Hellobee

Some people collect coins and stamps, others collect china, but did you know people collect cloth diapers? And you don’t necessarily have to keep them as pristine as baseball cards. Your baby can use them for two years and you can still get some pretty good money back. I can’t predict which diapers will fetch you the most money (there’s a great round up I found at Dirty Diaper Laundry). But if you go with a popular, good quality, brand name diaper like Rumparooz or BumGenius, it will probably have good resale value. A lot of Bees here have stocked up on BumGenius – you can buy them for around $17 new and resell them when you’re done for $12+ on facebook groups, ebay, craigslist, or diaper forums like Diaper Swappers.

There are also a lot of great WAHM designed diapers – I love using Etsy to find fun prints and great workmanship. Somehow though, a lot of the best WAHM diapers are elusively on Hyenacart, which I would describe as a storefront and shopping cart system with lower operating costs than Etsy. I just realized that there is a search option for all of hyenacart, because what I had seen so far were individual WAHMs that used Hyenacart as their storefront. Some have very loyal followings and auctions for their one of a kind diapers can go for big coin.

So while I wouldn’t have bought a second stash of diapers to keep new in their packages for resale later, I perhaps may have invested in more “limited edition” diapers because of their high resale value. Bumgenius, Rumparooz, Grovia, and many other big brands have their limited editions, which I’ll get into in a future post, but the less well-known brands seem to garner more money, perhaps because, like me, moms have a big stockpile of popular diapers before they find out about these more obscure brands, which are, perhaps, arguably better.

S O F T B U M S

Take Softbums for example. The shells are made by moms in the USA, and each month features a new pattern or color.

A lot of us buy diapers when we’re pregnant, because who wants to fuss with shopping for essentials with a newborn? But I’ve read a lot of people stock up and spend hundreds on systems that don’t fit their baby, be it at birth or beyond. Softbums is one of a small handful of diapers that will fit even small babies from birth – a lot of other diapers start fitting at 8 pounds, and many only start at 12 pounds. Softbums tout that their diapers don’t leave red marks on the legs like the elastics on many other diapers do – you can see they have a toggle system similar to toggles we’d find on ski jackets which allows the diaper to fit from small to tall.

Their big claim to fame is that their fleece that touches the baby’s bottom is super soft. They have a snap-in hybrid option (echo) and a pocket option (omni). They come in snaps and velcro, and their velcro is “industrial strength,” claiming it won’t wear out like other velcro. I had initially bought all snap closure diapers because I foresaw the limited longevity of velcro, but other caregivers are very appreciative of the ease of velcro, and this is one velcro diaper I would definitely recommend. If I had known about these when I was pregnant, I would have bought one every month. Some retailers still have old stock of past calendar months – you could probably do a Google search of a specific print to try to find it at a small online store.

 A P P L E C H E E K S

In 2012, I remember watching them pitch their company on Dragon’s Den, the Canadian version of Shark Tank. Applecheeks has what I would call an almost rabid following of Applecheeks addicts. They are made in Canada, and also claim to leave no red marks on the thighs. They are a pocket diaper that can be stuffed or used as a cover with a flat insert. The inside is lined with fleece that can become pretty pilly, but many mamas are still happy to pay good money to buy them used, even in this condition. Size 1 fits 7-20 lbs, and size 2 fits 18-35+ lbs. They have a new diaper to be revealed on Valentine’s day this year; I’m hoping for hearts!

T O T S  B O T S

All Tots Bots diapers are manufactured in Glasgow, Scotland. Most of the Tots Bots diapers available in the US are distributed through Bummis and are available at many different retailers. I love the story time series of prints. The Easy fit is a one-size diaper that fits 8-35 lbs, and there is a smaller version available, the Tini Fit, to fit 5-14 lbs. This is the only diaper I’ve come across that’s lined with minky, which is oh so soft and dries so quickly. Stuffing the pocket with the attached insert is as easy as can be. I also highly recommend their velcro diapers if you go the velcro route, and they come in snaps as well.

Around Thanksgiving this year, they announced the Gingerbread Family diaper, and only 300 were allocated to North America. Many online retailers either gave them away, or auctioned them to raise money for charity.

Totsbots has also paired up with Frugi, another UK company that focuses on organic clothing, to produce two sets of designs.

I personally have a Getting to Gnome You Softbums, a London Tots Bots, and a Winging It Applecheeks.

Has anyone else bought any off-the-beaten path diapers? What brands do you like?