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New To You: Local kids' Consignment Shops Share Their Shopping Wisdom

Photo: Joshua Huston

It’s easy to get swept up in the buying frenzy that comes along with your little bundle of joy. Often, the stuff you think you won’t be able to live without never sees the light of day. Local kids’ consignment shops can be a treasure trove of baby gear for a fraction of the retail cost. We’ve asked a few of our favorite shops to weigh in on what you should buy used, and when buying new makes sense. Before you shell out those hard-earned baby bucks, check this out:



4820 Rainier Ave S, Seattle


Online: facebook.com/ChrysanthemeShop


Christina Morehouse-Hidalgo is a vintage junkie. There are items in her Columbia City shop that she categorizes as “store decoration” because she can’t bear to part with them. She had a sit-down with a friend’s 5-year-old before selling her a dress from the 1940s. The girl had to promise not to have any Sharpie accidents while wearing the little piece of history. Fortunately, Chrysanthemum is full of vintage gems and high-quality modern clothes that Christina is willing to sell. She has “always been drawn to having kids look less cookie-cutter” and her store racks reflect this.

Photo: Joshua Huston

Chrysanthemum is proof that life has a way of working out. Christina grew up going to thrift stores with her mom. She outfitted her own kids in pre-owned clothes that drew compliments. When an injury forced Christina to take time off from nursing, she had time to think. Could she build a career around her love of children’s clothes? People seemed to like her style. She was already outfitting many of the neighborhood kids. Christina opened a pop-up vintage kids’ clothing store. This venture proved successful, so when the owner of the Columbia City consignment shop decided to retire, Christina took the plunge. She signed a five-year lease, giving her dream time to grow.

A year and a half in, Christina is happy to provide affordable, interesting clothes to kids in her neighborhood. She has helped several moms turn their hobbies into businesses; Chrysanthemum sells their handmade shoes and shirts. New or old, Chrysanthemum’s clothing is stylish and unique.


Top 5 baby items to buy used:

  1. Clothes!

  2. Coats/outerwear

  3. Diapers

  4. Baby carrier

  5. Baby books/toys

What one item should ALWAYS be purchased new?

  • Car seat

What one item should every baby magically come with already?

  • A good latch and a postpartum doula to feed and care for mom



Wish Upon Children’s Consignment

2425 33rd Ave. W, Seattle


Online: wishuponconsign.com and facebook.com/WishUponConsign


Jamie Williams and Erin Karp opened Wish Upon Children’s Consignment two years ago, giving Magnolia families a cost-effective, environmentally friendly option for kids’ clothing. Kids can hang out in the store’s playroom while parents shop for gently used clothes and toys.


Top 5 baby items to buy used:

  1. Pack-n-play

  2. Clothes

  3. Toys

  4. Books (for parents and kids)

  5. Small essentials

What one item should ALWAYS be purchased new?

  • Car seat

What one item should every baby magically come with already?

  • An owners manual



Kids on 45th

1720 N 45th St., Seattle


Online: kidson45th.com


Susan Arefi has owned Kids on 45th for more than 25 years. How does she find the energy to keep her store stocked with a mix of new and used toys and clothes? “I do it because it’s a service to the community. Without consignment, you have to shop at expensive stores or Target.”


Top 5 baby items to buy used:

     1. Strollers

     2. Modern front packs and carriers

     3. Toys

     4. Better quality clothing items

     5. Shoes and boots


What one item should always be purchased new?

Items that can’t be sterilized, like breast-pump tubing, for example. When buying used equipment, parents need to be savvy about recalls and the latest federal safety standards (or buy from a store like Kids on 45th).


 What one item should every baby magically come with already?

A tag that says, "Hey parents, save your money! I can’t tell if it’s new!"



Majesty Children’s Consignment

16508 Redmond Way, Suite C, Redmond


Online: majestyshop.com


If Erin O’Connell doesn’t have what a customer wants, she’ll search until she finds it: “There’s no reason to buy new!” Majesty stocks everything from breast pumps to strollers, providing gear for the gestational period through size 12. The store will start selling online soon, keeping more quality items out of the landfill.


Top 5 baby items to buy used:

  1. High chairs

  2. Dress-up clothes

  3. Dollhouses

  4. Nursery furniture

  5. Infant swings

What one item should ALWAYS be purchased new?

  • Diapers

What one item should every baby magically come with already?

  • Good health; everything else you can find in good, used condition




2709 E Madison, Seattle


Online: sugarlumpshop.com


Paula Moreschi believes in neighborhood stores that instill a sense of community. She and her husband own Casita International on 15th Avenue on Capitol Hill, which sells local art, fair-trade clothing and gifts. The duo opened Sugarlump in 2012, giving neighbors a way to recycle kids’ clothing and reduce waste while dressing their kids well.


Top 5 items to buy used:

  1. Baby carriers and wraps

  2. Extra outfits kids keep at school

  3. Items kids wear once, such as special-occasion dresses and suits

  4. Hanna Andersson pajamas

  5. Snow gear

What one item should ALWAYS be purchased new?

  • Underwear

What one item should every baby magically come with already?

  • Little mittens for their hands, so they can’t scratch themselves. A lot of people come to the store asking for them because they are easy to overlook, but essential for a newborn.





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