Beansprouts

Incredibly helpful staff (!) & good quality consignment items available (not tooooo expensive wish stylish new items available but not as cheap as mackgillacutties). Wish the store was mixed up by size and wasn’t split up by girl items on one side and boys on the other.

As a bonafide Evil Auntie four times over this year, I have a lot of need for tiny polkadot shoes…
And let’s be honest, shopping for tiny, funky baby wear is a rare but wonderful pastime. But there are also four little ones in my Auntie-​by-​association mix and to keep from breaking the bank, i’m getting more and more familiar with the various consignment shops around town.
I’d have to say, for wee clothes, this spot is my favourite in the city. It’s well laid out and the consignment pieces are fairly priced. You can pick up a cute as a bug’s ear dress for $ 14 or a pair of booties for $ 5. They have everything sorted by age and a great collection of giftable knickknacks in the back.
The only thing that doesn’t float my Auntie boat here? The new products. Ok, ok, I know they are fair trade, organic cotton that was hand woven by Marsha while she saved whales but $ 65 for a pair of baby tights? They are BABY TIGHTS! I don’t even pay that much for my not-​baby tights and those have much more material.
Don’t get me wrong, the stuff is cute or I wouldn’t have bothered checking the price and if you have the dough — go for it. But I think, for a human that will grow out of it within months, i’ll stick to the awesome consignment.

I walked in here getting gift inspiration for my best friend who is having a baby. They had some natural baby care products at reasonable prices, therefore, I picked up some baby bum balm. Lady at the til was friendly enough.
Clothes are a bit pricey but other than that there are some knick knacks that you can get away with purchasing for a baby shower.

You can’t help, but smile when you walk into this store. From the cute little bean sprout window gates in front, to the colorful little onesies on the racks.
This place is a great place to find something special for your little girl or guy in your life. The clothes are trendy and have a price tag to go with it. The good thing is, they have a consignment section so the prices are drastically reduced.

I’ve probably dropped into this store about 10 times. It’s got a nice feel, good product and mostly decent staff. The one thing that bugged me today after I dropped in was the customer service.
This afternoon, I walked in to an empty store: No greeting. The staff was busy clicking away at the computer.
I asked about a product, she said to me a total of 4 words: «You can read it». She then continued clicking away at the computer. No offer to help or to find out more if she wasn’t sure herself. Nothing.
Ok. Yes, I can read thanks. But I thought you were staff and were supposed to be helping people and trying to make a sale. ???
Perplexing.
Maybe all the mouse clicking was solitaire she was playing, or maybe she was hard at work at admin. Nevertheless, customer service still matters to many people.

I’ve got to be the dissenter here, I guess. They do have cute — but pricey — new clothes. I especially like the Japan-​inspired designs. But we’re talking $ 40 and up for a sleeper or top for a baby who will grow out of it in 3 months. Better for doting non-​parents to buy as gifts.
The big problem I have is with their consignment. They charge pretty much the same as new, which isn’t my idea of consignment. Case in point: today I saw a Joe sleeper on consignment for $ 5 there. They cost $ 5 new; I know because I bought the very same sleeper at Canadian Superstore for 2 for $ 10. It’s not worth paying the same price as new for clothes another baby has already spit up on. Also, they don’t have much high-​end clothing on consignment. About the best you’ll find is Baby Gap, in my experience. I’ve never seen the nicer brands like Petit Bateau, Hanna Andersson, Sweet Peanut, Flora & Henri, etc. there. So I have never bought consignment from Beansprouts, despite looking.
Summary — okay but not great, and not worth it for consignment. Best for people buying gifts from their new inventory, who don’t have to care about practicality.

Beansprouts is top of my list when shopping for the little people in my life. These days I tend to buy their funky new styles for my friends’ babies, but when I’ve got little growth-​spurters of my own (whenever that may be), I know I’ll be digging into their pre-​loved racks. Such cuteness!

This is a really great, very small children’s new & used clothing store on the Main Street stroll.
The owner has a great eye. Used items are very nice & fit «the look» of the store — which I would describe as unique, well-​made, and colourful. I love the lack of stereotypical pinks & blues — traded in for a softer, earthier, more casual looks for kids of both genders. Items are really well organized for easy shopping.
Prices in general are very good, but the used items are a particularly great deal. Beansprouts even carries high quality, gently worn shoes. I think you could easily walk out of here with a very nice used outfit for under $ 20 CAD.
The only drawback might be that Beansprouts is for the size 6x and under set — my daughters, 9 & 11, were disappointed none of the offerings would fit them. I was disappointed I couldn’t find anything for my 7 year old son — though I’m sure he wasn’t!

Who wouldn’t love a kids’ consignment clothing store? This store is full of new and used kiddie clothing, and all of it, including the consignment items are adorable, fashionable and the pre-​loved items are especially well priced. So, if you are a parent, or on the way to becoming one, or know someone who is, you’ll be happy to find this lovely little shop.

Now I don’t have children nor am I planning on it anytime soon, but I do have wee nieces and nephews, and Beansprouts is just the place to go to find the cutest, most fashion-​forward children’s designs this side of GapKids. Beansprouts carries new kiddy fashions for boys and girls as well as ‘pre-​loved’ consignment items. As consignment goes, they clearly only allow the best designs here (sizes 0−6x), no riff-​raff! There is also a lovely little play area to keep the little ones occupied while you decide their fashion fate.