To Keep Or Not To Keep All Those Clothes: Practical Tips From Swap For Kids {Sponsored}

Disclosure :: This post was sponsored by Swap Boutique For Kids.

To keep or not to keep: that is the question we face with growing children and sprouting families. Do we save our kids’ clothes for the next child, the not-yet-conceived nieces and nephews, or the grandkids that are sure to come in twenty five years? The task of sorting clothes that our little ones have outgrown, coupled with the sad fact that they are getting so big too quickly, is overwhelming. So, when do we let go?

As a mom of three boys, I completely understand how the daunting task of letting go of clothing thatswKidsLogoWonsie reminds us of their younger years can be. However, as the owner of four consignment shops, for both women and kids, I have come to appreciate both the intrinsic AND monetary value of passing on the items we no longer need. Here are some tips on what to consign, what to keep, and what to donate.

Divide Into Three Piles: Donate, Consign and Keep

Donate Pile: I have a donation bag in the corner of my closet filling at all times. These clothes may be a little too worn or dated to sell, but they are still wearable and stain free. If you allow them to, these items would eventually fill ten bins in your attic and some would get dry rotted over time. Instead, let these clothes go to someone who can use them. These items have life left in them that will be appreciated by families who need it.

Keep Pile: The keep pile is one part practical and one part nostalgic. The practical keep pile allows you to pass on special outfits of your first child to your next children, saving money and preserving memories. However, keep in mind that some children are not the same size, the seasons may not match up, trends change, and some of us even have children with their own sense of style. Any one of the aforementioned reasons can cause these cherished items to live a long, dark and consignmentlonely life in the attic bin.

A second group in the keep pile are those items that are meaningful to you like the outfit your baby boy wore home from the hospital or the dress that your grandmother made for your little one’s first birthday. These special items are valued by their sentiment and should never be sold or passed along.

Sell Pile: If you have a girl, then you probably got two hundred smocked dresses in the first year of that baby’s life! Each dress is adorable and you probably had every intention of wearing them all. Alas, like many other moms, you’ve probably found that there are just not enough days in the year. The barely worn, still in style, just have too many, is the perfect criteria for your sell pile. Holding on to an unworn item only devalues the item over time. It is better to consign the items and get a bit of a return than to hold on to the item and allow its value to diminish entirely. Consigning your items promotes sustainability, reduces clutter in your home, and gives you money to spend on your growing kiddos. If you are looking for a place to sell your cherished children’s items, we’d love you to check out Swap For Kids. We specialize in fine children’s apparel. Each item is hand selected to give you a great selection of designer and boutique label clothing for children ages newborn to 14 years of age!

Keep in mind that the perfect time to transition is between seasons. Make your donate, keep and sell piles regularly, and it will relieve you of the constant reminder that too much stuff is just that: too much. Good luck, and happy organizing!

 

This is your chance ladies! Tell us: do you have any questions on what to save and what to sell? Ask the consigning expert! 

About Michelle Reinhardt

Swap Boutique OwnerMichelle was born and raised in Metairie. She graduated from Louisiana State University with a B.A. in Speech Communication. She has been married for fifteen years and is the proud mama of three beautiful boys. After working in the corporate world for twelve years, she wanted to spend more time with her children. She imagined picking up her boys each day and watching all of their baseball games. The only way she could see managing both work and family was to build a business around her interest and her experience. She envisioned all of favorite designer labels in one little shop. And, so it began. Five years later, Michelle owns four stores in the Greater New Orleans area. She adores her amazing staff, for they afford her the very rare opportunity to be a business owner with plenty of time to spend with her family.

 

 

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