Barely Worn Clothes Are Great Buys for Kids
The name used to be Glad Rags for Kids and now it’s bbBoomers. The location is the same, but there’s a new owner.
This children’s resale store was a favorite spot for parents and grandparents, but then it closed for a couple of months. Now it’s back in full swing, offering terrific deals on all things for kids.
“Gently worn” is the term used to describe the inventory in many resale stores, but it probably doesn’t apply to children’s apparel. It would be more appropriate to call them “quickly grown out of” items, many worn once, twice--or not at all. This particularly applies to dress-up clothes.
My 6-month-old granddaughter received a beautiful velvet and lace dress, which fit perfectly at Christmas. But a growth spurt has relegated it to the hand-me-down stack. Unfortunately, there’s no one to hand it down to, so there it is--a $60 to $70 dress worn for only a few hours. These are the sort of treasures that end up at the good children’s resale stores, and bbBoomers is one of the better ones.
You’ll find the top names in kids’ apparel on the racks here in sizes infant through 8. Gap, Guess?, Flapdoodles, Oshkosh, Hanna Anderson, Gymboree, Absorba, Cotton Caboodle, Malina and many European imports may be purchased for a fraction of their original cost.
A girl’s Flapdoodles two-piece pantsuit in mint condition was marked $20, which--when you know that the pants sold for $25 and the top $28--is a fine buy. A romper by Gymboree, size 18-24 months, which retails new for $38, was marked $16 and looked like it had never been worn.
Big bucks can be saved on baby equipment. A twin Aprica stroller that runs around $300 new was priced at $159, and a combination changing table and chest of drawers by Simmons was $239. A Brio table at $72 was a lot better than the $199 sticker it carries at some stores.
Baby slings were priced from $18 to $20 and an infant swing was $59.
As is customary at most children’s resale stores, there’s a selection of maternity wear selling at excellent prices. A Pea in the Pod denim jumper that was around $65 new was marked $34. On the weekend of April 12 through 14, there will be a color tag sale--everything in the store will be reduced from 10% to 70% off current prices.
To place items for consignment, set up an appointment. Management offers a 50-50 split on all items, which must be freshly laundered and have no stains. If you have a big load of stuff, don’t worry; a large parking lot in front of the store makes it a breeze.
The bbBoomers store is at 13807 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks. Hours: 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday; (818) 789-0888.
WEEKEND SUPER SALE: Second Nature is open to the public the first Saturday of each month, offering wholesale prices on silk flowers and plants. On Saturday, customers can select from floor samples or bring in their own container and it will be filled to specifications.
Second Nature is at 1206-10 W. Burbank Blvd., Burbank. Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; (818) 567-0101.
