gymnastic's Moms-Have you ever had leo swap?

[santa's surpriz]

Hi there, My daughter has been in gymnastics for a year now...I am finding that dd grows out of her leos quickly. I had a brainstrom. Our gym only sells GK so that is what most of the girls wear. Have you ever had a leo swap? If so what did you do and how did it go? Thanks in advance!

 

[retire2disney]

We haven't done that as an actual event, but some of us with girls on the team have done it on our own. My daughter is one of the smallest so she has made out well. We always have trouble finding someone to fit into my daughters leos. The leos are so expensive and it is nice to not have to buy all brand new GK ones for practice. I think your idea would be great!! Good luck and can't wait to hear how it goes!!

 

[ncmickeyluvr]

I'm not a gymnastics Mom but a dance Mom who does something similiar. DD used to dance at a studio that did a shoe and leo exchange. Basically, the owner had an area set aside and she let everyone know that they could take a pair of shoes or a leo as long as they left one for someone else to take. It was great! We just left our too small dance shoes and got a pair that fit. Our studio now doesn't have a formal swap in place. Some parents just use the lost and found as their own personal swap....but I'm afraid that someone's going to take something that is genuinely lost Just last night, the competition parents talked about doing a shoe swap. The owner said that we could leave a bin in the competition storage closet. We would leave what we could no longer use and take what we needed.

 

[Hannathy]

I wouldn't do it as a swap, I'd do it as a sale for a couple of reasons.( things can be low priced it isn't to make a profit)

1. some people take a lot better care of their stuff than others.
2. some kids grow out of things sooner at times, ie practically brand new and worn for 4 months can be a world of difference in condition..
3. You don't have anything right now to swap but could really use a low price practice one.

In a swap it never fails that the person bringing in the rattiest used one always goes home with the practically new one. I guess I'm jaded from
Scouts with my son because this always happened to us.

You could do it on a set time Like a day at the beginning or middle of a semester or people could leave the item with an envelope attached with the price and if someone wants it they leave the money in the envelope (if the gym has a place you could do this)

I think it is a good idea if the "fairness" factor can be figured out

 

[clearyds]

Skater mom here. Our rink does a used sale a few times a year. Dresses, skirts, leotards and even skates. The next one is Tomorrow and i have nothing to contribute but hope to find a new dress for my girl. Each item is marked with an envelope with the size, price, and family name. It works very simpy, and i agree with pricing items it will take into account as new or very well used!

 

[ceecee]

We've done this at my DD's dance studio for years. We just bring in whatever they have outgrown at the beginning of the year and you can get something your size if available. No $ changes hands and we have never been able to find DD's size in anything that wasn't really worn out, but I have put some nice things there and am glad someone can get some use out of it.

 

[My2BabiesLexis&Dill]

We do this for softball also. It works out really well.

 

[cats mom]

Not a swap, but at one gym where DD competed, they used to allow the booster club to host a used leo sale 4 times a year. Leos had to be dropped off on Monday, and picked up on Thursday, or they were donated to charity. The sale took place Tues & Wed.

One condition of the sale was that gym personnel did not have to deal with it at all. As such, the booster club staffed a table, so $1 was added to the price of each leo, and baked goods were sold those days too. Not a huge money-maker by any means; but it was an easy fund raiser that brought in a few dollars, provided a nice service, and worked quite well... until the gym owner got greedy and demanded a cut of the action (to the tune of $5 per leo sold) That ended the used leo sale in a hurry.

Some concerns I've heard gym owners voice when approached with leo sale and/or swap idea: selling or trading used leos cuts into their pro-shop profits, the appearance of used leos always sitting around the gym, paying office staff to deal with making change, answering questions, etc.
Just a couple of things to think about while brainstorming how you might want to put your plan together.

Good Luck, hopefully you'll be able to work something out.

 

[santa's surpriz]

Thank you for all the recommendations! Maybe to deter people taking advantage of it by charging an entry fee and we use that for snacks or maybe set it aside for a family that needs help paying for classes in our economy.My thought was to make it fun or the kids. Also based on what I have heard, I think we need to have at least 2 moms do quality checks to enter to make sure the leotards are in "trade-able" condition so no one gets short changed or brings in damaged or grungy leos.

I was really trying to find a way to not to charge the moms bc it gets expensive enough between classes, meets, etc. I had this brain storm watching my daughter play on the climbing ropes, half way to the ceiling she stopped to re-adjust her leo in her bottom. The mom's laughed, and it was funny but I really felt bad. I realized it was time to get a new one. When I searched for GK's online they are expensive everywhere.

 

[santa's surpriz]

Not a swap, but at one gym where DD competed, they used to allow the booster club to host a used leo sale 4 times a year. Leos had to be dropped off on Monday, and picked up on Thursday, or they were donated to charity. The sale took place Tues & Wed.

One condition of the sale was that gym personnel did not have to deal with it at all. As such, the booster club staffed a table, so $1 was added to the price of each leo, and baked goods were sold those days too. Not a huge money-maker by any means; but it was an easy fund raiser that brought in a few dollars, provided a nice service, and worked quite well... until the gym owner got greedy and demanded a cut of the action (to the tune of $5 per leo sold) That ended the used leo sale in a hurry.

Some concerns I've heard gym owners voice when approached with leo sale and/or swap idea: selling or trading used leos cuts into their pro-shop profits, the appearance of used leos always sitting around the gym, paying office staff to deal with making change, answering questions, etc.
Just a couple of things to think about while brainstorming how you might want to put your plan together.

Good Luck, hopefully you'll be able to work something out.

Thank you...that gives me a little more to think about. I know the leo sold at the gym are sold on consignment, I never thought about the owner getting greedy. I think if we used it as a booster fundraiser we may be okay though especially if we use it donate to a family in need to cover session costs. He'll get the money any way. Plus you have to take in account not every one will find something they like or want an used leotard.

 

[mykidsand_i]

Our gymnastics place in town has a 'used sale'...we can fill out a form for the gym and they allow us to place our items on sale- up on a board. We put a picture, what we're asking and our phone numbers.

I would never do a 'swap' because as others here have said- some people don't take care of their things as well as others.

 

[Sorsha]

Just a thought - a lot of people sell them on eBay when the kids grow out of them.

My two youngest are in gymnastics and we have purchased all their leos on eBay. We live in a small town, and there is nowhere to buy them around here (except maybe the boring plain pink and black dance ones at WalMart). Even through our gym you have to place a catalog order.

I have purchased 10+ leos on eBay between my two and never been disappointed. I just have to remember how darn small they run - I always have to order at least one size up... my size 5-6 youngest has to wear a size 7/8 leo.

 

[emma'smom]

Our dd's gymnastics center does the used leo on a rack with an envelope idea and it works great. The rack just sits near the bleachers and each one has an envelope with a price and name written on it. Parents will flip through the rack while they are waiting for the kids and sometimes the kids look through it themselves. There doesn't seem to be a time limit. The leos are sold used for around 5.00-10.00. So a big difference than buying new and you can decide if it is in a condition that you are interested in.

It was a godsend on my dd's first day of gymnastics (as a preschooler) when I didn't realize that the girls wore leos that young (as toddlers they wore regular clothes). So here we were on the first day of class, dd was the only one without a leo--then I spotted the rack and grabbed one in her size. $5.00 later---we were all set. We still have that leo as my younger dd now wears it every week!

We buy most leos used since they don't get that much wear at this age (early elementary) before they are outgrown.


Our ballet leos/tights are also hand-me-downs from older dancers who are friends. It's great--they get to clean out their closets and I have a ready supply in changing sizes at hand!