‘Once Upon A Child’ In Clifton Park Plaza Has Clothing Selection For Children, Babies

By Jennifer Farnsworth
The Winmark Corp., parent company of Style Encore and Plato’s Closet “gently used clothing stores”, has opened a babies and children version of the businesses in Clifton Park.
Once Upon A Child in Clifton Park Town Plaza, off Route 9, buys and sells used kids’ clothing, shoes, toys and baby gear and offers cash on the spot for qualified items. Franchise store owner Rhonda McMaster-Allendorph has owned of both Style Encore and Plato’s Closet stores. She said opening Once Upon A Child seemed like the next step.
McMaster-Allendorph said like all other new business owners, opening the store during the COVID-19 pandemic came with hesitation. She said that business has been slow to start since the official opening in November, but she remains optimistic that things will pick up.
“It’s been tough with the pandemic, but I think we are going to do okay. We are working on spreading the word. The people that have come in have been pleased with the selection of what they see,” she said.
The process is something McMaster-Allendorph is especially mindful of. She said that she is very picky about what she accepts. She wants customers to be able to purchase something that is of the utmost quality.
“We have a system where we inspect things, especially anything that involves safety. We check for recalls, check for quality and then we put all the information into the computer system that generates a price,” said McMaster-Allendorph.
McMaster-Allendorph has been able to run all three stores with the help of her daughter, Mehgan McMaster. She has also been able to employ about 20 part-time workers in the 5,000-square-foot location.
Its Facebook page regularly updates the arrival of popular items. To learn more about the buying and selling process as well as store hours and directions to the Clifton Park location, visit onceuponachild.com.