Business is good these days at Once Upon A Child, a resale shop in Pineville.

Workers said more people are coming in to buy and sell.

Anne Long is there twice a week. Eyewitness News was there when she was hoping to sell some children's clothing.

“I have a lot of Limited Too and Children's Place,” she said.

A resale store like Once Upon A Child will buy items outright for store credit or cash.

“Our store offer is $10.85 for these items,” the clerk told Long.

Luann Davis is a first-time seller at Once Upon A Child. She said she needs the cash because she's unemployed.

"Things that maybe two or three years ago I would have just donated somewhere, now I'm selling to get the money," she said.

At Classic Attic on Park Road, Tara Igbanol said she is seeing the same trend.

“We do have some people who say, ‘I need some extra money. The bills are hard to pay,’” she said.

The store sells furniture and other items on consignment, which means sellers don't get paid until another customer actually buys the item. The store and the seller then split the take.

Even Charlotte's higher-end sector is consigning more. Sweet Repeats on East Boulevard sells designer clothing on consignment. Owner Jenny Burnette said the former owners of these items need to make ends meet, too.

“They go through the closets and they decide, ‘I can live without this,’” Burnette said.

Burnette said there are ways to get more for an item. “New, never worn or barely worn, up to date, still in style,” she said.

But sellers must be reasonable. Rebecca Davidson manages Once Upon A Child and said you won't make a killing reselling children's clothing.

“If they bring in equipment versus clothing, they will receive more money,” she said.

But one secret is to look at the tag on the clothing, which on some tells the manufacture date. Newer items will bring more money, and some stores won't take anything over two years old.

Long said she doesn't exactly get rich doing this.

“Between $2,000 and $3,000 a year, and that's nice extra pocket money for about 15 hours a week,” she said.

But in times like these, everything helps.