some that had gone down 65% in price! Anyways, these are a few of my tips. If you're starting out you can get some really good deals on book lots on ebay. Once you have a children's book library started though, you'll start to find that the lots you want have lots of duplicates in them (for you anyways). But it's still a good place to check.
Alright, well.... HAPPY SHOPPING!
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