Where do you find these?
Oh hey, it’s Jess–an obsessed with smocked frocks mother of one. You thought I had an entire troop, didn’t you? Nope! Just one adorable darling-Philomena. My whole heart and you better believe I dress her everyday for the occasion…of being the best dressed. I dress her for the 17.7 million birthdays we have per day!
When I “purge” online several mom’s have asked : “Where do you find all these? Where do you get these? Where can I find more of these?” and because I don’t believe in gatekeeping whatsoever, I am here to share whatever I find because as someone who has been secondhand shopping for longer than some of my peers have been alive, I am here to tell you that there is PLENTY of stuff out there. I promise!
There is a little bit of reseller gatekeeping these days and perhaps it’s because I am more of a trader (vs. a hardcore reseller), that I don’t mind sharing. What is a trader? I definitely buy more than I sell and price gouging is never okay (even if I hand repair, I am reasonable). I usually do two pricey purges a year for Christmas and Easter of runner ups for our forever box hoping the $20-$40 price-tag will mean it stays with me; otherwise it’s the $12.28 (my lovely love’s birthday) price! To me, it is important to keep as many already made garments in circulation–that’s the goal!
Here is where I recommend you look:
Don’t sleep on those vintage Facebook groups! Unless you’re looking for the rarest Oshkosh of them all, pricing is very fair and demand is spread out. Not every mama is looking for smocked frocks–gives you a bit more of a chance to claim.
Vintage Children’s Clothing Resale
The Vintage Playground is EXCELLENT for LIVE THRIFTS. A live thrift is exactly what it sounds like! Someone will check into a secondhand shop, post what’s on the rack and you can buy right then and there. Most mark up a little to cover time, gas, and shipping. It’s a great way to thrift for unique garments if you don’t have great places near you!
Have you ever been secondhand shopping? If you’re on a BST group, you already got a good start. Search local thrift stores on Google in your area and go check it out. You’d be surprised what you’ll find. I thrift the entire county when I travel from Texas to New York to Florida to California. It’s fun! Message me if you need help- I would love to get you started finding deals and enjoying sustainability.
JBF on the last day is what’s up! They have sales all over the US and it’s moms just like you selling what doesn’t fit. Here is the main page where you can search by your zip code. The last day everything without a star is 50%…great deals!
Estate sales. Tot clothing goes for cheap. Search your area on the main page. Disclaimer- you might go broke buying that Henredon dresser though…
There is one reseller in particular I recommend for great deals and I regularly see MANY of her items for resale on several groups: Misguided Vintage Finds- ask to be added to her sale group. She sells to alot of resellers and is active on many of the groups above. You will need to know how to sew on a button and fix a hem…and word of caution: there are also many hungry resellers who are quick to claim. If you miss a frock, you might see them on a different group for 4x the price.
Last but not least. I shop retail once a year. Right around and after Christmas. This goes not just for baby frocks, but also for mama. Save your favorite stores and check in around the holidays–chances are they will be hosting a sale. Shop off season and save for later. This is your a-okay to hoard.
I am trying to be better about treasure sharing on instagram. If you want to connect or just look at pretty frocks and see sensory, add me there!
Any questions–let me know! It’s someone’s birthday everyday–let’s dress for it!
