Preloved Diapers: Selling Off Your Stash

Have Preloved Diapers You Want to Sell? We have some tips for you!

Cloth diapers are an investment, and one perk is that they have resale value! You took good care of the diapers and are ready to send them on to their new home. And now you are wondering, how on earth to start the process? Read on! This post covers the where, who and how behind selling your stash. 

A note – this is crazy detailed, definitely longer than I expected. But all the information is pertinent. Don’t get overwhelmed. I tried to include everything I get asked, and much may not apply to you.

First, Where To Sell?

-       Local Audience

o   Craig’s List

o   Local Facebook Cloth Diapering Group

-       Online Audience

o   eBay

o   Buy/Sell/Trade (B/S/T) Groups on Facebook - there are a TON, from brand-specific to price-specific and more

o   Cloth Diapering websites/chat boards – Babycenter, Diaperswappers, Hyena Cart’s Spots Corner

-       How to decide? Depending on what you are selling, one or more of the above sites likely will be the best option for you. How to know?

o   How ‘hard to find’ (‘HTF’) or abundant are the items you are selling? Selling diapers is an excellent example of basic supply and demand. Know your audience and market - the more abundant an item, the more you need to be . Have something really HTF? Consider auctioning the item to try to maximize your sale. 

-       Also, decide the legwork you want to put in -

o   Want it all gone in a quick and painless way (meaning, no trips to the post office, no Paypal payments to deal with, etc)? Use Craig’s List and deal only in person. Price it all as a lot, and price competitively.

o   Want to make the max dollar? Try several sites. Brand-specific B/S/T pages will give you the most focused audience. If you are selling a hard-to-find print or color, maybe retired a couple of years ago, people on these boards are looking for that item!! But you will have more legwork (negotiating price, arranging payment, shipping).

-       Selling Etiquette (more on this below under ‘Be a Good Seller’)

o   Be sure to read a site’s selling rules before posting your items. Some require prior selling feedback (e.g. Diaperswappers), while others will have specific requirements where and how you should post photos.

Getting Your Listing Up

-       Photograph and describe the items well. Including a lot of information builds buyer confidence and protects you in the case the buyer has issues with the diaper(s) upon receipt.

-       What to cover in your listing?

o   Describe each diaper by its full name (avoid abbreviations, many reading these listings are still learning terminology and all the brands and options out there) – e.g. BG4.0 Snaps-Zinnia written out bumGenius 4.0 One-Size Pocket with Snap Closure in Zinnia

o   Condition (this can be very subjective, which is why it is important to stipulate the following information, and include good photographs)

o   How were diapers washed and dried? Detergent, additives, line-dried, occasionally machine dried?

o   Any flaws or issues with the diapers? 

o   Used in a large rotation? Used only for a few months? Washed but never used? 

o   Will you take offers? Prices Firm? Discounts for buying in lots?

o   Inserts included with Pocket diapers?

o   If you are selling online, include what their purchase includes (Delivery Confirmation? Insurance? Signature confirmation?).

o   Will you ship outside your country? (See more on this under ‘Protect Yourself as a Seller’) 

How to Price

-       Price is dictated both by the condition and how hard to find an item is

-       For most readily-available items, here is a general rule of thumb - 

-       Excellent Used Condition (‘EUC’) 80% of the original retail

-       Very Good Used Condition (‘VGUC’) 70-85% 

-       Good Used Condition (‘GUC’) 50-70% 

-       Well Loved 25%+  

(these metrics are quite subjective - scroll around the forum you are considering to figure out what their 'EUC' item looks like - in general - EUC means almost like new, VGUC is the average 6mo stash, and GUC is anything beyond there. Well-loved refers to diapers that need a good dose of TLC to be useable)

Be A Good Seller

-       Be Honest – don’t hide anything in the listing

-       Communicate quickly and succinctly with your buyer. When relevant, include reply times in your listing (e.g. ‘I am only at the computer in the evenings, and will reply to any inquiries then.’)

-       Ship the items in the manner stated (first class, priority) and in a timely fashion – provide the DC# to the purchaser (more on DC# below)

Protect Yourself as a Seller

-       Be upfront in your listing – do not try to gloss over any flaws or issues with the diapers, this only creates issues for yourself further down the road

-       Tracking Information/Delivery Confirmation (this term changed recently – you’ll here it referred to several ways – most often you’ll see the abbreviation ‘DC#’): this is a number the post office assigns your package – you must request for first class packages, and will be a small fee; priority package pricing should include this, but be sure to ask at the counter as I’ve had a few people comment they didn’t get the # from the counter (it should also appear on your receipt). Why DC#? This will show where the package is en route, and also show when delivered.

-       So why consider insurance and signature confirmation? Insurance will protect you if the package goes missing en route. Signature confirmation is especially powerful – this proves the package got in the recipient’s hands. Did you know? A buyer can file a claim with Paypal that they never received the package, even if the DC# shows it was delivered, and Paypal almost always sides with the buyer! Meaning, you are out the money they originally sent you (yes, incredibly frustrating!). Hence, signature confirmation!

-       International Shipping: when shipping internationally, you only get a DC# if you upgrade the package to priority - first class shipping does not have the option to add DC#. And priority shipping is expensive! Unless you already have a trusted relationship with the person on the other end of the package, I don’t like international shipping. Too many variables in the postal systems, not to mention zero proof to show whether the package was ever received.

Closing Thoughts

-       In general, the more behind-the-scenes effort you put in to selling, the better the price you will get. For example - sunning out stains, creating nice, detailed listings with good photographs versus a quick somewhat-blurry photo on Craig’s List with a rushed description – you can guess which of those two listings is going to capture more attention

-       ‘Buy, Sell, Trade’ – I am a big proponent of the first two – buy and sell as you need. Trading, eh, I’m much less a fan. There are just so, so many variables. The only time I will endorse a trade is in-person: each person brings their item, they agree, they complete the deal. Two online horror stories experienced by friends:

o   Online, you establish the trade, no payment is exchanged, and each party agrees to mail. What happens when one party mails her/his half of the trade, but their other side does not? Typically Paypal, as the payment processor, acts an intermediary between buyer and seller. However here there isn’t any way to financially claim your possession back. You can still file feedback with the online site on which the trade was arranged, but that’s about it.

o   I’ve also heard stories of people arranging a trade during which the first person mails their item while the other person does not. Recipient waits to get the item, then claims it was not what was stated, and demands to cancel the trade, saying she will not pay to return as the item was ‘not as described’ (when in reality, buyer’s remorse is the only thing at play). The shipper then has to decide if she wants the item back, and now pays to ship again!

o   In either of these scenarios, the price of listing the item outright on a ‘sell’ page, then ‘buying’ the item from the original buyer, is much more conservative and, in my opinion, the more prudent way to go.

-       Should you Sell?

o   Good question, right? Be sure to figure out the price of shipping when deciding if you wish to sell, and also ask yourself if the item has a second life beyond the diapering days.

§   Prefolds and Flats are very dense, and cost a lot to ship. They make great cleaning rags and last for years and years. I always highly recommend keeping both of these items and instead incorporate into other areas of the home.

§  While light and inexpensive to ship, both Cloth Wipes and Wet Bags are items handy to have far past diapering. Cloth wipes make great rags for small hands, and Wet Bags are great for travel, the pool or the gym.

§  Microfiber inserts? Again, pretty expensive to ship. These are a greener option for your Swiffer disposable inserts – wash and reuse.

Quick 101: Diaper Laundry Troubleshooting

Over time I've had a chance to talk a lot of laundry! 

When troubleshooting stink issues, there are three key questions I always cover with people.* If one of these is lacking, ding-ding-winner-winner-chicken-dinner, we've (almost always**) found our culprit.

Yup, asterisks.
*These three questions presume you are using a good detergent, are already following our recommended wash routine, and are disposing of the poop properly.
**Just like everything in cloth diapering, it is subjective. These three metrics are the most common areas to consider. There can also be issues with allergies, food sensitivities, skin issues, etc.


Questions to ask Yourself - 

Q. Is your first cycle long enough?
Why are we asking this? The first cycle of your wash routine is what is giving your diaper their heavy-duty rinse. If this cycle is too short, or skipped completely, the hot wash+detergent isn't going to work. Want affirmation? Take a look inside your washing machine during the first wash cycle. You are going to see three shades of nasty in there. Now imagine if that was your only wash cycle, and there was detergent trying to get things clean in the midst of all that urine (and EBF poop, if you are still at that age).

A year ago or so, the trend of doing a warm wash cycle instead of cold wash started to take on - the theory being that urine leaves the body at a warm temperature, so a warm rinse will more effectively remove it. I haven't heard enough from customers to support this change, so we still recommend a cold wash to save on energy costs. If the warm wash is working for you, great! Like I mentioned earlier, washing diapers is quite subjective!


Q. Are you using enough detergent? 
Yes, there are so many conventional detergents out there that require you to use more than you actually need, which is why you will find the recommendation to use less than their box or bottle advises. However, it has gotten to the point where I'm seeing recommendations for a teaspoon, or half a tablespoon. Folks, you do need some detergent! And the harder the water, the more detergent you are going to need. Strip your diapers to give them a solid rinse, then experiment with using more detergent in your hot wash cycle.


Q. Are you doing an extra rinse at the end? 
And not just that rinse that your machine does at the end of your hot wash cycle, but an extra rinse after that? This is what is going to get out the last of the detergent. If you are using a detergent with brighteners of scents (in other words, additives that are designed to stick around after you've washed your clothing), you have to work especially hard to rinse out everything. If your baby has skin of steel, or you've found what I call the 'sweet spot' of detergent amount - just enough to get the diapers clean, but not so much as to requiring an extra rinse - then you might be able to skip this. But if you have a water-stingy HE machine, a baby with extra sensitive skin, hard water or a detergent that doesn't rinse cleanly, well, this extra rinse might be just the thing that solves your laundry frustrations.


Two closing thoughts -
1. All of the above assumes that your washing machine isn't water stingy. Most people with HE-washing machines need to spend a few minutes searching online. If you Google your machine's model + cloth diapers, you will likely find someone else has already done the work for you, finding just the trick to make that HE machine fill up with as much water as possible.

2. Want to geek out more on diaper washing? Check out this post from Bummis (known in the industry for their laundry expertise!)

Thanks folks!

Starting Out: What Do I Need?

The first question we get in the store from those beginning their research - just what do I need?

While it may seem there are a ton of diaper and accessory options out there, there are ways to get your horse blinders on, and funnel yourself towards just those items that will work best for you.

First, your shopping list. In other words, just what on earth do I need to make cloth diapering work for me?

There are six catagories you will consider when shopping: 

1. which diaper(s) will you use?
2. how will you store the dirty diapers until laundry time? aka storage
3. which detergent will you use? 
4. will you use cloth wipes? 
5. what will you use when baby gets a red bum? aka rash cream
6. how will you deal with poop?

Over the next blog posts we'll consider each of these six categories!

Anxious to begin your research now? Check out our 'help!' section. It takes you through your research, step-by-step. We know there are a lot of options out there, and we want to be sure you find just what will suit your family's needs best!!

One-Size Diapers: Rise-ing to the Challenge

One-Size diapers (often referred to as 'OS diapers') are a favorite of many families thanks to their versatility. For, just when it seems your infant is outgrowing every item of clothing, you can rest assured your diapers will still fit next week, and next year.

Most* one-size diapers use rise snaps to allow them to grow with your baby -

As your baby grows, simply unsnap the rise and move it to the next rise setting - by moving up a row of snaps you now have more fabric in the rise. This extra fabric then gives you more diaper to pull up against baby's stomach, and therefore more wing length to wrap around baby's sides.

Quick tip - If you ever find your one-size diapers suddenly are leaking at the thigh or front inner leg, chances are it is time to adjust the rise setting.

Now, don't be surprised if your little one seems to outgrow his/her rise setting overnight. Also, do not worry if your baby is wearing the diaper fully unsnapped at 9mos. While there are a select few babies who will outgrow one-size diapers, most babies will be just fine in their one-size diapers through potty time. In fact, don't be surprise if you end up snapping the diapers down a row at some point.

Just today I had to snap the rise back down one setting on my ~32lb three-year-old (she had a growth spurt last week - suddenly the tallest rise setting came up too high on her belly) -

*Don't love the look of the snap-down rise? Consider these alternatives - all adjust the rise using the elastic around the legs -

• Softbums: adjusts via a toggle attached to the leg elastic - this ingenious design feature is also what allows this diaper to truly get small enough to be functional on a newborn. 
• Fuzzibunz: the elastic is held in its desired position via a button hole in the elastic - what sets Fuzzibunz apart is that the elastic is not sewn in at either end - so no sewing or seam-ripping skills required to replace elastic that has lost its stretch - AND - Fuzzibunz will send you new leg elastics for free if you need them 
• Charlie Banana: the elastic is adjusted via a 'bra strap' slider on the leg elastic 

Whoopies Stash - 'Honey, I forgot the diapers.'

Ever get somewhere and realize you forgot to pack diapers? Did a one hour coffee date turn in to an afternoon out with friends? Little one decided to poop four times during errands, and you are now considering wrapping him in the paper napkins spilling out of your glove box?

Consider a Whoopsies Stash! In sum, a stash of diapers and accessories intended to be stored in the car.

In ours? 

• 1 Sweet Pea Wet Bag 
• 1 Sweet Pea One-Size Cover 
• 6 OsoCozy Infant Prefolds
• 6 Cloth Wipes

Why do I Love This Assortment?  

• The wet bag is the perfect size to hold all of the supplies until needed but not take up much trunk space
• The prefolds and cover both work as one-size diapers - simply trifold the prefold and fold it in to the cover (diapering a newborn? consider also adding a Snappi to your kit, so you can fold and secure the prefold around baby) 
• Disposable wipes dry out in the car over time - cloth wipes can be wet from my water bottle
• Economically-minded prefolds and one-size cover keep the overall price low 

Murphy's Law
If you use your whoopsies stash, be sure to get them back in the car asap, lest you decide to have a Whoopsies Whoopies stash. For, as theory goes, as soon as your emergencies supplies are forgotten, that is sure to be when you'll need them again.


Happy Travels!

Back to School: Because It's Pretty

I don't know about your Back to School memories, but the thing that got me even more excited than school supplies shopping was clothes shopping. Seriously, I remember coveting this pair of purple plaid Espirit shoes when I was, um, seven?! And my favorite pair of dark denim overalls from fifth grade. Oh they were so lovely. And of course my Girbaud jeans in seventh grade, paired with a burgundy body suit. (Don't you wish I had those photos uploaded, haha.)

So how could our Back to School celebration be complete without a little something that exists mostly because it is really lovely?? Two fab brands on sale this week - Chewbeads and Teething Bling! The beauty of these beauties, though, is that they are as functional as they are nice to look at. Each is made of silicone (you know, the stuff that coats infant spoons, and bottle and pacifier nipples are made from), and is designed to be worn by mom and teethed-on by baby. My personal favorite is the Chewbeads Hudson in Ivory (above) - looks good with everything in my closet (so good, in fact, that I wear it even when my baby is nowhere in sight).

Get 'em while they're hot, as the sale price is limited to the quantities I have on hand. 

ps. don't miss this important shipping announcement. 

Back to Basics: Introduction

The goal of Itsy Bitsy Bums has always been, and always will be - 

make cloth diapering easy and accessible for anyone and everyone who is interested. 

I'll admit, as I've focused on growing the brand offerings and deepening the product selection, I haven't been great about upholding the education side of things. One-on-one education still happens on a daily basis (hello to my email pen pals!). But I apologize, my fine shoppers, that the larger tools have fallen by the wayside. But I am excited to share that I have soooo many projects in mind that will add a large teaching piece back into the online site.

So here you go - a taste of what I have planned: 

• You Tube videos - online tutorials, comparing brands and items side by side, trial package and newborn diaper rental introductions, and more! please forgive the Minnesota/Kansas hybrid accent I've managed to cook up.
• Photos, photos, photos! - cannot stream that video while browsing (I mean, working) at work? These photos will capture the key points of the You Tube videos, giving you tons of visuals. 
• Related items - putting all the tools in one place. Yes, you will probably want pins or Snappis and a cover for that prefold.
• Blog posts - while I may rant and rave over here on Bitsy Buzz, this information will soon be linked within individual product pages, making it easier to find commentary and advice while shopping. 
• Introductory Headers - more didactic material to introduce types and brands. You can get a taste of this upgrade on the 'Doublers and Inserts' page. 

Other upgrades in the works: 

• Revised Trial Packages: so many great brands in the store, why not update the trial packages to match the variety and options available? 
• New Trial and Bulk Packages: Nighttime diapering trial packs to be released shortly. In addition, more sampler packs. 
• Larger Inventory Offerings: The store began with a 2-in-every-color-in-every-size inventory strategy* and will now be moving in to higher inventory numbers. Want five of that one color? Yes, we'll have it.  (*well, a gross simplification of inventory management, but you get the idea)
• So-special Orders: For some of the more specialty brands, it is cost- and space-prohibitive to carry so many of any one color. For these items, enter special orders! Several of my amazing wholesale partners ship über-quickly, and oftentimes directly to customers. This page will feature those brands, and perhaps even offer some special pricing from time to time....
• Glossary: Taking a cue from the 'Type of Diaper' and 'Accessory' pages, the glossary will (hopefully) elucidate those concepts and terms you encounter on your cloth diapering journey.
• Help! Gets More Helpful: More 'help!' featurettes, including 'Is It Too Late to Switch?' and 'Cloth Wipes Are Fabulous!'

Lastly, here are a couple of the upgrades already in place:

• Doubler Samplers: streamlining your research into easy-to-digest pieces. Find it here. 
• On Nighttime Diapering: get that perfect overnight combination for your baby! Find it here. 

Please stay tuned as these updates are made - some while be published with fanfare, while others will quietly appear when you aren't looking. As always, if you have any feedback and/or other ideas that might enhance these upgrades further, don't hesitate to let me know! 

XOXO,