SECOND TIME AROUND Website lets families swap kids clothes online

The website, the first of its kind, is an on-line child apparel program, where parents from the United States and even across the globe swap their childrens clothes for new ones.

The Trentonian
BUSINESS
Wednesday, February 20,2002

SECOND TIME AROUND
Website lets families swap kids clothes online

By Linda Lisanti
(Staff Writer)
Jane Sadowy knows what its like to shop a second-hand stores, to fill up your cart and walk away still spending $ 60.00 for worn jeans and a few sweaters. Thats why this Mercerville mother of two grown kids has developed a better way to get used kids clothes for less with www.swaphandmedowns.com.

The website, the first of its kind, is an on-line child apparel program, where parents from the United States and even across the globe swap their childrens clothes for new ones. We help them to connect!

Children outgrow clothes fast. Some parents just throw the old ones away, while others donate their clothes to the second-hand stores, where people have to pay more," said Sadowy.
I thought theres got to be a better and cheaper way to recycle these items and give them to those who need them most. So I created this site…"

Sadowy said from the first day swaphandmedowns.com went up in August, the site caught on and parents just keep coming. Right now, she has over 60 families enrolled in the program and new ones sign up each week. The way the program works is quite easy. Everything is done over the Internet on the swaphandmedowns.com website.

First-time users fill out an on-line application to enroll and are charged an $15 fee, which Sadowy uses for her expenses.
Parents enter the clothing size their child needs and the current one they wish to trade in, though a swap isnt required. Then Sadowy matches that family on-line with another who has that size or needs it.

If you have a size three and need a four, I match you with a family that has the four and possibly a family that also needs the three. And so on," she said. They can swap in and get as many as they want. Families are swapping clothes for the same of next size up and the program goes all the way up to teens." Once Sadowy connects the two families by e-mail, the rest is up to them. They correspond online to determine what type of items theyd like and how many total pounds to ship through the mail.

The final cost to the families is the shipping, which they pay at the time of delivery. Its all their choice what they swap. Some get 100 pounds of clothes, while others have 20," she said, adding that they inform her about the completed deal and all so far have been satisfied.
To guarantee the quality, users sign an agreement that they will only swap gently-used clothes.

A lot of times many get clothes that werent ever used. You know how children these days are with fashion," Sadowy pointed out. And with the clothes, she said an even greater asset of the site is that it kindles friendships. The families arent swapping just clothes, they share stories of their kids and parenting tips. Sadowy said parents who dont want to swap, but have children clothing they dont need can also drop items directly at her site. Rather than bring them to the second-hand stores where people will have to pay, she said shell make sure the clothing goes to kids who are in need of it.

Oh, I wish they had something like this when my children were growing up. It is a good way to reach out and help one another," Sadowy said. Its just all about families helping families."
Tretonial Photo/John Dullighan