In keeping with our “Dress your kids for virtually free” philosophy, we couldn’t let the Halloween season go by without sharing some of our costume buying and selling tips.
For your children to wear their costumes for virtually free, you need to keep these 7 basic principles in mind:
Buying
- Always try to buy on sale — the most sure way to recoup your costs when re-selling is to buy costumes at least 50% off, better yet 60-80% off (which is possible within 2 weeks of Halloween). Consider buying after Halloween at discounts of 75 -90% (this works well when buying ahead for little ones).
- Who said costumes are just for Halloween? Buy costumes and accessories for dress-up play at after halloween discount prices, then plan to re-sell during the Halloween season. It sure beats the prices of buying quality dress-up clothes, which rarely go on sale.
- If you can’t buy on sale — buy costumes in high demand and/or are pricey (e.g. $50 and up). Brands that consistently re-sell well include: Tom Arma, Gymboree, Disney Store (especially luxe costumes), and Pottery Barn Kids; upscale brands like Puppet Workshop and Forgotten Dreams Designs; and dress-up and fun clothing like Kaiya Eve and Belle Ame.
- If buying on-line,take advantage of free shipping, coupon codes, and rebate sites in order to reduce or contain your overall costs.
Selling
- Because Halloween has a deadline, people who don’t think about buying costumes until late September or early October will pay excessive amounts to get the exact costumes their kids are looking for. Most people who buy from catalogs do so in August and early September, so popular costumes are likely to sell out by mid-September. Be ready to sell at the right time and take advantage of the frenzy.
- Sell immediately next season. For the most part, you will get the best prices by selling the next season vs. waiting a few seasons. Halloween costume trends and styles change quickly. Kids old enough to choose are most likely to want what is popular.
- Ultimately, ensure you take good care of your costume and keep track of all the pieces. Complete costumes in pristine condition sell the best.
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