A couple weeks ago, I was contacted by Katie Hesterberg, owner of 6th Ave Second Hand, a baby and children’s clothing consignment store/online thrift store out of Tacoma, Washington. She offered me a box to try out and review. Of course I was interested! With kids growing out of clothes every season, I’m always on the lookout for ways to find quality clothing and save money at the same time. I was curious how this concept came about, so I asked Katie to tell me her story.

When I was pregnant with my first baby, I lived in Mobile, AL. I wanted to buy everything used but there weren’t any second hand stores there. So I ordered everything through eBay, or met up with moms I found on craigslist.

Now I live in Tacoma, WA, where there are some really great second hand stores! Three years ago, my friend and I saved a store that was about to close, due to the owners retiring and we now co-own it. It’s famous for its $0.25 sales, where there are huge tables of clothes for only $0.25. These are the overstock that people bring to us, but we don’t have room for on the racks.

I started to see that there are so many used kids clothes in this country that need homes, and of course I remember that it was harder to find second hand kids stuff in some places.

So I started this other business on my own (my business partner from the other store wasn’t interested) where I ship these surprise boxes all over the US.

If you’ve been following this blog, you’ll know I am inclined toward equity and justice. Unfortunately, fast fashion causes harm to both the environment and people. According to BusinessInsider.com, “Fashion production makes up 10% of humanity’s carbon emissions, dries up water sources, and pollutes rivers and streams. What’s more, 85% of all textiles go to the dump each year. And washing some types of clothes sends thousands of bits of plastic into the ocean.” And, sadly, as we know it can be difficult to trace the source of our clothes, so we can’t know how ethically they have been produced. We’ve got to clothe our kids, so what can we do? Buy second-hand clothes. The more we recycle what we already have, the more we mitigate the negative impacts of fast fashion. Now, I don’t shop strictly second-hand, but I do prioritize recycling clothes. And, as my friends will tell you, I am always grateful for hand-me-downs!

I was sold on Katie’s offer to try a box! So, I checked out the website where I found that the shop offers clothing from newborn all the way through size 8 in the following boxes: the Surprise Clothing Box ($29), the New Baby Essentials Box ($39), the Bigger Surprise Clothing Box ($49), and the School Age Clothing Box ($59). You can also find sleep sacks, pajamas, and swim suits. What sets this store apart for me is that you can choose by season and style! If you choose a style, you will receive a curated box that reflects one of seven options: Classics, Graphics, Hippie, Super Comfy, Athletic, Girly, and Hipster.

I placed my order on July 8th for a Surprise Clothing Box of 3T girls items in Hipster style for the fall season, and I received it on July 13th, just three business days later. The box arrived in good condition, and I opened it to find a set of carefully rolled up Hipster clothes all of which were stain and hole free, and fresh smelling.

When I pulled them out, I found seven pieces, several of which work well together. With the box’s $29 value, each piece was just over $4, which is a better deal than my local thrift store. The number of clothes in each box does differ based on size and season, but the value will be fantastic whatever you end up receiving. For $29, Katie shopped for me and styled my child. That is a huge benefit to this particular service. And, did I mention that the price per box includes shipping?! Such a great deal!

If you’re interested in shopping second-hand for your kids and you’re looking for an easier way than rifling through the clothes at your local thrift store, consider snagging yourself a box. It’s so worth it!