FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
A lot of people ask how our system works when buying your gently used items. First and foremost, we are not a consignment store. At Once Upon A Child, we buy and sell gently used kids stuff.
Do I need an appointment to sell?
There is no appointment necessary to bring us your items - We work on a first come, first serve basis that usually determines the wait time - And while we encourage folks bring in no more than a couple totes at a time to help maintain efficiency in processing, we will be happy to take a look at what you bring in. We accept all seasons, all day; every day.
What kinds of clothing are you looking for?
We are looking for your gently used kids clothing, newborn to size 18. All gently used garments must be FRESHLY LAUNDERED. We ask that they please be laid flat and brought in a tote, box or laundry basket, and not in a plastic bag. Sometimes clothes brought in a plastic bag can cause excessive wrinkling and would cause us to pass on more of your items than if brought in a tote. We will be happy to take a look at clothing that is brought in a plastic bag, but it does work out best to have it in a tote. It usually means more items that we can potentially accept, and can potentially increase the offer we can make you for your items.
We are also interested in sneakers, shoes, boots and sandals. These items must also be gently used and fairly clean. Coats, costumes, swimwear, sleepwear and dancewear.
Why do you pass on certain items?
When looking at your freshly laundered gently used garments, we will inspect for things like stains, holes, pilling, excessive wear, color fading, odors due to storage (musty), tobacco or mothballs and inspect for pet hair. We make sure all zippers and buttons are in working order and all tags are present (not cut out) and not written on. And as mentioned earlier, wrinkling.
Some items, no matter how wonderful they are, even brand new with the tags, simply do not sell well for us, and therefore we may pass on items simply for that reason alone. Because we are paying cash for items, we need to make sure the items we are buying, are items that we can sell. What may sell well for one store, may not sell well for another.
What kind of toys and equipment do you buy?
TOYS must be clean, in working order and must meet safety standards.
PUZZLES AND GAMES must have all the parts and directions and the box must be in decent shape.
BOOKS, we love books. They too must be clean, no writing, very gently used and must be free of odors.
EQUIPMENT must also be clean, including straps and fabric covers. All parts must be present. All equipment must meet safety standards and cannot be on a government recall list. Equipment we are looking for includes, strollers, high chairs, pack-n-plays, bouncers, entertainers, changing tables, basinets, swings, toddler beds, and cribs made after 2012.
How does it work when I bring in my items to sell?
When you bring in your items, we will sign you in and place you in order of first come, first serve. We will inspect your items and pull aside any items we can accept and place any items that we cannot back in your container. We will enter the items into our computer system which will determine the quote we offer you. When this process is complete, we will write your name on our board. We process the final transaction at our cash registers. There they will make you an offer which you can accept, or decline. If you accept the offer, we can pay you cash on the spot. Or you can take that as trade towards items being purchased at that time, or for store credit. We return your container and any items we could not accept back to you. ALL ITEMS AND TRANSACTIONS MUST BE COMPLETED AND PICKED UP BY THE END OF THAT BUSINESS DAY.