How Much Can You Save Buying Secondhand for Your Baby's First Year?

A baby's first year involves a remarkable amount of clothing for someone so small.

Babies can move through several clothing sizes in their first 12 months, sometimes wearing a size for only a few weeks or months. Add in changes of clothes for spills, dribbles and nappy accidents, and it's easy to accumulate a surprisingly large wardrobe.

Buying everything new can add up quickly. Buying at least some of it secondhand can reduce that cost considerably — particularly for everyday clothing that may only be worn for a short period.

But how much can you realistically save?

Let's look at the numbers, where the biggest savings are likely to come from, and which baby items you may prefer to buy new.

Why Baby Clothes Can Become Expensive So Quickly

One of the unusual things about buying clothes for a baby is just how briefly some of them may fit.

During the first year, parents may find themselves buying across sizes such as:

• 0000 (newborn)
• 000 (0–3 months)
• 00 (3–6 months)
• 0 (6–12 months)
• 1 (12 months)

Of course, babies don't grow according to clothing labels. Some skip sizes almost entirely, while others stay in one size for much longer. Different brands can also fit very differently.

But the basic problem remains: you're repeatedly replacing clothes that may still be in excellent condition simply because your baby has grown out of them.

That's also one reason baby clothing can be particularly well suited to buying secondhand. Many garments enter the preloved market having had relatively little wear.

How Much Could a New Baby Wardrobe Cost?

There's no single figure for what parents spend on baby clothes. A wardrobe built from discount retailers will look very different from one containing premium or designer brands, and some families buy far more clothing than others.

For an illustrative example, imagine spending around $150–$300 building and supplementing a wardrobe each time your baby moves into a new size.

Across five sizes, that would amount to:

These aren't intended as estimates of what every Australian family spends. They're simply useful scenarios for understanding how repeated purchases across several short-lived sizes can accumulate.

And they don't include special outfits, sleeping bags, swimwear, seasonal clothing or replacing things that become stained or damaged.

What Happens If You Buy Secondhand Instead?

Secondhand prices vary just as much as new prices.

You might pick up inexpensive bundles from another parent, shop through online marketplaces, buy individual garments from a specialist secondhand retailer, or combine all three.

The important comparison isn't whether every secondhand garment costs a particular amount. It's how much of your baby's wardrobe you can obtain for less than the equivalent new clothing.

For example, suppose a family that might otherwise spend $200 building and supplementing a particular size instead spends $75 by buying a mixture of secondhand and new clothing.

That's a saving of $125 for that size.

If a similar pattern occurred across five sizes during the first year, the illustrative saving would be:

$125 × 5 = $625

If the difference were $200 per size, the saving across five sizes would be $1,000.

Families who buy premium brands new, find particularly inexpensive secondhand bundles or receive hand-me-downs could save considerably more. Families already buying inexpensive new clothing, or buying only a small number of garments, may save much less.

So How Much Can You Actually Save?

The most accurate answer is: it depends on what you would otherwise have bought.

Rather than thinking of secondhand shopping as guaranteeing a particular dollar saving, it can be more useful to think in percentages.

If an equivalent secondhand wardrobe costs 40% less than the new wardrobe you would otherwise have bought, every $1,000 of avoided new-clothing spending represents approximately $400 saved.

If you reduce the cost by 60%, that same $1,000 becomes approximately $600 saved.

Again, these are scenarios rather than claims about typical household spending. Their purpose is to show how the saving works.

The Biggest Savings Often Come From Everyday Clothes

It's tempting to think the biggest benefit of secondhand shopping is finding an expensive brand at a fraction of its original price.

Those bargains certainly exist, but the cumulative savings on ordinary clothes can be just as important.

Consider the number of everyday items a baby might use:

• Bodysuits and onesies
• Long sleeve and short sleeve tops
• Pants and leggings
• Jumpers and cardigans
• Pyjamas and sleepwear
• Jackets
• Hats
• Swimwear

Saving a few dollars on one item isn't dramatic. Saving a few dollars repeatedly across dozens of garments and several sizes is where the difference starts to become meaningful.

Secondhand Can Also Make Better Brands More Affordable

Buying preloved doesn't necessarily mean buying the cheapest clothing available.

For the same budget, secondhand shopping may allow you to choose brands, fabrics or garments that would have cost considerably more new.

That gives parents two different ways to use the secondhand market:

• Spend less overall while buying roughly the same amount of clothing, or
• Stretch the same budget further by buying more or choosing higher-priced brands and garments secondhand.

Both are legitimate forms of value, but only the first necessarily puts money back into your pocket.

Bundles Can Reduce the Cost Even Further

Baby clothes are frequently sold in size-based bundles because the individual garments may not be valuable enough to justify selling separately.

That can work particularly well for basics.

A parent clearing out an entire size may be more interested in moving the clothing on conveniently than maximising the return on every individual onesie or pair of leggings.

Bundles can therefore offer excellent value, especially if you need several everyday items at once.

The downside is that you may end up with a few things you don't particularly want. It's worth looking at the whole bundle rather than judging its value purely by the number of garments.

Don't Forget Postage

Postage can substantially change the economics of buying inexpensive secondhand clothing online.

A $4 top isn't necessarily a bargain if it requires its own postage charge.

Where possible, buying several garments from the same seller or retailer allows the delivery cost to be spread across multiple items.

This is one of the reasons we carry a large range of clothing across individual sizes at Daisy Chain Clothing. Rather than buying one inexpensive item from several different sellers and paying multiple postage charges, parents can combine multiple garments into one order.

It's worth making the same calculation wherever you shop: compare the total delivered price, not just the item price.

What Should You Look for When Buying Baby Clothes Secondhand?

Low price alone doesn't make something good value.

Before buying preloved baby clothing, look for:

• Stains or marks
• Holes or thinning fabric
• Heavy pilling
• Broken zippers or fasteners
• Loose or missing buttons
• Stretched or perished elastic
• Excessive fading or wash wear

A slightly more expensive garment in excellent condition can represent better value than something cheaper that only has a few wears left.

At Daisy Chain Clothing, we assess the condition of clothing before listing it so parents can shop preloved clothing without having to inspect items in person.

What Baby Items Are Particularly Good to Buy Secondhand?

Clothing that babies grow out of quickly is an obvious place to look for savings.

Good secondhand candidates can include:

• Bodysuits and onesies
• Tops
• Pants and leggings
• Jumpers and cardigans
• Jackets
• Dresses
• Shorts
• Sleepwear
• Swimwear
• Sleeping bags that remain in suitable condition

Special-occasion clothing can also be particularly good value secondhand because it may have been worn only once or twice by its previous owner.

What to Buy New

Secondhand can make excellent sense for ordinary clothing, but that doesn't mean every baby product should automatically be purchased used.

For products where safety depends on the item's history, condition, age, hygiene or compliance with current standards, buying new may provide greater certainty.

This is particularly important for products such as car restraints and sleep-related equipment, where you should follow current Australian safety guidance rather than treating them in the same way as ordinary clothing.

The practical approach doesn't have to be “everything secondhand” or “everything new.” Many families combine the two.

How to Get the Most From a Secondhand Baby-Clothing Budget

A few simple strategies can make a substantial difference:

• Don't overbuy newborn sizes. Some babies grow through them remarkably quickly.
• Buy ahead carefully. Bargains aren't bargains if the season is wrong by the time the garment fits.
• Look for bundles. They're often particularly economical for everyday basics.
• Combine postage. Several inexpensive items from one seller can be much better value than one item each from several sellers.
• Prioritise condition. The cheapest garment isn't necessarily the best value.
• Accept hand-me-downs selectively. Free clothing is hard to beat, but you don't need to keep everything you're offered.
• Resell or pass things on afterwards. A garment can continue providing value after your baby has outgrown it.

And When Your Baby Outgrows the Clothes?

One of the advantages of buying good-quality secondhand clothing is that some garments may still have useful life left when your own child outgrows them.

You can pass them on to another family, donate them or sell them again — extending their useful life even further.

If selling sounds appealing, we've compared marketplaces, children's markets, resale services and other options in our guide to the best places to sell secondhand baby and children's clothes in Australia.

And if you'd like to receive something for suitable outgrown clothing but don't want to photograph, list and sell every garment yourself, you can also read about the Daisy Chain Clothing Outgrown Kit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it worth buying baby clothes secondhand?

For many families, yes. Babies often grow through clothing sizes quickly, so good-quality secondhand garments can have plenty of useful life remaining. Whether it's worthwhile depends on the condition, price, postage cost and what you would otherwise have bought new.

How much can you save buying secondhand baby clothes?

There isn't one reliable figure for every family. Your saving depends on how much clothing you buy, the brands you choose, where you shop, how much you pay for delivery and what the equivalent new wardrobe would have cost.

For example, reducing a $1,000 new-clothing budget by 40% would save $400, while reducing it by 60% would save $600.

Are secondhand baby clothes safe?

Ordinary secondhand clothing can be a practical option when it's clean and in suitable condition. Inspect garments for damage, broken fasteners, loose components and excessive wear, and wash them appropriately before use.

Products with specific safety requirements should be considered separately rather than treated like ordinary clothing.

Where can I buy secondhand baby clothes?

Options include online marketplaces, local parenting groups, op shops, specialist preloved children's retailers and children's markets.

Daisy Chain Clothing stocks a large range of preloved baby and children's clothing online, allowing multiple garments and sizes to be combined into one order.

Should I buy baby clothes individually or in bundles?

Bundles can be particularly economical for everyday basics, while individual purchasing gives you more control over exactly what you buy. A bundle is only good value if enough of the included clothing is actually useful to you.

Can I sell the clothes again when my baby outgrows them?

Potentially, yes. If the garments remain in good condition, they may be suitable to sell, pass on or donate when your baby outgrows them.

See our guide to selling secondhand baby and children's clothes in Australia for the main options.

The Bottom Line

Buying secondhand baby clothing can produce meaningful savings during a year in which your child may move through several different sizes.

But there's no meaningful universal claim that every family will save a particular dollar amount.

The biggest factor is what the secondhand clothing replaces. If you would otherwise have spent $1,000 on new clothing and reduce that cost by 50%, you've saved $500. If you would only have spent $400 in the first place, the potential saving is naturally much smaller.

For many families, the most practical strategy is a mixture: accept useful hand-me-downs, buy good-quality basics and bundles secondhand, spend new where it makes sense, and avoid buying more than your baby is likely to wear before the next growth spurt.

For a broader look beyond the baby stage, we've also done the maths on how much buying preloved kids' clothing can save as children grow.

Then, when those clothes become too small, pass them on, donate them or sell them again. One small garment can potentially serve several children before it finally reaches the end of its useful life.