Cloth diapers seem to be regaining popularity, and there are a number of good reasons for this. They are considerably cheaper than disposables in the long run-if you know where to look for them. One glance at some of the popular higher-end cloth diapering sites, where one would see name brand diapers listed for about $20 each, leaves many new parents’ jaws hanging open and the prospect of that initial investment. However, quality cloth diapers don’t have to be that expensive.
One solution is to buy gently used cloth diapers from other parents. This is not really as gross as it may sound in the beginning. The used diapers other parents are selling typically have no stains. Often, they were used as part of a large rotation or only worn a couple times before being outgrown. Perhaps the style didn’t quite fit this baby correctly so it was barely worn. You get to benefit from their loss by getting cheaper diapers, often at significant savings. Plus, as long as you take care of them you can always sell them to another parent in search of cheap diapers, earning most of your money back!
EBay used to be the go-to website for buying and selling gently used cloth diapers online. However, they recently decided that used cloth diaper auctions violated their policy that used undergarments and lingerie cannot be sold on eBay. They began enforcing this strongly by pulling all the used cloth diaper auctions. The websites listed below are wonderful alternate resources for new parents and for those parents who don’t know where to look now that gently used cloth diapers can’t be found on eBay.
Diaper Swappers is my personal favorite resource for buying, selling, or trading gently used cloth diapers online. The site features a message board system with forums divided into topics such as prefolds and fitteds, pocket diapers, AIO’s and AI2’s, covers, wool items, and more. Beyond buying and selling used cloth diapers, though, there are also spaces to discuss many other aspects of parenting or buy and sell other items like homeschooling supplies.
Diaper Traders is actually very similar to Diaper Swappers. There seem to be a few more articles in addition the message board, though, and the site doesn’t appear quite as focused only on the buying and selling of gently used cloth diapers. Though there are still plenty of diaper items up for sale or trade, there is also a lot of other parenting and crafting discussion going on here.
The Diaper Pin website also has yet another message board for buying and selling gently used cloth diapers. In addition, it offers an awesome database of cloth diaper reviews where you can research the brands before buying them-a great resource for newbies who aren’t buying from an established company’s website. The diaper pin also has a lot of informative articles.
Unlike the sites mentioned above, the Cloth Diaper Exchange is a small online store rather than buying and selling forums. The selection here is definitely smaller, but some may find it easier to navigate and be more comfortable buying from a store rather than a random username on a message board.
Finally, don’t miss Little Blessings Resale. This is another online store where you can buy great quality, gently used cloth diapers. They are also know for selling other baby, toddler, and maternity items-it’s like visiting a thrift store online!
