Children grow so fast. Most of the time, they outgrow their clothing and even toys before they come close to wearing them out. While frugal Moms know swapping clothes with other Moms to get gently worn and gently used clothing is a great idea, ThredUp has taken the concept to the internet and it's catching on.
ThredUp began in 2009 as an overall clothing swap website but it became clear very fast that the high demand was for children's clothing. So, the company moved in that direction because they saw that as where the need was. "Clothes don't grow. Kids do" has become ThredUp's byline. The company is based in San Francisco and currently serves the United States as far as swapping online and participation goes.
The concept is great in that local clothing swaps are hard to organize and even if you attend one, how often do you find the items in your child or children's specific size, taste, etc.? With ThredUp, you can browse a volume of listings based on gender and size with each listing giving you a list of what items are in a box. You know what you are getting. There is a system of checks and balances in place with the rating system within the community so that a user can seemingly feel confident in the fact they will receive quality, gently worn and gently used clothing items from the parent on the other side of the mailbox.
The box concept is central to the idea of what ThredUp is about. Once you register as a ThredUp user, you are credited with $5.00 in ThredUp money. Now, you are eligible to browse and shop the large number of boxes (listings) that you can view by gender, size, brand, season and type of item.
Each box contains an average of 10 or more items depending on their bulk and size. You pick the box and pay $5.00 for it plus the $10.95 shipping. According to their website, usually that averages out to about $1.50 per item. You certainly can't buy children's clothing for that price. The box is shipped directly from the parent that offered it on the ThredUp website right to you.
ThredUp is a community of other parents who are swapping their children's gently worn and used children's clothing as well as pre-loved toys. Once you pick a box being offered in the community, you pay $5.00 plus shipping ($10.95) to receive a fully packed box with all the items listed at the site. It arrives right to your doorstep. Remember, you get credited with $5.00 when you register at ThredUp, so essentially your first box is free but you pay the shipping.
ThredUp is similar to other sites like eBay in that there is a community rating system in place to insure that you receive high quality items in trade.
Here's where ThredUp can be even more advantageous:
Let's say you have a bunch of clothes your child has outgrown. You can create a box and list those items on the ThredUp website. Every time you send a box of your items out, you earn ThredUp credits that are now good for getting boxes of items for your child or children. In other words, by trading and swapping on the site, you can earn credits towards the $5.00 box purchase and all you will be paying is the $10.95 shipping per box for ones you pick for your children.
Listing the items you have available for swapping by way of ThredUp is pretty easy through their Build A Box form. You just put in a detailed list of the items included in your box. You can even swap items like Halloween costumes and such. Pictures aren't even necessary because of the standards that seem to be set by ThredUp. The one thing you will notice on the site though is that boxes contain certain sizes and types of items, for example Girls Size 4 Tops. That makes it easier to search and locate the box and items you want for your children so you can pick the box.
This website and concept is catching on in popularity and makes sense. As parents, if we can repurpose our own children's outgrown clothing and toys and get ones they can use and wear in return, it's a win-win situation.
It's abundantly clear that ThredUp is growing and it's a concept that is sure to take on even more as other parents discover this great website. The site is very user friendly and there is an abundance of offers on there for children's clothing from preemie sizes to size 20 teen clothing.
It would be worth your while to check it out and consider how this website and swapping might benefit you and your family. It certainly will be helpful in stretching the family clothing budget. A lot of other parents nationwide seem to think so. According to the ThredUp site, 1986 new boxes were listed this past week and a total of 19536 items were swapped. A quick login to the site as of this writing shows 4165 total boxes available for parents to pick up.
ThredUp is a great way to swap out your children's outgrown clothes and benefit from them. You can learn more about what the website offers, how it works and get registered for free here. Happy swapping!
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