One-stop-shop for used children’s goods

As belts tighten ever more in a continuously precarious economy, it’s fairly certain more and more parents are turning to second-hand sources for children’s clothes and other items. While thrift stores tend to be hit-or-miss and online offerings are often buried within the likes of Craigslist, a new classifieds site for moms promises to aggregate such listings from across the web, making it quicker and easier for parents to find high-quality and low-cost kids’ goods. Now in beta, Hand-me-downs allows parents to buy, sell, give away or donate new and gently used children’s products in a family friendly atmosphere. Not to be confused with Handmedowns.org—a UK-based contender that facilitates just give-aways—the Beverly Hills-based site aims to create a one-stop destination for busy moms by pulling together and organizing the best listings from around the web as well as offering listings posted by its own members. The ad-supported site currently serves the Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C. markets with listings including clothing, toys, furniture, childcare, and health and safety products. Donations are handled through local partner charities. Members of the site can also create and post profiles and participate in discussion forums. Of course, besides benefiting consumers’ wallets during tight times, facilitating the recycling of second-hand goods also helps the environment by reducing the tons of products that would otherwise get sent to landfills. Expect to see this industry taking off! (Related: Baby clothes rental service — Retailers recycle customers’ used clothes.) Spotted by: Ozgur Alaz