Shortly after welcoming their second child into the world last year, Darren and Dana Aper reconsidered their lives as accountants. The Watauga couple decided to trade in their calculators for bins of used playpens, strollers and car seats. The Apers opened Kid to Kid, a used children's goods buyer and reseller, in Watauga last week to commercial success. The company's 48th franchise enjoyed a record opening, leaving the Apers scrambling to restock the shelves. "We've been double booking our appointments to buy from the public, which is not something that we normally would do," Darren said. "It's definately been better than expected." Kid to Kid buys gently used children's clothing, toys and furniture as well as maternity clothes. In return, customers receive cash or in-store credit. Clothing is sold at a third the price of new items, while children's accessories such as cribs, bouncers and stroller are sold for about half. About 15% of the store's inventory, namely toys, formal wear and bows, is brand-new. As a quality control measure, Kid to Kid places restrictions on items, such as refusing any clothes more than 4 years old and setting strict safety requirement on accessories such as car seats. The store sticks to more reputable, durable and expensive brands such as Gymboree, OshKosh B'Gosh and Baby Gap. "We like to call it upscale resale," said store support specialist Chelsea Sloan, whose father started the company 12 years ago out of Sandy, Utah. "We want it to look more like Gap than Goodwill." People looking to sell items are asked to schedule an appointment, which generally takes less than an hour, in advance. Merchandise is appraised according to the item's condition and demand, as well as teh store's current inventory. "We're paying people money, but moreover we're trying to give them a good experience," Sloan said. "We want them to be a part of the recycling process." Buyers can't haggle over prices, but if an item remains on the shelves for more than two months, it is marked down. The company also has stores in Arlington and Bedford, where the apers first caught the idea to be franchisees. They put the idea off until they had their second child, and reached an agreement with the company in November. Kid to Kid is no small undertaking. It costs updwards of $125 to open a stores. To get a loan, owners are recommended to have at least $30,000 of this in cash. Despite their sizeable investment, the Apers showed no signs of trepidation shortyl before teh store's grand opening. "Because we've had such positive feedback," Darren said, "I'm not nervouse." The Apers grew accustomed to routinely turning people back while readying for the opening. THe initial returns are promising. "People love it," Darren said. "I haven't heard anything negative. They're just very excited there's one in the area." Kid to Kid is located in the Albertsons Plaza off Denton Highway in Watauga, and is open Monday through Saturday.
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