Quality tiny fashions

Kristin Cooper started her resale shop Max and Marley for the same reason so many others start businesses: She saw a void.

Named for her 2-year-old son Max and her black Labrador retriever Marley, it sits close to the epicenter of Park Avenue, where south and north designations are determined, yet it’s easy to miss, set back in a carriage house structure built in 1902. It can be accessed either through Interiors on Morse Boulevard, or off of North Center Street.

Just shy of its two year anniversary, Cooper says, “I have a 2 year old and I was shopping all around the Central Florida area, Winter Park, Orlando, and I felt like there was a need for an upscale children’s resale shop, especially in this economy, where people still wanted to buy the high-end clothes, but at a better price point.”

A fan of Anthropologie stores, the decor in Max and Marley is shabby chic, with family heirlooms – including her mother’s childhood trunk with hand-painted roses and big sister’s original hospital gown – permanent fixtures. She estimates up to 30 percent of the clothing in Max and Marley still has its original retail tags, and she takes great pride in the condition of the clothing offered. New and good condition clothing items are purchased outright, rather than held on consignment.

“It’s one stop, not a lot of coming back every month,” she says. “I buy by appointment. It’s great if people come in to look at what I have first, and they come in and take one of my cards and call me and we’ll make an appointment time to bring them in and I’ll give them a price. They say yes or no to the price and they’re done.”

Sizes are available up to size 10 for both boys and girls, typically appropriate for 8 or 9 year olds. The variety is wide, with traditionally popular labels such as Feltman Brothers and Florence Eiseman hanging with Lola et Moi, Zackali 4 Kids, Lilly Pulitzer and other contemporary names. Other items are ones you will not find in any store, such as custom pieces from the Etsy website and ‘Blessed be the Name,’ which is only sold through in-home trunk shows.

New Winter Park resident Mandy Manly found the store via a search on Google. Having just moved here from Tulsa, Okla., she says, “I just searched, consignment, children.” As she was paying for purchases for two daughters, ages 8 and 4, and a son, 2, she remarked about the great selection, prices and “amazing quality.”

“My biggest compliment is when I’m ringing people up and I’m talking to them about the store, they say they have clothes to bring in, but they say they didn’t know it was resale,” she says. “I love it when they tell me that. I love getting to meet people. It’s just been such a pleasure to meet everyone. And when I see how happy they are for what they find in here, it makes me really happy, too.”

Max and Marley is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday.