Advice on baby/kid stuff sorting and re-selling
We are likely done having kids and still have a lot of baby/toddler gear and clothes left that we were saving in case we had another. The youngest is now in preschool so we are considering making space by getting rid of the stuff. I started sorting into save (small, sentimental stuff), re-sell (for expensive gear or new stuff), and donate for rest (I went through it all already when deciding what to save "just in case" so everything is in at least decent and usable condition). I have never sold baby gear or other used stuff. Any advice as to what type of baby stuff actually sells (I plan on using FB marketplace and mommy group boards)? I would like to sell what I can and donate the rest. I am guessing that things like expensive stroller, bouncer, travel crib, and new/unworn clothes will sell and the rest I should just donate and not bother with even trying, but figured I'll ask if there is anything else baby-related that people buy second hand that I should put into the "to be sold" pile.
Parent Replies
Most of the twins/multiples groups in the area have an annual rummage sale. You usually don’t need to be a member to sell at them, and they draw hundreds of people. You can check Twins by the Bay, Contra Costa Parents if Multiples, and the Twin Valley Mothers of Twins Club, to name a few.
Your instincts are pretty on point, in my experience. Basically, the things you specifically sought out are the things other people are likely seeking too. The things that are hard to find used and that are in good condition are more likely to sell for more. Generally I post things at half of their current list price and see if I get bites, then drop to around a third of list if I don't. If no one wants them for that, I donate them to BANANAS. You can also take clothes to swaps or to local secondhand shops, and you can post the baby gear on BPN in addition to Facebook groups--that's actually where we've had our best luck!
We are traveling for a few years and are getting rid of everything. We started 3 months ago, and from kid stuff alone, we’ve made close to $10K.
From our exprience, here’s what sells:
FB Marketplace:
strollers, dressers, beds, lamps, cribs, carriers, some furniture, like chairs and small tables. It’s a lot of work for some ROI. It’s sort of like CL, you have to deal with a lot before you get to the gold. But you can do well. Just be ready for some flakiness or the crowd who wants it right now.
eBay: my least favorite chore in the world is going to the Post Office. Now I go two times per week, with big loads all packaged up. This is where I sell clothes. I have so many indicigisial pieces of clothes from kids. I spend 1 hour per week taking photos and posting Ann’s I make sure that everything sells by the same day so I can be efficient and take items to Post Office between work and pjckups. I make sure everything makes $5.00 min. So if it’s not worth someone paying $8.00 for, then I don’t sell it, I donate it. eBay has brought in $6,000 if kids clothes (and some stuffed animals). It’s amazing how the accumulation adds up.
Next up: not buying so much.
We’ve made another $15k on our stuff and furniture so far. Pop-up garage sales with a sense of urgency. (We really are in need of urgency because we have to be out of our home by August 1, so we don’t wait around for anyone. We take money up front if they want us to “hold” it. I have learned not to hold anything for anyone.
Baby carries (like Ergo baby or Infantino) sell pretty well. I had a surprisingly hard time finding anyone who wanted to buy my like-new walker, but perhaps that was just bad luck. People also don't seem to want car seats even if not expired and in good condition.
It all depends on the condition of what you're selling. If it's got wear and tear and has been used by more than one kid then I'd sell for 20-25% your original purchase price if you want to get rid of it quickly. Otherwise, you can try to get more, but you'll probably have to keep reposting and deal with people like me trying to haggle you down :P
For clothing items that you want to resell, we often bring our clothes to Grove Street Kids, on Shattuck and Rose in Berkeley. We often consign lots of our kids clothes there, and use the credit to get clothes for the next size up!
For items that you decide to give away, in addition to Bananas (which I like because the items also go straight into the local community to people who need them), I've been giving away items on Toy-Cycle (toy-cycle.org). It's a site where you join a local group and can receive and give away toys for free. Its relatively new and still growing, and most toys posted seem to be for preschoolers or below, but I occasionally pick up good items for my older elementary kids, and have used it to pass on items from the toddler years to other parents in my local community. I usually try Toy-cycle first, because I like the idea of supporting a local circular economy, then do Bananas if nobody wants them on Toy-cycle.