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thredUP has been around for a few years now and in their recent re-release, they've changed the way they are doing business. The idea has always been good: take your outgrown baby clothes and send them in; get another set of baby clothes that fit your baby.

The old process involved "boxes" of clothes which were time-consuming to list; the new process is much easier for both the shopper and the parents sending in clothes.

Let's take a look at how things have changed.

 

thredUP and the Mission

 

thredUP is a San Francisco-based company that strives to make baby clothes affordable for parents. The company understands that kids grow out of clothes quickly and often times, outfits get very little use. thredUP is an online-only baby consignment store that strives to make baby clothes shopping simple, affordable, sustainable and convenient.

The thredUP inventory boasts thousands of like-new baby and kids clothes (at the time of this review, the total number of items on the website was just shy of 50,000, ranging in size from newborn to a children's 12), which have each been individually inspected for pills, rips, stains and excessive wear. In addition, all clothes are priced at up to 75% off regular retail.

The company was co-founded by three men, which came as a surprise to me. Ventures such as these are often the brainchild of business-savvy stay-at-home moms. However, the CEO, James Reinhart, would soon be a new dad, so that may have had something to do with the inception of the company.

 

Shopping with thredUP

:: The Original thredUP Shopping Experience ::

When thredUP first opened their doors, the idea was that a parent would fill a box (provided by thredUP and the USPS) with baby or kid clothes and describe the box on the thredUP website. Parents could browse the boxes and purchase one for a set price.

Getting a box of baby clothes for around $15 was pretty awesome, but there was an inherent trust factor that went along with the process. You were trusting the assessment of the selling parent in order to accurately describe the box of clothes. And let's face it, what might be perfect to one parent is not perfect to the next.

When one of your boxes was sold to another parent, you would get credit in your thredUP account that could be used to purchase other boxes.

:: The New and Improved thredUP Shopping Experience ::

Recently, thredUP changed the way they did online baby clothes shopping. They went to a much more traditional consignment model. Now, you simply go to the thredUP website and shop like it's a regular online store.

You can filter by boy or girl, by size, season, brand ... pretty much anything you want. The site is now very visual, so you will see photos first and under each photo is the brand, size, and price. Click on the photo and you'll be able to zoom in to see any fine details about the product.

Add items to your bag and checkout via PayPal, store credit, or using any major credit card.

Need inspiration? Check out the "Stylist-Inspired Looks" which are cultivated by a team of off-site stylists who also happen to be moms. You can check out their bios at the thredUP website.

What's really great about the new shopping model at thredUP is that inventory changes all the time. Because they receive hundreds of bags each day, you can visit the website frequently and find all new stuff to browse.

Brands frequently found across the site include GAP, Gymboree, Mini Boden, Ralph Lauren, Old Navy, OshKosh, Carter's, and other favorites.

 

Consigning with thredUP

 

Consigning with thredUP is actually much easier than consigning baby clothes with a bricks-and-mortar shop. And here's why: you don't have to make or wait for an appointment. The only down side is that thredUP will not return any clothes that they do not accept, whereas, if you had clothes rejected from a traditional store, you could make an appointment with another store to see if they were taking any of the items.

Here's how you consign with thredUP:

1. Head to the thredUP website and order a big polka-dot bag.
2. Clean out the baby closet.
3. Fill the bag with the items that meet the thredUP specifications.
4. Drop the bag at your local UPS store or call them to schedule a pickup at your home.

Once thredUP receives your bag, they will inspect your items and process your bag. You can either take a cash payout via PayPal, or you can take credit to spend on items at the thredUP website.

There are specific things they ask that you do not send, including socks, pajamas, and discount brands like Faded Glory and Garanimals, as well as niche and handmade items. Given that these items can be difficult to resell, the site just avoids them altogether. And, frankly, the brands that they don't take are so inexpensive brand-new that it would be silly for them to try and consign them anyway.

 

What I Really LOVE About Shopping thredUP

 

I recently made a purchase from the new thredUP website and I was very impressed for several reasons. So much so that I gave them a huge shout-out on Facebook and let all my friend know how totally fabulous they were.

 

1. My order shipped in less than 24 hours and arrived in three business days. Seriously, it was that fast. The email confirmation I received said it could be up to five business days, but still, that's pretty quick.
2. thredUP employees inspect the clothing a second time before it leaves the warehouse. In my case, one of the items I had chosen was found to have a small flaw that was missed during the initial inspection. thredUP promptly issued me a refund for the item, and when it arrived, there was a sticker pointing out the flaw (which, for the record, I never would have noticed). So, not only was I given a full refund for the item, I was still sent the item!
3. The prices are extremely fair. I purchased four shirts, two pairs of pants, and a jacket and it was just about $40.
4. Free UPS ground shipping is available when you spend $40 or more. In many cases, you have to spend at least $50 to score free shipping from a website. That's not the case with thredUP.
5. Shopping thredUP is sustainable and eco-friendly. Since the clothes are simply outgrown, these might otherwise perfectly good clothes might just be tossed. Thanks to thredUP, they're getting a whole second life (and maybe even third if you decide to send them back in).

Overall, the new thredUP shopping model is fantastic. Inventory is great, prices are wonderful, and as far as I can tell, they will have continued success, which is great news for us those of us that like to shop consignment, but don't always enjoy digging through the endless racks of tiny clothes.