Monday, February 16, 2015
The Secret to Finding $12,000 For College
As every parent knows, little ones are expensive! Clothing is a big part of that equation—kids grow out of everything before you know it. In fact, the US Department of Agriculture reports that American parents spend an average of $946 per child per year on clothing. Yikes!
What if you could save some of that cash and have more to spend on education, music lessons, or family outings and trips---without sacrificing style, quality, or the brand names you love? And what if you could teach your children lessons about value and smart choices at the same time? Sounds like a no brainer, right?
Families have found a great way to do just that with high quality resale. Clothing resale is a trend that’s catching on—and for all the right reasons. Well-made items from quality manufacturers such as Gap, Gymboree, Hanna Andersson, and Tea Collection, to name just a few, can easily hold up through more than one little owner—giving moms and dads an opportunity to buy them gently-used at great prices and providing a cash-back “exit option” for parents with outgrown clothes to sell.
“Pre-loved” clothing can sell for up to 75% less than the same item would cost new, and the gamut of resale shops and online sites runs all the way from thrift stores and do-it-yourself online sites to highly curated shops and web/mobile boutiques that curate for quality and offer 100% satisfaction guarantees.
Assuming that just a portion of clothing purchases are made via resale rather than new, a family could easily save one-third of its clothing spend—or $315 per child annually. Invest that money in your child’s 529 education savings account, and you would have nearly $12,000 in additional cash to spend on college expenses by the time your child turns 18. Alternatively, a family with three children would have nearly $1000 each year to spend on a family vacation—time to relax and make memories together.
#ResaleRockstar Ellen D. of New Lenox, IL has made resale a regular part of her family’s life and is teaching her kids some important lessons in the bargain. She writes:
“As a rule, I mostly try to give away what was given to us and sell what we purchased. As a family of six (plus two four legged kids) on one income, I would rather spend our family's money on trips to the zoo and fun outings like the Harlem Globetrotters (which was a blast) than brand new clothing. I think our kids have learned a little about monetary value when we explain to them why we make choices about how we spend our money. “
Rock on, Ellen! You shouldn’t have to sacrifice style or quality to give your family a financial edge. . .and you don’t! Next time your little one’s clothes start looking like the Grinch’s heart—“two sizes too small”—commit to buying resale first. We guarantee you’ll be glad you did!
Monday, February 16, 2015
Turn Kid's Clothes Into Cash with These Top Tips
As the moms who founded Moxie Jean (the site voted #1 by moms for kid's resale) we have a LOT of experience with kids clothes and how to make them look their best and prepare them for sale. Follow these tips to take care of your baby and kids' clothing and help you get the greatest number of items accepted by our "Upscale Resale" team at Moxie Jean.
General Clothing Care:
- Don't use hot water unless you need to. Unless you've got serious contamination on your hands (read: bodily fluids or the like), it's probably not necessary and will just cause your clothes to show "excessive wash wear" -- which means Moxie Jean won't be able to accept them.
- Go easy on the detergent. Even without high-efficiency washers, you don't need a lot of detergent. Using too much will clog up the fabric and, ironically, the residue left on your clothes will attract and hold dirt.
- Don't use the dryer unless you have to. And when you do, use the Low or Delicate setting. Heat will cause fading, but also shrinking. And when you do put things in the dryer (on a low setting), don't overstuff it. It causes more wear and tear on your dryer but also more friction and rubbing/wear on your clothes.
- Store polo-style collars turned up to avoid a permanent crease that fades quickly. On an otherwise nice polo, a faded crease in the collar ruins a sharp look.
- Treat stains right away. Use ice water or seltzer on food stains before they set. Before washing, dab a stain fighter on and let it sit for 10 minutes before washing.
- Turn clothing with frills, sequins, flowers or other embellishments inside out before washing it. It will reduce wear and fading on the fabric that shows and reduce the chances that things will get snagged as they turn.
- Get to know the steam setting on your iron. Those cute little flowers curling up? Bows on the shoulders a little droopy? Use the steam setting on your iron to perk them up. Hold the iron maybe an inch from the clothing as the steam comes out and then smooth out the petals or bows or other embellishments. Don't actually iron them--you're apt to melt, fade or otherwise damage the materials.
- Invest in an electric lint shaver. You can revive almost anything fleece that has accumulated pilling with a lint shaver, and knit sweaters, too. It's absolutely worth the $5 investment--probably our most useful tool.
- Get those grease stains out. Probably our most frustrating challenge is when otherwise adorable kids' clothes have dark spots on them, like a bit of oil or grease. Use a little dab of grease-fighting dish soap, gently work it into the fabric and let it sit for maybe half an hour, then rinse the soap out by hand and wash as normal. It works!
- Keep a bib on the baby, even between meals. Spit-up doesn't necessarily happen only during or right after feedings. Lots of babies spit up between meals. So don't be caught off guard. It's easier--and cheaper--to keep changing to a dry, clean bib than to go through half a dozen outfits every day.
Fancy Dresses and Formal Wear:
- A little nail polish will save runs. The ends of ribbons and the middle threads of buttons can fray easily when kids run around in their beautiful outfits. Use a little clear nail polish to seal them before they start to unravel.
- Dry clean quickly. If your child wears a formal dress to a wedding or other special event, have it dry-cleaned right after the event. Kids' might not get sweaty, but they definitely get grubby: little drops of apple juice may not be obvious right away, but after the dress sits in a closet for 6 months, those stains will darken.
Moxie Jean doesn't ask you to iron, match, hang or otherwise prepare all your clothing for actual sale--we take care of all that. But sellers who follow these guidelines tend to have an exceptionally high acceptance rate, and so earn $40 or more when they send in a bag - $70 or more if it includes better brands.
If you have high quality, like-new baby and kids' clothing you would like to sell, please review our clothing purchase policies (and pricing charts) to see what we accept and then order a FREE Moxie Jean Mailer Bag today. Or, check out the kinds of clothes currently for sale in our store. It will give you a good idea of the quality and style that "Upscale Resale" means at Moxie Jean.
Friday, November 21, 2014
A Seller Shares Her Experience with Moxie Jean
Looking for the good, the bad and the "worst" thing about selling to Moxie Jean? Laurel M. shares her complete and honest experience.
