Once Upon A Child

I have not noted any of the problems with the staff as all of the other reviewers have. In fact, I always find them to be friendly; they say hello when I come in and thank me when I leave. I think they even have offered to help me find things a time or two, otherwise, they seem to be pretty busy sorting clothing and stuff to get ready to sell.

I have had my daughter in with me as well as gone in alone and have also not had any problems with her being with me. The staff is very sweet to her and when she wanders, I follow, and if she picks stuff up, I have her place it back right away or she can walk the store with an item or two until we leave, then it gets put back. No one has ever "bullied" me in that store. I also do not think that the play area is a rule, as any time she has been w/ me, nothing was mentioned about having to place her there. If it were a rule in that store, you could bet I would not shop there any more.

Overall, I think the prices are decent, albeit some seem a little high but that doesn't deter me from buying there. I really love to buy jeans there as well as coats & jackets because I can always find them in like-new or new with tag condition.

If something is too high priced for me, I pass.

I did call and ask about selling to them last week and was told they were only giving $20 cash, the rest store credit so I won't be selling to them in the near future as I personally prefer cash in hand.

Overall, the store isn't above and beyond by any means, nor does the staff go above and beyond but it is a lot cleaner than many other resale stores and the quality is good for the price you pay. I will return for sure.

Posted 04/22/09 | Report Abuse

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Owner of the store was a self-proclaimed early childhood expert as she was rudely doling out unsolicited parenting advice to her customers with children...I already have a mother-in-law thank you very much!!! Will not return.

Posted 11/24/08 | Report Abuse

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The owner is cruel and a bully, she ripped me off and is rude to all her customers! All of Saint Charles and West Chicago has stopped going there, since this new owner has taken over. Me nor my friends or family will ever frequent this business again.

Posted 11/22/08 | Report Abuse

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My 3 year old son & I used to look forward to shopping at this store. Everyone was very friendly and my son loved to look at & play with the toys. We always put everything back when we were finished and never had any complaints from the people who worked there. I have been to this particular store 3 times since it changed owners, and the last trip was the last straw!

Under the new management, kids are confined to a very small, resticted play area in the front of the store filled with toys. Children are no longer "allowed" to look at or play with ANYTHING outside of the 3x3 play area. That's fine, I understand the logic behind this, a bit strict, but again understandable. The problem I have with this set-up is, as I go to look at clothes, I have to leave my 3 year old in this designated area and listen to him being directed and corrected by the woman who owns the store. This is very annoying to me...for several reasons, one being that I do not feel he is doing anything wrong, and secondly, who the heck is SHE to be directing my son?

When it was time to go, my son climbed out of the play area...I looked in my purse for my credit card, and in the split second he had wandered to the back of the sore. I immediately began to look for him & call for him. This prompted the owner to scold me for letting him "run wild" and stated that he must be next to me AT ALL TIMES. To which my reply was, "he was not away from me for 30 seconds!"

Long story short...if you enjoy being belittled in front of other moms & your child, then this would be the store for you. If you have a perfectly behaved 3 year old, then this would be the store for you.

Besides, their quality of "gently used" clothes has deteriorated since it first opened...and everything is overpriced too!

BEWARE....DON'T SHOP HERE!!!!

Posted 11/21/08 | Report Abuse

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I love resale shops in general because you never know what you'll find, but it's especially true at this store. They have great quality children's clothes, toys, books, and baby items. Because it's cosignment, it's not as cheap as places like Goodwill, but it also means their stuff is better quality. This particular location usually seems to be cluttered and somewhat unorganized, at least the toys are, but in general I find that it's worth my time to sift through things because there are great deals to be found.

Posted 09/05/05 | Report Abuse

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