Mama Goose

What Mama Goose does

Mama Goose is a privately held children's resale and consignment retail store founded in December 2003 and operating from a single location at 609 W. Clinton Street in Ithaca, NY. The store sells gently-used children's clothing in sizes from 18 months through big-kids size 14, along with shoes, toys, books, and seasonal items, plus a curated selection of new natural-parenting products including See Kai Run shoes, BOGS boots, and Ergo carriers. It operates side-by-side with sister store Jillian's Drawers under common ownership (Kelly Serbonich, since August 2020), with shared store credit and gift cards across both locations, creating a continuous shopping arc from maternity and infancy through the teen years for Ithaca-area families.

The core business model combines consignment sales, outright purchases from sellers, and new-product retail. Under consignment, sellers receive 35% of the selling price in cash (Venmo, check, PayPal) or 45% in store credit after a 7-day return window; under outright purchase, sellers are paid 30% in cash or 35% in store credit same day. Baby equipment is consigned at half of retail with a 30%/35% payout split. Pricing is set manually by staff based on desirability, condition, and original retail price. The store runs an annual bag-sale event ($20/$15/$10 per bag over three days) and operates remote shopping via phone, email, and social media for customers unable to visit in person.

Mama Goose is a lifestyle-scale local retail business with 1-10 employees, no external funding, no app or e-commerce storefront, and no disclosed revenue. Its competitive position rests on two decades of community presence, deep local word-of-mouth, co-location with Jillian's Drawers under unified ownership, and selective community programming (e.g., the Share the Warmth winter clothing drive distributed 3,067 items to 753 adults and 514 children). Customer acquisition is conducted through Facebook, Instagram, email newsletters, and participation in Ithaca community events.

Name

Mama Goose

Legal name

Mama Goose

Website

https://mamagooseithaca.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Mama Goose is a privately held children's resale and consignment store in Ithaca, NY, selling gently-used clothing (sizes 18mo-14), shoes, toys, and natural-parenting products to local families, operating side-by-side with sister store Jillian's Drawers under unified ownership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Resale and Consignment Retail

NAICS

Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers (458110), Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912)

SIC

Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600), Retail-Family Clothing Stores (5651)

akta.pro primary industry

Kids’ & Baby Apparel Retail (CRAAABAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Off-Price Kids & Baby Apparel Retailers (CRAEABAG)

Keywords

• Children's consignment store
• Gently-used kids clothing
• Baby and maternity resale
• Natural parenting products
• Secondhand children's gear

Headquarters

HQ city

Ithaca

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Consignment sales: Sellers bring items; Mama Goose sells on their behalf. Consignors receive 35% of selling price via Venmo/check/PayPal or 45% in store credit after item sells. Used for special, higher-cost items that may take longer to sell.
2. Outright purchases: Mama Goose buys items directly from sellers, paying 30% in Venmo/check/PayPal or 35% in store credit same day. Standard method for clothing and most items.
3. New product sales: Sale of new products including See Kai Run shoes, BOGS boots, Ergo carriers, toys, books, and other complementary items.
4. Gift cards: Jillian's Drawers & Mama Goose gift cards sold online and in-store, valid at both retail locations and online.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Mama Goose is a brick-and-mortar resale and consignment retail shop in Ithaca, NY that buys and sells gently-used children's clothing (sizes 18 months through big kids size 14), shoes, toys, books, seasonal items, and baby gear, alongside a curated selection of new products such as See Kai Run shoes, BOGS boots, and Ergo carriers. It sources inventory from local consignors and outright sellers, pricing items based on condition, brand, and original retail, and operates alongside its sister store Jillian's Drawers to serve Ithaca families from pregnancy through teen years.

Product overview

Mama Goose is a resale and consignment retail shop in Ithaca, NY specializing in children's clothing, infant and baby items, maternity wear, toys, books, and natural parenting products. The store operates as both a traditional retailer of new items and a consignment shop where customers can sell gently-used children's clothing and gear. The business model centers on offering high-quality children's items at affordable prices through a consignment model, where a portion of sales goes to the original item owners. The store carries a mix of new and gently-used merchandise including clothing (sizes newborn through big kids size 14), shoes, toys, books, seasonal items, baby gear, cloth diapers, maternity clothing, nursing products, and baby carriers. The company also offers gift cards valid at both their retail locations and online.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gently-used children's clothing resale (sizes 18 months through 14)
• Baby equipment consignment
• New complementary products (shoes, carriers, toys, books)
• Gift cards (Mama Goose and Jillian's Drawers)
• Annual Bag Sale events
• Mama Goose Belly Butter and Baby Massage Eggs (exclusive skincare line)

Quantifiable outcome

• Supporting sustainability - Last year's Share the Warmth program distributed 3,067 items to 753 adults and 514 children

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Jillian's DrawerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2020Sister store under same ownership (Kelly Serbonich). Jillian's Drawers specializes in maternity, infant (newborn to 18 months), baby gear, cloth diapers, baby carriers, and breastfeeding products. Both stores merged under unified ownership in August 2020 and plan to operate side by side in a combined downtown location with shared systems including store credit and gift certificates.
• Wild Apples ToysminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal toy maker in Trumansburg, NY creating handcrafted wooden toys from non-toxic finishes. Toys featured in Mama Goose as sustainable, unique gift options.
• Ithaca Doula CollectiveminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHosted free 'Meet the Doulas' event at Mama Goose store to connect expecting parents with local doula services.
• Avital's ApiariesminorOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerCustom skincare products (Mama Goose Belly Butter, Baby Massage Eggs) created exclusively for Mama Goose using honey from Ithaca hives.
• Catholic Charities Tompkins/TiogaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for community programs including school supply drives and Share the Warmth winter clothing drive benefiting families in need.
• Ithaca Rotary - Share the WarmthminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDrop-off location for Ithaca Rotary's annual Share the Warmth clothing drive. Donated clothing distributed by Catholic Charities to individuals in need.
• Southside Community CenterminorOthersDonated 10% of profits (June 12-17, 2020) to Southside Community Center as part of Black Lives Matter allyship initiatives.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• The RealReal: Online luxury and broader resale marketplace with authentication and consignment infrastructure — relevant at the platform level as a scaled consignment operator, though positioned on premium rather than children's apparel.
• Crossroads Trading: Resale clothing chain with consignment and outright-buy options — directly comparable store-level mechanics (consignor percentages, in-store credit, curated racks) but in adult apparel rather than children's.
• Buffalo Exchange: Chain of buy-sell-trade resale stores across multiple U.S. cities with broad apparel focus — analogous operating model (consignor payout, in-store credit) and store-format economics, though adult-leaning.
• Plato's Closet: Same parent (Winmark Corporation) as Once Upon A Child and Play It Again Sports — operates teen and young adult apparel resale stores. Less directly overlapping on children's sizes but relevant as the dominant branded resale franchise operator with shared back-office economics.

Emerging players

• Patagonia Worn Wear: Brand-operated resale/repair program anchored in circular-economy positioning — different category but highly relevant as a benchmark for sustainability-driven resale and community-brand storytelling that Mama Goose emulates with its Share the Warmth program.
• thredUP: Online-first resale marketplace with significant kids' and maternity inventory, plus an integrated 'Resale-as-a-Service' platform. Competes for the same value-conscious parent shopper but on a national digital scale.
• Swap.com: Online marketplace specializing in baby and kids' clothing resale — same target customer (value-conscious parents of growing children) and same core inventory category as Mama Goose, but operating nationally without a physical retail footprint.

Direct peers

• Once Upon A Child: National franchise chain of children's resale stores buying and selling gently-used kids' clothing, shoes, toys, and baby gear — same category, same consignment/fashion-resale mechanics, but at vastly greater scale and geographic reach.
• Children's Orchard: Franchise chain buying and selling children's clothing, toys, baby gear, and furniture on a resale basis — conceptually identical to Mama Goose but operating across multiple markets instead of a single storefront.
• Kid to Kid: Franchised resale stores specializing in gently-used children's and maternity clothing, plus toys, baby gear, and equipment — directly overlapping Mama Goose's core assortment and buy-sell-trade model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MamaGooseIthaca
• Instagraminstagram.com/mamagooseithaca
• Xx.com/mamagooseithaca
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mama-goose

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mama Goose