Urbandale Mom: Sell What You Know

Little Repeats, Urbandale's only exclusively children's consignment shop, opened last month in Westmark Plaza on 86th Street. 

Owner Erin Richerson opened the store early in August. After 12 years in the restaurant industry, she was tired of the late-night hours and wanted to be home with her kids in the evening.

"I did everything from being a server to being a general manager of a restaurant," Richerson said. "I wanted to get away from that though. Having two young kids I wanted to have my evenings off so I could spend more time with them."

She decided to capitalize on something she knew: kids' stuff. 

"Somebody actually told me when I got started: 'Well, that's recession-proof because we've all got to buy clothes for our kids,'" she said.

Richerson hopes to attract customers who are looking for good-quality childrens' clothing at an affordable price.

Little Repeats' opening inventory was primarily the outgrown clothing and toys of her two daughters, Tenley, 7, and Sayler, 5.

"They still come in here sometimes and see their toys and somer of their accessories and want to take them back home," she said.

She hadn't saved their baby stuff, but "I had a couple of girlfriends who'd just had babies so they gave me some of their stuff," she said.

She buys clothing from sellers outright. Sellers can bring in a tub of clothing. Richerson will go through it and pay for the items she thinks will sell.

"Right now, I'm looking fall and winter and mostly name brands," she said. "Unfortunately people save their stuff for six or seven years and it's not in style any more."

She pays the seller about 50 to 60 percent of what she thinks she can sell it for.

Larger items like strollers or playpens are taken on "true consignment," which means she pays the sellers when the item is sold.

The shop contains items suitable for babies to pre-teens, and features strollers, shoes, shirts, costumes, toys and more. Prices are as expected from a consignment shop with socks going for 50 cents, winter coats upwards to $20 and strollers $20 and $60.

"Baby gear obviously goes quickly and right now with the time of the year, Halloween costumes have been pretty popular," Richerson said.

Richerson's fiance and co-owner, Tom Bogenski, the former owner of Bogies Pub, is helping her with the business. 

Little Repeats is open every day. Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday