FAQs

Q: Where are you located in Blackrock Market? 

A: We are located at Unit 17, Blackrock Market, 19a Main Street, Blackrock, Co. Dublin A94 C8Y1. There is on street parking nearby as well as the DART which is 200m away. Blackrock Village is serviced by a number of buses also. 

Q: What are your opening hours?

A: We are open on Friday 11:30am to 1pm and Saturday & Sunday 11:00am to 5:00pm. We are online 24/7. 

Q: Do you have a full range of sizes at Blackrock Market?

A: Yes, we have items from new-born to 12 years. It is a small space so please feel free to ask us to bring additional items in your required size on any day you want to visit. We are delighted to help you. 

Q: Can I click an collect my order at Blackrock Market?

A: Yes! You can save on delivery charge and collect directly from myself during our opening hours above. We love to meet our customers in person!

Q: What does ‘Preloved’ mean?

A: At Lovely Things, preloved simply means that the clothing has had a previous owner. Our preloved items are quite often new with tags, unworn with tags removed or have very few (if any) signs of wear. Any signs of wear on used clothing will always be disclosed in the item description and made as obvious as possible in the photos of the item.

Please read all product descriptions carefully. Where items are not new or unworn normal wear and tear is to be expected. Such items will not always be in 'as new' condition.

Just to be clear, 'signs of wear' might mean wash fade or a tiny mark and is NEVER an unwashed stain or dirt of any kind. Please see below for our description of our screening and sanitising process below. 

Q: How does Lovely Things process and sanitise the clothing it receives from sellers?

A: All clothing (apart from BNWT) must be freshly washed and ironed before it is sent to Lovely Things for sale. (If not, sellers will be contacted immediately to arrange collection.) Laura then personally checks each item individually to ensure it meets our Quality Standards.

Each item is then thoroughly steamed at a high temperature before being added to our stock rails. When the item is photographed, we use a hand steamer to ensure that we get the best photo we can. Finally, before sending out to buyers, each item gets one last check (and sometimes another steam!) so we are satisfied we send it out in the best possible condition.

As parents ourselves, we understand that hygiene and cleanliness are of the utmost importance and give our personal guarantee about our processing and sanitising processes. 

Q: What do terms like BNWT mean?

A: This is an abbreviation for Brand New With Tag. Other Product Terms are

  • New = unworn with tags removed
  • Excellent = used with no signs of wear
  • Very Good = used with very light signs of wear
  • Good = used with specific signs of wear highlighted

Q: Can you feel confident about buying preloved clothes
from Lovely Things?

A: Lovely Things have extremely high standards and, as parents ourselves, we will not sell items that we would not be happy for our own kids to wear. We only sell great quality clothes.

If we think an item is great quality, but has any small marks or defects, this will be noted in the product description and the item will be sold at a lower price than normal. Any items which do not meet our standards will not be listed on the site. We have many contacts with great groups and charitable organisations to ensure that no item of clothing received by us will ever go into landfill. Ever. 

Q: What are the categories of clothing mentioned on the website?

A: Categories

BRONZE - ‘high street’ brands like Dunnes, Gap, H&M, Mothercare, Next, Penneys, F&F, Zara, etc.

SILVER - for junior designer brands like Hilfiger, Junior J, Ralph Lauren, Ted Baker, Ben Sherman etc. and Bronze items that are new with tags. Sets need to be complete to be included in this category. 

GOLD - These are higher end designer wear (e.g. Armani Junior, Chloé, DKNY, Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney for Kids) and ‘Scandi’ or boutique brands such as Boden, Frugi, Maxomorra etc.

Q: Can I get a guide price for individual items I want to sell?

A:  No, we do not provide guide prices or price items by photos. In our experience this is not an accurate way of pricing clothing. 

Q: Why did we set up Lovely Things?

A: We are passionate about sustainability and creating positive change for the future in Ireland. We wanted to create a beautiful online space for preloved kids’ and baby clothes that our customers will be delighted to buy and sell to us in a way that will simplify their daily life. Read Our Story

Q: Where does Lovely Things get our clothes?

A: We source all our lovely clothes from our customer base here in Ireland. We LOVE our wonderful sellers who are parents and families just like ourselves. Occasionally we might find a gem in a thrift, vintage or charity shop as we love to support our local businesses, fellow sellers and charities. However 99% of our clothing comes from you, our lovely sellers. Check out how to become a seller or donor here

Q: How does Lovely Things choose the brands we sell?

A: Our belief is that all quality clothing should be recirculated to be re-worn and are happy to accept all clothing which meets our Quality Standards

Q: How can I learn more about clothing and textile production and how it can affect our environment? 

A: There are some fantastic websites and resources with great information out there. Here are some of our favourites. 

living lightly in ireland – Sustainable Living In Ireland - this a 'must read' website for sustainable living in Ireland. There is great information on clothing and textiles. We were thrilled to see Lovely Things get a mention Sustainable Ethical Kids Clothes 2021 – living lightly in ireland

Blog – reuzi - a fantastic resource for sustainable living with in Ireland with the added bonus in that they supply so many great products. Check out the blog page for some great articles including pre-loved clothing coming soon. 

@TheUselessProject | Linktree is a fantastic resource full of fun and wonderful ideas and guides to living a more sustainable life. 

@theorispresent | Linktree - so often we don't think about what happens to our clothing when we 'recycle' them. This website is an absolute eye-opener about the devastating effect clothing over-production has on local communities all around the world. It can show some shocking and upsetting images of pollution but this is reality for many millions of people.  

Q: Does Lovely Things buy and sell footwear?

A: As part of large deliveries or from our vintage contacts, we sometimes accept footwear for younger children. Please check out our 'Accessories' section. 

Q: Does Lovely Things consider sustainability?

A: Yes, yes and yes! As a family business we want to ensure we have a positive impact in this world and sustainability is at the heart of how we work. For more, read our Sustainability Policy.  

Q: If I’m not completely satisfied is it easy to return my purchase?

A: We want all of our customers to be delighted with their purchases. So if for some reason you feel the need to return or cancel your purchase click here for the full details of our simple process

Q: What if I don't have boxes or postage bags to send/return my items to you?

A: No problem! You can get large boxes from supermarkets who will gladly give you them to you and you will be reusing an existing item (great job!). Large clean ‘Bags for Life’ turned inside out also make great postage bags (we all have too many of these). Please ensure that all boxes or bags are securely closed before sending them to us. We are not responsible for any items that are not sent to us in appropriately sturdy or fully sealed bags/boxes. 

Q: The product I wished to purchase is out of stock. What should I do?

A: This can happen. Due to the nature of our business, what we have in stock can vary from time to time. However, as we have a large variety of brands and items at any one time, you might find something even better! Please DM us at any time if you are looking for a specific item or bundle as we have a lot of stock to upload on the website at any time. 

Q: Can I purchase a Gift Voucher for a special occasion?

A:  Yes! Surprise someone special on their birthday or special occasion with a gift voucher. Making a purchase for a special occasion? – we have the option to provide beautiful gift wrapping and a handwritten personalised greeting card from fantastic local ‘Head in the Clouds’ artist Heather McKay. 

Q: How does selling to Lovely Things work?

A: We offer an easy alternative to auction & selling sites or other online forums. Please see ‘How to sell and donate to Lovely Things’

Q: I have different categories of clothing, do I have to box them and send separately?

A: No, they can be in the same box or postbag but please separate them within the box or postbag with the completed Seller Form

Q: How do I get paid for the clothes I sell to Lovely Things?

A: All payments are made via PayPal only. We will also offer an additional 20% if you opt for store credit as payment.

Q: Does Lovely Things return clothes we can't take?

A: Yes, please see ‘How to sell and donate to Lovely Things'

Q: How often to you add new clothes?

A: We usually add new items to the site every week.  We always try to have a stock of clothes in each age range on the website at all times.

Q: How do you check the clothing?

A: Every single item we sell is thoroughly checked by Laura personally. We do not accept any items which are not thoroughly clean and we also individually steam each item before we list it on our website.

Q: What do you do with items you can't list?

A: Items that don’t meet our standards will be recycled ethically or returned to you as agreed in the Seller Form. We never throw anything away.

Q: Are all the sizes of your clothes accurate?

A: We list all items according to the sizing on the original manufacturer’s label. Because clothes we sell are preloved, we try to indicate in the product description whether the item seems smaller or larger than the original sizing suggests it should be. Given each brand labels and sizes clothes differently, there may be variations in sizing from brand to brand.

Q: Where can I buy some pre-loved clothes for myself?

A: Were do we start!! There are some amazing pre-loved and vintage sellers out there including websites like Peach Vintage ClothingThe Vintage Factory – Vintage Clothes Waterford (tvfwaterford.ie) and Thrift shop selling vintage and preloved clothes – Community Aid Thrift Shop (myshopify.com), Instagram pages like Katrina Carroll (@vintageirishkat) • Instagram photos and videos, The Hidden Boutique (@thehiddenboutique.ie) • Instagram photos and videos, and Facebook groups like (1) What She Wore | Facebook

Q: What is 'Lovely News'?

A:  'Lovely News' is our newsletter. If you join our mailing list, you’ll receive an email each week when new items are added to the website. The email will tell you what sizes have been added and will show a few example products. It’s a great way of spotting bargains before other customers do! Subscribers can also receive exclusive offers and promotions not available elsewhere and also some great articles. Join our mailing list here

Q: Can I unsubscribe?

A: Yes, of course. At the bottom of each email is a link that will let you opt-out of receiving any further emails.

Q:  Will you fill up up my email with spam? 

A: No. We hate email spam as much as everyone else! Our newsletter exists only to help our customers get the best items on our site and to let them know about upcoming sales and interesting events. You won’t get the hard-sell from us, just great products, relevant offers and the occasional news update.