Do you buy children's clothes at thrift stores?
By ladym33
@ladym33 (10979)
United States
January 5, 2009 7:09pm CST
I have admit that I have bought my kids some jeans at thrift stores before. Sometimes they just grow too fast, and jeans are expensive to buy brand new. I have bought my kids some really nice jeans at thrift stores.
They are trying to pass a law that will prohibit thrift stores from selling used children's clothing. I am hoping to find out who I need to write to and plan on complaining about this new law, which will only hurt those families who can not afford to buy new clothing for their children, it will cause the waste of millions of perfectly good clothing items, and will lose money for the charities that the sale of those clothing items brings in. Stores specializing in second hand children's clothing will have to shut down.
The law is regarding possible lead levels in the clothing, but that only occurs in a small percentage of clothing items, yet the law is very vague, and requires that all used clothing be tested or thrown out. Of course second hand stores and thrift shops will not have the money for testing so they will likely not sell the clothing. This is a real shame.
So are you like me and will be very upset that you will no longer be able to buy gently used children's clothing at thrift stores, and second hand stores?
5 people like this
24 responses
@cher913 (25782)
• Canada
6 Jan 09
although my daughters arent kids anymore, i used to buy quite a bit of clothing at thrift stores. this new law must be in the us only as i havent heard anything of it here in canada.
it is strange that they want to do this because it is such a drawback from being environmentally friendly!
2 people like this
@gitfiddleplayer (10362)
• United States
6 Jan 09
Oooo, our kids might get some rare lead poisoning, what about all the dirt and worms and scrapes that come with those jeans. Again, some dolt has too much time on their hands and they think that passing a law to "protect" somebody will undoubtably make them seem like a hero, please! Sorry, I just think that people who spread fear don't have anything better to do than wring their hands with delight. To answer your question, we have bought some at a consignment shop, they were in a little better shape and we were able to sell some clothes in the process.
2 people like this
@SusanShayAvon (1003)
• United States
6 Jan 09
I love thrift stores. I will buy clothes for my kids and myself at thrift stores. I find it exciting to find good deals in thrift stores. I would definately be upset if they quit selling used children's clothes. Some people do not let their children wear used clothes but I love it cause I enjoy hand me down clothes 2.
1 person likes this
@baileycows (3665)
• United States
6 Jan 09
I don't normally shop at thrift stores although I probably should. The only hand me down my kids wear are the ones that people give us. Even then they usually just play in them. I know that sounds horrible, but I had to wear them all growing up and I like my daughter to have the clothes that she wants. She will only be a kid for once and she is the only one that I have. So why not?
1 person likes this
@ntmingyu (65)
• China
6 Jan 09
I am the same with you that I will buy my son's clothes sometimes at thrift stores, because kid growing so fast, almost every 2 or 3 months need to change, so if we always buy clothes in franchised store, it's too costly and most of them are only dressed for 1 or 2 time, you have to throw, because I only have 1 boy (3 years old) now. So I will buy 70% from thrift stores and 30% from franchised store for out dressing.
If your country forbid the thrift shops, it's really very upset for me, that means more money need to be wasted for children. But I suggest that you can consider to buy from internet, like Ebay, you can bid for cheap and good clothes for children.Try!
2 people like this
@FDBrister (115)
• United States
6 Jan 09
I buy a lot of my kids, and all of my, clothes at thrift stores. I've gotten great deals and many of the clothes I've bought there still have the tags on them. There's no shame in providing for your children. No kid needs expensive clothes; they just need clothes.
The important thing is to wash ALL of a child's clothing before they wear them, even if they're coming from a department store. You just never know what chemicals, or other things, may be in the clothes.
It's possible that another reason they're barring thrift store clothing is economy. Everyone suddenly shopping at thrift stores is hurting all of the business giants. Things are almost always about money.
1 person likes this
@winterose (39887)
• Canada
6 Jan 09
I didn't when my son was young but that was many years ago, with the economy as it is today I certain would be buying at least some of his clothes there.
1 person likes this
@Ithink (9980)
• United States
6 Jan 09
I do buy clothes at a few thrift stores and it is going to hurt some if this law passes. We are a family it is going to hurt. I cant imagine all the other families that it will hurt too. Not only that, I was just thinking of all the thrift stores we have even in our small town that sells children clothing. Not to mention the few smaller and bigger places around us. Some are open just with clothing and few other things. So they would most likely close down and then we have more unemployed too. Yep just what we need around here when places are already closing down and people are being let go left and right!
I have an idea, how about banning any lead being used? And if it is found that a company is still using lead, fining their A$$. Make them be accountable for what they produce instead of making it harder on all of us!
1 person likes this
@checapricorn (16061)
• United States
6 Jan 09
[i]HI ladym,
I love to shop at thift stores and I bought my nieces and nephews clothes as well as other items..I will be sad also if this will implement the so called Law! I hope they will see the significance of why people prefer to shop there instead in the mall!
It's a great savings really for every family since it is very expensive to get a new one in the mall and to think, kids grow fast![/i]
1 person likes this
@lisa0502 (1724)
• Canada
6 Jan 09
Yes I do buy my kids clothes at thrift stores. I do not have alot of money to spend on brand new clothes unless there is a really good sale on. I find that there are alot of really good clothes in the thrift store. And most people do not know that I have purchased them from the thrift store. I would also say that it is awful that they would make a law against this.
1 person likes this
@arkadeb313 (593)
• India
6 Jan 09
Hie ladym,it is really unfortunate that the lawmakers are not willing to feel the conditions of people who are not so well off in the name of their welfare. I have also purchased some clothings from these shops and it has helped me a lot to get some decent ones at an affordable price. But that law is going to harm both the users who has to pay a huge price for them and those who sell them by damaging their business.
Hope they are not closed and there is relaxation in the law for good ones.
Good luck
Hope they are not closed and there is relaxation in the law for good ones.
Good luck1 person likes this
@jcay_lorna (433)
• Ireland
6 Jan 09
I admit I do buy my son's and my clothes in a thrift store. I also buy in charity shops for my son's clothes coz i find that they are still very good and are of good quality brands which you will pay an outrageous amount if you buy it new in shops. Also because of the fact that children do grow quickly that sometimes they get to wear their clothes twice or thrice of not only once! The important thing is that they have something to wear and they are properly looked after. It's a pity if you can no longer bur such stuff in your country. Where are you from by the way?
1 person likes this
@Tinna_He (300)
• China
6 Jan 09
I haven't bought the clothes from the thrift stores,because i can't find these kind of shop in china.we will accept the clothes from my sisters'.If the quality of clothes is accepted ,why it can't be used again? Just like a baby walker, my daughter only use two or three monthes.then,how we can handle it ?I hope i can find the market of second-hand goods in china .
1 person likes this
@Tricia31 (22)
• United States
6 Jan 09
This is the most rediculous thing I have ever heard. I buy things for my kids at the thrift store and they are perfectly healthy. Some yahoo just has too much time on his hands. What is with this rising situation where people are trying to make it more difficult for people to provide for their families. First, Wal-mart does away with the layaway plan and now they want to stop thrift stores from selling childrens clothes. It isn't a wonder that people steal. It is a true shock that at this time instead of trying to come up with more ways for people to afford things we are making it more difficult.
1 person likes this
@Modestah (11179)
• United States
6 Jan 09
I buy the majority of my children's clothing at second hand shops -
I can get almost brand new dresses for my daughters (we only wear dresses/skirts) at such a good price - because others will wear a dress only once or twice they stay really new.
I also buy work clothes for my husband second hand (he works a dirty factory job)
and my son likes to get his jeans at the thrift shop.
I hope the law does not go into effect for second hand clothing. how will they enforce this at garage sales?
I think the best way to combat the problem is to be more stringent on the importations and testing of THOSE garments and materials.
1 person likes this
@jazel_juan (15746)
• Philippines
6 Jan 09
yes i do buy my kid's clothes at this kind of shops! it is convenient for me because i get to save plus the clothes are fine and it help families like us who are tight on budget...
1 person likes this
@lynnemg (4529)
• United States
6 Jan 09
I commonly buy my kids' clothes at thrift stores. Who can afford to buy them brand new clothes these days?? Kids grow so quickly, it is almost senseless for me to buy them very many brand new items when I can go out to the thrift stores and find nice gently used clothes for them. My kids may get a total of 5 brand new outfits a year because they just grow out of them too quickly. I also donate our old clothes to different organizations.
If a law were to be passed to stop people from selling used children's clothing, not only would it greatly impact those of us who cannot afford to continually buy new clothes for our kids, but think of how that would negatively effect our environment.
1 person likes this
@celebratelifeh (1142)
• China
6 Jan 09
i think if the clothes bouth there are healthy would be ok, we all know the children are growing so fast and even we bouth him/her new trouses which is a little longer than what he/she actully need but this trouses can't fit he/she the next month anymore. this is a big problem specially on the family who don't have so much money to buy clothes often.
1 person likes this
@Pleiades (846)
• United States
6 Jan 09
Are you kidding? For as long as I can remember, my mother never shopped for brand new clothing. The only time she'd set foot inside a store like that was to buy a wedding gift or if we had an outragious coupon.
Growing up in my house ment wearing second hand clothes. That didn't bother me because I always had name brand clothing. Yeah...even today my closet is full of Old Navy, Ann Taylor, Gap and other such items. The rich people are too picky; they wear something once or twice and get rid of it. But, isn't that the purpose of "one man's trash is another man's treasure"?
That's horrible that someone is trying to stop that from happening!
*Pleiades
1 person likes this
@Rachel1919 (81)
• United States
6 Jan 09
Wow, that would be such a terrible law to pass. I would be very upset if I could not buy children's clothes from thrift stores anymore. What's next a law preventing us from buying toys from Toy stores? Lots of lead there from what I have heard. If they pass this it will impact so many other things like the environment, small businesses, charities income (such as Goodwill).
1 person likes this
