We have around 10 more weeks before this baby joins us #IRL. To say we are excited is an understatement. We got one of those 3D ultrasounds and it is surreal to have an image of this little one. With the impending due date comes all of the preparations as well. As with anything, I am trying to do my best to make this process as sustainable as possible. Since this is my first child, I’m still navigating what’s really necessary from the mesh of baby must-haves and lists available on the web.

This past weekend, my sister forwarded this event to me called the Just Between Friends Sale. It was happening close to her so I decided to attend. I had never heard of such a thing before. Just Between Friends is an event where local families can consign to sell their pre-loved children’s clothing and gear. Clothing ranges from infant to big kids to maternity wear. Kids gear ranged from baby cribs, strollers, toys (lots of toys), sports equipment and so much more. I wasn’t sure what to expect so I went with an open mind to see what I could find.

It is open to the general public and they usually have various ticketing options depending on your level of interest. The sale event normally goes over the weekend starting Friday. If you want to be an early bird, you can opt to pay an admission fee to get in and check it out early. This is a good option if you know it’s a busy event and want first dibs. I believe early admission was $10. I was able to get a ticket as a first-time mom and brought my parents along since they are first-time grandparents on the first day. The rest of the days, Saturday is open to the public and Sunday is 50% off day for the items that did not get sold yet.

This event was held in one of those indoor sports complex so it was fairly large but it wasn’t as busy as I thought so we had room to browse and carefully decide what we wanted and truly needed.

Since it’s a consignment model, it’s nice to know that this is an option going forward if/when we need to declutter kids stuff. The size of the event can vary depending on how many families participate, but I thought this was just the right size for me and not too overwhelming. So here’s a snapshot of what I was able to find at this event. I’m not sure yet if I will need all of these things so I may need to start a box based on sizing and figure out a system for storage and passing it along.

The Haul

Total spend was $140 for these items. I’ve been doing a lot of research already so I knew some of the baby brands and what they cost. Coupled with the condition of the item and that’s how I determined if it was worth buying. Here’s the breakdown:

• Baby Bjorn in box and Baby Bjorn bib - $15 and $3 (I figured my husband can use this since he is bigger than me. The item looked brand new in box.)

• Baby KTan - $15 (I really liked the feeling of this and it seemed to easy to put on. The size was just right for me as this is based on the size of the person, not the baby. Hopefully, we will be baby wearing more than using the stroller. This item looked brand new in box.)

• Two plush changing pad covers - $4 (We are opting out of a changing pad table so I purchased a changing pad off of Facebook Marketplace and these have elastic, have not stains and fit well. They were selling pads there so I tried them on at the event to verify they fit.)

• Bobby pillow cover - $4 (Someone passed down a gently used Boppy pillow and I figured having a second cover would help keep it cleaner over time. This was new in its original packaging.)

• Crib sheets - $3 (We are opting out of a crib for the time being, but will eventually get one so having an extra pair of sheets will be useful in the long run. This was new in its original packaging.)

• Blanket - $5 (Can’t go wrong with having an extra blanket to keep in the stroller. This was new in its original packaging.)

• Old Navy Maternity shorts - $3.50 (Since I’ll still be pregnant when the summer comes to NJ, I thought I would get a pair of shorts.)

• Motherhood Maternity nursing bra - $4.00 (I was going to wait to get a nursing bra, but this one was the right size and does not have a wire.)

• Nursing cover - $4 (I know this is just cloth, but I like that this one has a plastic piece that molds the top part creating that airflow and open area to peek in to see the baby while nursing.)

• Aden & Anais Swaddle blanket - $4 (Heard these were the thing to get for their versatility.)

This event had so many clothes and I purchased around $30 worth of onesies ranging in size from newborn to 1 year. I wont’ list them one by one, but they all looked great. No stains and very clean. There’s sometimes a question about “Is it better or purchase organic clothing or secondhand?” I think secondhand is always the way to go if you can get it. It’s not only better for the wallet, but given clothes take on so much chemicals during the manufacturing process, a piece of secondhand clothing at least has had a chance to release these chemicals out into the air. I used to not be a fan of secondhand clothing because when I was growing up, they were only for the poor (these were called ukay-ukay in the Philippines), but I have come to appreciate that especially when it comes to kids clothing, some of these items are barely used, maybe once or twice before the child grows out of them.

It was of course tempting to buy toys because they had lots of there, but I’m also trying to be minimalistic and realistic about not having too much clutter when the baby comes.

• Toy box set - $7

• Fisher Price toys in bag - $3 (I couldn’t help but get this because I remember my sisters and I all having the stackable donut toy when we were younger.)

• Wooden mobile set - $4.75

• Ergobaby Diaper Bag - $20 (I wasn’t sure if I really needed a diaper bag, but I like that this one has insulated side pockets and it came with a diaper pad so I won’t need to get a separate travel one. It looks sleek enough that it doesn’t look like a diaper bag.

• Nuby baby food molds - $6 (I actually will be using these right away as ice trays and freezer pop trays for me. It’s a good way to store leftover homemade almond milk for iced coffee and for small popsicles.)

Top Tips When Attending a Just Between Friends Sale Event

1. Go with a list and ballpark price estimates. At the very least, an idea of what you need for your baby or kids. It can get overwhelming to sort through everything. Since it’s consignment, people may still be weary of parting with their stuff so pricing can vary greatly between items so browse around and don’t be afraid to look at several of the same items to compare wear/tear and cost.

2. Bring a friend, partner or someone to help you sort through it all. Having someone to help you decide on a few items can ensure you don’t end up buying a lot of unnecessary items.

3. Stay hydrated and bring a snack. This is important for everyone, but especially for pregnant women and if you are bringing kids along (which is allowed, but only at certain times). Sometimes, you can spend hours there and not realize it.

4. Figure out which ticket admission is best for you. Sometimes, it really depends on what you are looking for. Premium items can sometimes go first so I do believe going early is better.

5. Scope out what’s available on social media. Before I went, I checked the Facebook page and any tags on social media to see what kind of items were there and it if was worth it for me to even visit. The event I went to actually did a quick Facebook Live and gave a tour of the place before doors opened so I was able to see what they had for sale.

6. Don’t be afraid to grab and hold on to items. If you don’t, someone else will purchase it before you do. They do have holding areas where you can drop off your items and you then have the opportunity to sort through them later on.

7. Check the labels. While they do ask sellers to fill out forms for some of the big stuff, it’s always a good idea to check the labels even further. They have checklists for strollers, infant car seats and cribs to ensure there has been no recalls, accidents, etc. and the consignee has to sign-off on these things which gives a bit of piece of mind, but do your due diligence as well.

Have you been to a Just Between Friends Sale event? What kind of items were you able to find for your little ones? Let me know! If you have any experience as a seller, would love to know that too.

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