thredUP Kids Clothing Exchange

Currently, in my guest room closet, I have two huge Tupperware containers full of Jane's clothes that she no longer fits in. I plan on keeping them, until the next babe comes along and we find out if it's a he or she. If it's a he... most of the clothes will go (I'm gonna keep the "special" outfits for memories, you know). So, what to do, what to do, what to do... with all that clothes?

Here's a fabulous new shop? service? idea? Hmmm... not really sure what to call it.

thredUP is a convenient, affordable and, most importantly, fun way to exchange kids clothes online. Launching in February, thredUP aims to make selling and swapping kids clothes easier, green and more budget friendly than ever!

Here's how it works:
(1) thredUP members browse and choose boxes of clothes they’d like to receive. For example, if you want a box of tops for your 3 yr old, or some snow clothes for your newborn babe. All transactions are pre-paid and no trips to the post office are required.
2) Members build and upload virtual boxes of clothes (10 + items/box) that are available for selection. No pictures, no detailed descriptions, just a simple overview of a box of gently worn items (e.g. “Size 3T, Boys, Pants & Jeans, Gap, Target & Old Navy). Posting is fast & convenient.
(3) Then thredUP enables and manages exchanges. thredUP facilitates exact matches, ensures quality, and remedies the lack of coordination that plagues offline clothing swaps. thredUP is strickly peer-to-peer so they never take possession of the clothing.

**Note: thredUP also allows parents to just sell or buy on the site so you don't have to swap. The service will also allow you to bring friends who you already swap with locally online to swap for free!

Once launched, thredUP will be available to US customers only (sorry Canadian girls, you got the Burt's Bees, these guys get the thredUP).

Here's the cool part - if you go here and sign-up as a founding member, you'll have a shot at swapping your first box of clothes for free ($20 value).

Definitely think this is worth a look - with the economy the way it is, this is a great way to save money, avoid waste and still enjoy shopping. I imagine when your box arrives it's like Christmas morning with a box full of surprises! :)