Second hand doesn’t have to mean second best.

With more families looking for ways to save money, parents are turning to a growing number of baby and toddlers’ Nearly New Sales to find bargain family items such as toys, books, clothing and baby equipment.

We spoke to mum-of-four Judith Gardner who is part of a team organising independent Nearly New Sales in the Maidstone area.

Tell us about your business Nearly New Sale Kent?
NNS Kent is a win-win situation – every sale enables local parents to sell and buy second-hand goods for children aged 0-10, we promote small local businesses by offering trader stands and flyers, and we give some of our profits to local preschools/nurseries/schools or local charities. Prices start from 50p, so it is a great way of kitting out the children without breaking the bank, and if you decide to sell as well you can make money from the things you no longer need.

We run four sales a year, so people can buy for every season!

What advice would you give to families looking to sell outgrown items via a Nearly New Sale? Register as early as possible – you can register for any of our sales at any point in time, and places are limited. Volunteer on the day if possible to keep your seller number, meaning that unsold items can be sold again at the next sale without relabeling. Present your items in good condition – clean, tidy and in perfect working order. Items in original packaging or still bearing their tags usually fetch more money. Toys and parenting equipment always sell really well.

Does Nearly New Sale Kent take up much of your time?
Yes, but it does fit in with family life as much of our work can be done via the internet and at hours when our own children are at school or asleep. The week before and after a sale is usually manic but the sale itself is something all three of us passionately look forward to and enjoy – there is such a buzz of excitement and every time we just marvel at how well it all went, and how huge it was!

What advice would you give to other mums looking to set up their own business?
Do your research and make sure there is a definite need for your business in the area. Be very specific about your target audience. Be prepared for a substantial financial outlay to start with for all your equipment and advertising. A good website and maybe a facebook site are very important to help spread the word, as word-of-mouth recommendations are what you are really after and all the information has to be accessible all the time.

With four children of your own, how do you stop yourself buying lots of things for your own family at the sales?
I can’t. I try to go with a ‘need’ rather than a ‘want’ attitude. Everything I see that the kids will need (even if I have to store it for a while until they have grown enough) I will buy, because I can’t always afford to buy everything new for all of my children. You get so many interesting clothes at a sale, while in the shops a lot looks the same to me. I especially like girly things which are not pink, or unisex things which can be passed from a boy down to a girl, and Nearly New Sales are excellent for more unusual stuff like that! And selling at a sale always helps too, because then you are not really ‘spending’ money. I never feel guilty about buying things at a sale because I have bought good stuff from good local parents and benefitted charities too – better than handing huge sums of money to highstreet chains!

How do you see Kent Nearly New sales developing over the next year?
We have just signed up with a huge new venue – New Line Learning in Loose, Maidstone, and we can now accommodate more sellers and buyers without the venue being too crowded. We had a very successful Toy Sale last year and plan to do another one in November, coupled with a Christmas Fair of trader stands from small local businesses and craftspeople – buyers can then purchase new and old Christmas presents for the kids. There is always scope to run more sales a year, and to extend into second-hand adult clothes too – we already do maternity wear, but maybe ladies clothes, handbags and accessories would sell well too.