Why We're Done Accepting Big-Box Bodysuits

If you asked me what the biggest mistake was when I added children's consignment to Nest & Sprout, I wouldn't have to think about it. It wasn't pricing. It wasn't the intake system. It wasn't the learning curve of running a shop and a consignment operation under one roof.

It was bodysuits.

All of those other things are crazy big learning curves but if I could go back in time, I'd tell Bailey to not accept bodysuits, jeans, leggings under 12 months without extreme speculation and review. Y'all just have way too much. 

Specifically, the Carter's, Costco, George, and other big-box bodysuits that every single family seems to have in a drawer, a bin, and a garbage bag in the garage. I said yes to them for years. Today I'm saying no, and I want to tell you why, because I think a lot of you will laugh, and a few of you might quietly go check your closets.

Why we said yes in the first place

Honestly? I was naive. I figured bodysuits were the backbone of every baby wardrobe, so of course they'd sell. Babies go through a few a day. Parents need them constantly. What could go wrong?

And also because I'm too kind hearted and I think telling you no will ruin our relationship forever and mean you wont ever shop or sell to me. I know, irrational but I'm a people pleasing autistic with crazy.

Here's what I didn't account for: you all have so many of them.

Between baby showers, multipacks, and well-meaning relatives, most families end up with far more than they'll ever use. And the big-box ones often don't hold up well. The necks stretch, the snaps loosen, the fabric pills after a few washes. ... and hte problem was I was still taking them, and not returning them. 

So the same thing that makes them easy to pass along is exactly what makes them hard to sell. Nobody is short on bodysuits, and nobody is excited to buy a tired one.

Let's talk numbers

I love a good spreadsheet, so here's the reality in black and white.

Read that again. We sell roughly 200 a month, but we're always holding at least 1,000. That's about five months of bodysuits sitting in bins, taking up space that could hold snowsuits, boots, and the things you actually come in looking for.

And those prices aren't a typo. Bodysuits under 12 months sell for a dollar because that's simple supply and demand. When the supply is endless, the price hits the floor. Even a like-new or new-with-tags bodysuit is lucky to sell for $1.95.

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What we tried before giving up

I didn't get here overnight. We tried a few things first.

We cut the payout. Earlier this year, I stopped paying the usual consignment rate on bodysuits and dropped it to 10 cents each. I figured that would slow things down. It did not. Not even a little.

We capped them. We limited how many bodysuits could come in per visit. The bins still filled up. And honestly, that one's on me. I didn't stick to it, and I didn't turn people away when I should have. I needed to say no, and say it a lot louder.

We tried giving them away. Free bodysuits, no strings attached. And even then, you only wanted the long sleeve ones. Which, of course, are the ones we have the fewest of. And they are almost always the last thing left in our free bins.

We ran a sale. Yes, I tried 20 for $10. Too few people showed up to justify the work of promoting it. Promotions are tricky in Prince George: so many of our regulars come in from out of town to shop, so a one-day or weekend deal can miss them completely. So I stopped chasing promos and lowered the price for everyone, every day.

And then there was The Donation. I once accepted a donation that turned out to be 100 girls' bodysuits, all size 3–6 months. One hundred. In one size. I still think about it.

I'll be real with you: some days, when I'm exhausted and the bins are overflowing, I've been very close to loading them all up for textile recycling and calling it a day. That's not where I want our shop to be.

So here's the new rule

Effective now, Nest & Sprout is no longer accepting big-box bodysuits for consignment. That includes Carter's, Costco (Kirkland), George, and similar brands. Unless they are NEW WITH TAGS, or like new condition - even then, I can only resale them for about $1-$1.95 each.

This isn't about judging anyone's baby clothes. Those bodysuits did their job. They kept your little one warm and covered through a hundred diaper changes. They just don't have a second life on our shelves, and holding onto them means less room for the gear that does: snowsuits, rain gear, boots, and quality pieces that families in Prince George are actively looking for.

It's also making me a little crazy because they pile up, take up space and begin to make me question my own sanity - and if any of htis is a good idea. 

We'd rather say no at the counter than take something we know we can't sell.

So what do you do with your bodysuits?

You've got options, and none of them involve my back room.

• Pass them to a friend who's expecting. A bag of basics is still handy for someone with a newborn on the way, especially in the sizes babies blow through fastest.
• Donate them locally. Shelters, family resource centres, and community closets often welcome newborn basics. Call ahead to check what they need right now.
• Turn them into something useful. Worn-out cotton bodysuits make great cleaning rags, burp cloths for the next baby, or squares for a memory quilt.
• Recycle the ones that are truly done. Stretched, stained, or pilled pieces can go to textile recycling instead of the garbage.

What we'd love to see instead: outerwear, snowsuits, rain gear, footwear, and quality brands in great condition. Check our Quality Standards and Condition Guidelines pages before your next drop-off so you know exactly what we're looking for. (I'll update this soon)

One last thing

I love you. I love that you choose to shop secondhand and keep good clothes in circulation. I love our consignors more than I can say.

I do not love your bodysuits.

Please don't bring me bodysuits.