Kids Outdoor Gear: Save Money Today on Used Gear
When you invest in good quality kids' outdoor gear, you expect it to last. Buying equipment that is suitably broken-in can be a great alternative to buying new. Hiking equipment and backpacks are often used once or twice and then put up for sale. It's great if you have a younger child you can hand it down to, but oftentimes you're left holding a great kid's jacket, pack, or sleeping bag when your kid grows out of it.
Tuff Kids Outdoors is all about re-use and recycle! Ok, so it doesn't make the best business sense from a retail perspective. However, we understand that good quality kids' outdoor gear can be expensive and a burden to keep purchasing year in and year out as your child grows.
If you can find a local gear swap as an outlet for your used kid's gear, that's fantastic. Sometimes though, you need a little wider audience, or the timing isn't right. With online gear swap sites, now you can easily sell your kid's outdoor gear to anyone and use the proceeds to reinvest in new larger sizes to keep your kids warm and comfortable outdoors. There are several options out there. Nobody likes to read the fine print, so we have put together a guide to help you find the right solution for you. If you live in an urban area, you may want to look for a local buyer to increase your sales margin. If you can easily buy or sell items in a rural area and send them through the mail.
Tips for Buying and Selling Kids Outdoor Gear Online
Online Shipping Options
If selling and plan to mail out an item, if it is a small heavy item, or it is across the country, consider using USPS flat rate boxes. If it's lightweight or the address is nearby, use other packaging options.
USPS Priority mail comes with tracking numbers so you can determine when/where the package is at all times. Also, USPS Priority shipping labels can be paid for and printed at home through one of these companies. The benefit is that you'll save on shipping versus paying in the post office.
Have an interested International buyer? If the product is under 4 pounds, you can affordably ship USPS International First Class. Above that, it goes Priority and get's expensive fast. *Commercial senders will need to look up the Harmonized Tariff Number for the product.
Online Used Kids Outdoor Gear Sites
If you would like to buy or sell used kids outdoor gear but don't have the time to check out different sites, Tuff Kids Outdoors recommends the Alaska Outdoors Supersite swap and sells forum. It's simple, easy, and free. The site is based in Alaska, though site members are from all across the US.
Alaska Outdoor Supersite Gear Forums: For those in Alaska, this site offers many outdoor forums that list kids' outdoor gear for sale. Sadly, the youth gear forum is not heavily used.
- Gear Auctions and Estate Sales
- Outdoors Swap n Sell Forum
- Alaska Outdoor Gear
- Alaska Outdoor Clothing
If you're not from Alaska or the West Coast area, you may want to consider one of the following swaps and sell websites for kids' outdoor gear. Some of these sites are more tailored to kids' clothing vs. kids' outdoor gear.
- GearTrade has a large selection of outdoor gear, including some youth sizes. It's worth a look, though, if you are looking for outdoor winter sports gear in particular. GearTrade is located in Utah. Sellers set the price for the gear. There are no fees to list gear, but sellers pay for the cost of shipping and commissions (which are subject to change at any time).
- GearX also deals in kids' camping gear. Consignees will receive 75% of the item's selling price in-store credit or 65% in cash or check. The Outdoor Gear Exchange will not contact consignors when their item sells. The Outdoor Gear Exchange reserves the right to discount items up to 10% at any point.
- Swap offers an opportunity to buy and sell a wide variety of kids' clothing and some decor, sporting, and outdoor gear. With prepaid labels, sellers send their items to Swap.com’s warehouse, categorizing, photographs, and stores the items. The site then posts the items online at a price set by the seller. When a buyer makes a purchase, Swap.com ships the item to the buyer; unfortunately, the fee structure for this full-service process can get expensive and complicated.
- ThredUp offers mostly kids' and women's clothing. Similar to Swap.com, sellers ship their like-new, name brand items to thredUP using prepaid shipping labels, and choose 1 of 2 methods to sell their items, “upfront sales” method where they sell their goods outright to thredUP for 10- 40% of what ThredUP estimates is a fair resale price, or on “consignment.” Buyers pay reasonable shipping fees; free shipping for orders over $50.
- Baby Outfitter is a simple operation offering new or gently used baby and children’s clothes. It offers a money-back guarantee, and shipping is sometimes free. Hope this helps to save money on kids outdoor gear. Best of luck on finding those deals.