Hey folks! If you've ever looked into
cloth diapering, whether you decided to or not, I think we can all
agree that it can be very overwhelming and intimidating at first.
Overwhelming because there are so many different types of cloth
diapers to choose from nowadays and intimidating because the upfront
cost can be expensive.
As far as choosing which diapers would
be best-suited for your family, my best advice is to research,
research, research! You can also check out my cloth diapering page
for a little insight. Once you decide what kind of diaper(s) you
want to try out, I highly recommend looking for cloth diaper B/S/T
groups on Facebook. It's something I had heard of quite awhile ago
from a cloth diapering blog I used to follow, but never looked into
it much because I didn't know that much about different types and
brands of cloth diapers and was afraid I would get ripped off
somehow. Now, though, they are my new best friend!
So, what does BST stand for? Buy Sell
Trade. It is a great way to get your stash started or sell off some
old diapers you no longer want or need. Depending on your location
and what shape the diapers are in, you can get some really good deals
and not lose much money on the diapers you are selling.
Speaking of location, you may be able
to find a local cloth diaper BST group, which is great because then
you can meet people in person and 1) See the diapers you want to
purchase in person before committing and 2) Save on shipping costs! I
have also seen regional/state-wide groups, national groups, and brand
specific groups. There are even cloth diaper auction groups!
The brand specific groups are nice if
you're just really in love with a certain one. While not exactly the
same, I recently joined a wool and natural fiber only group and am
already eagerly awaiting a Disana wool cover. To give you an idea of
what you can expect price-wise, I bought it for $12, postage
included, and it normally retails for around $26. How awesome is
that?! There are also some nice wahm diapers on there as well, which
I think is pretty cool.
As far as the cloth diaper auction
groups, be sure to do your research on a diaper before choosing to
bid on it. (That should just go without saying, right?) Keep in mind
you will have to pay for shipping as well. It would be silly to end
up paying more for a used diaper than it would cost brand new, right?
I've not personally bought anything from a group like this, but there
seems to be quite a few unique diapers up for grabs instead of the
endless stream of GroVia and BumGenius like my local BST group seems
to have. (Does this seem to be a “thing” in anyone else's local
BST group? Just curious.)
If you do decide to check out a BST
group, be sure you look through ALL of the sales posts, not just the
most recent ones on the wall. At least in my group, there are a lot
of old posts with diapers that are still up for grabs. Also be sure
to use the group “search” option to look for something specific,
such as a brand or type of diaper you like. This is how I came across
some of my fitted diapers.
So far I have purchased three fitteds
and the wool cover mentioned above from BST groups. (I also sold all
of my small Best Bottom inserts too! Yay!) The first was a Sweet Pea
bamboo OS fitted that was in very good/excellent condition, in my
opinion. I got it for $15. It is normally $25 brand new. My second
purchase was two snapless multi-fitted Sustainablebabyish diapers. I
bought both for $15. They are normally around $24 each, if I remember
right, brand new. That's a total savings of $57! (Including the wool
cover.) At the least, you could buy like two or three more diapers
with that amount of savings.
I am still learning the lingo myself,
but here are some acronyms to help you out with BST groups.
FTOS-For Trade or Sale
FTO-For Trade Only
ISO-In Search Of
EUC-Excellent Used Condition
VGUC-Very Good Used Condition
GUC-Good Used Condition
OS-One Size
AIO-All In One
PPD-Postage Paid (Included in price.)
Again, if you're looking to build your
stash or add to it for cheaper and don't mind some pre-loved diapers,
definitely look into a BST group. They're my new favorite thing, so
if you have any questions about them shoot me an email or comment
below! I DO check my comments and will get back with you. :)
