There’re certain items that I just can’t seem to find in resale shops like PJs in full sets. I can find PJ tops and PJ bottoms, but not in matching sets. Apparently, there is a gremlin hiding in the back room of all resale shops that has an insatiable appetite for only half of a pair of PJs.
For these items, I have had far greater success at local garage sales. Typically, these items have only been used by one or two kids, so they are in better condition than the resale items to begin with. Also, the mom that bought them knows that they are a pair and has carefully arranged them that way to encourage a quick and easy sale.
Just like resale shops you never know what you will find at a garage sale so have a rough idea of what you hope to find, but don’t be surprised when you don’t find that thing at all but have managed to score something even more amazing that you DIDN’T know you were looking for.
That being said, there’s also things I avoid buying at resale shops and garage sales. I can’t bring myself to purchase underwear and bathing suits (once my kids are out of diapers) for obvious reasons.
I actually avoid all shoes (except gently used dress shoes) once my kids are ambulatory. Shoes will wear on the bottom into the gait pattern of the person that wore them and that wear pattern can actually mess with your natural pattern of walking. Dress shoes have typically only been worn once or twice so no wear pattern has developed and my kids will probably only wear these shoes for about two minutes for a picture so I’m not too worried about it.
Sometimes you can find shoes that have never been worn which are A-Okay to purchase. The telltale signs are the original sale tags or stickers still being on the items. Another way to tell is that when you flip them over, the tread of the shoe will appear brand new with no flat ‘wear spots’.
With these thoughts in mind and garage sale season looming on the horizon, happy shopping!
Cheers!
Love, Marie
The thrifty-momcom 
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