Once Upon a Child opened its doors for the first time in Ohio back in 1984. The concept is very simple and very successful. The store will purchase your gently used baby and children's items and resale them at a discount price. This benefits the store and the mom on a budget. Once Upon a Child is now the largest children's national resale shop with 220 stores throughout the United States and Canada. Since the success of Once Upon a Child you find children's resale shops springing up all over town.
It was ten years ago that I had my first experience with Once Upon a Child. Now, with years of resale shopping and four kids under my belt I know exactly what I am looking for and what to expect from a resale shop. I judge a resale shop on appearance of store, condition of items sold, reselling experience and buying experience. So, how does Once Upon a Child measure up?
APPEARANCE OF STORE
I have been to several Once Upon a Child stores and all are similar in look and feel. The store does not resemble a shop but an indoor garage sale. The aisles are cramped with a vast array of strollers, bassinets, and big plastic toys. It is difficult to navigate a stroller or cart through the store. The toys are not organized into age appropriateness but put on a shelf as they are purchased by the store. Shoes desperately try to stay in order of size but little hands and big hands alike make that next to impossible. In contrast, clothes are very well organized by size and gender. The dressing rooms are a good size and no better or worse then you would expect from any store. Books are in complete disarray but I think that section has the same problem as the shoe section. The sheer amount of non-clothing or large items makes organization a feat in and of itself. Items being sold back to the store are usually out in the walkway unattended in boxes or laundry baskets. The appearance is of a store trying desperately to keep from busting at the seams. Having sympathy for the amount of items verses the amount of space and considering the well organzied clothing section, I grade the appearance a C.
CONDITION OF ITEMS
When I look through a resale shop I know to expect wear and tear of items but overall I want to see items that are still functional and in very good to excellent used condition. In every resale shop you will find the some junk and some items with tags still attached. Once Upon a Child claims to have a high standard in the condition of what they will buy and sell. I have found this to be true when it comes to strollers, cribs, toddler beds, toys, and most clothing. Yet, I have seen plenty of worn or stained clothing to make me wonder how those things were accepted. Games and puzzles seem to have all the parts and pieces even if the boxes are worn. All the toys are in working order. I was not impressed with bedding. I grade this area an A- as most items are in excellent used condition yet I have found worn and stained clothes from time to time.
RESELLING EXPERIENCE
I have sold plenty of items to Once Upon a Child over the years. As Once Upon a Child has expanded they have become more particular in what they buy out of necessity. They are not desparate enough to stock their stores with items that do not meet their standards or items that they have plenty in stock already. They judge items mostly by condition and popularity. This is good for the buyer as the store can maintain its standard but not so good for the seller as more items get rejected.
The most common complaint I have heard is that Once Upon a Child will reject items based on condition yet sell badly worn or stained merchandise. I have also heard and experienced getting very little money for your items. Yet, they still beat local resale shops. I would say they pay around garage sale prices for your items depending on condition and name brands. If you are not interested in selling your items on Ebay, Craigslist or a garage sale this is the place for you. One of the main benefits in selling your things to Once Upon a Child is that you get your money on the spot. You also do not need an appointment but be prepared to go early or have a long wait on busy days. Due to the stores now being so popular and well stocked you may not sell even your best and brightest items. However, feel free to try again at a later date as they do not purchase by season. I keep the all non-stained or worn rejected items in a laundry basket and add to it with other things I intend to take to Once Upon a Child. I find that my rejected items will be accepted at some point.
I grade the reselling experience a B- to a C due to the frustration of having your items rejected for condition while seeing less than standard condition items for sale. Also the frustration of being told that most of your items are rejected because they simply have too many in stock. Yet, the ability to sell your items out of season, on any day, and getting money on the spot does partly make up for those flaws.
BUYING EXPERIENCE
I normally try a resale shop before going to a conventional store to get the best deal. When purchasing an item from a resale shop I look for quality and price. I refuse to pay more than half to sixy percent of what a store would charge for a used item. I will possibly pay more for an item never opened or one with tags. Once Upon a Child is a great place for deals. Due to their ability to be picky you can often get a very good to excellent used condition item for a good price. In fact, I just purchased a Carter's outfit for $4.25 that had no stains and looked like it was never worn. In the stores the outfit would run for at least $16.00 as I actually saw a similar outfit at Toys R Us. I also purchased a pair of boys jeans for $7.00 that still had the tags. Books, videos, dvds, shoes, baby items, and the alike all guarantee savings. Toys are hit and miss. Keep in mind, as Once Upon a Child grows in popularity they have increased their prices as compared to local resale shops. I suggest trying your local resale shop before trying Once Upon a Child. For instance, I can purchase a Barbie at my local shop for $2.00 whereas Once Upon a Child charges $4.00 for the same Barbie. Conditions being even, I have purchased a new Carter's sleeper at my local shop for $3.00 while Once Upon a Child sold a similar new Carter's sleeper for $5.00. Once Upon a Child does have a variety of items to choose from and no short supply of what you are looking to buy. Local resale shops may not have as many items coming in so variety and supply may be hit and miss. Overall I grade buying an A. Even though local shops may beat the prices, Once Upon a Child still offers a great price, good quality and plenty of stock.
Overall Once Upon a Child offers decent items for prices a mom on a budget can afford. The store may have a garage sale feel and may not give you as much for your items as you would like but you can usually find what you need at a price you will like. Again, I do suggest trying a local shop first for items you are trying to buy and second for items you are trying to sell. Local shops can be cheaper but they also pay even less then Once Upon a Child for your things. Happy reselling and buying!