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Questions don’t have to be cloth diaper related, just email maria at change-diapers.com with “Mailbox Mondays” in the subject, or fill out my contact form for readers, which you will always be able to find on my Contact Page.
Heather Asks:
I have some four year old diapers with hook & loop. As you can imagine, the hook & loop pretty much doesn’t work anymore and needs to be replaced to continue to be used. However, we will soon be potty training our youngest and probably won’t have any more kids. Is it worth it to have the diapers converted to snaps for resale purposes? Or, should I leave them as is and let the buyer (or wherever I donate them) fix them?
I also have some Tots Bots Easy Fits whose leg elastic is shot. Same question…should I pay to get them fixed or let the buyer/recipient do it?
Hi Heather! If you are able to do the repairs yourself, like with a Bumgenius refresher kit, snap press or by sewing the new elastic, it would be worth it. Naturally, usable diapers will be worth more than diapers in need of repair when reselling.
I paid to have some diapers converted from aplix to snaps, and it was worth it for me since I am using them with another child. However, between the cost of repair and shipping both ways, it wasn’t cheap, and I don’t think you’d get your money back if you were reselling. By the time you would pay for snap conversion, elastic replacement and shipping, you could buy new diapers in many cases.
If I were in your shoes, I would either sell them as diapers in need of repair, and be up front about what repairs they need (take as many pictures as you can as well) or consider donating them. Though it sounds like you know this already, many people don’t realize that diaper charities will take diapers in need of repair! They fix them before sending them to the recipient!
What do you think?
Maria wants to live in a world where cloth diapers are the norm and moms can make parenting choices without judgement. When she’s not chasing her 18, 14 and 11-year old kids around, you might find her checking out the latest gadgets, organizing something (again) or exercising in the fresh air. 
I think that you won’t get much for diapers in need of repair. I would donate the ones that need repair and sell the ones that are still useable. I donate some that needed a little repair to Giving Diapers Giving Hope.
I’d skip repairing them and sell them as is. The repair costs can get expensive and you probably won’t get that money back, so it’d be nice to the buyer, but not so nice for the seller. Then, if no one wants to buy them, donating them would be great.