Once Upon a Family

Once upon a time, Gina and Jay Hinton were sitting at home surrounded by items they’d tried to re-sell on Facebook Marketplace, on Craig’s List, and other places. Having experienced some difficulty, they thought, there must be a better way. “We have two boys, 11 and 13,” Gina says, “and from their baby years on, we amassed a lot of stuff as they were growing. Baby clothes, baby furniture, toys, sports equipment, you name it. There was a lot of money taking up room in our garage and attic. And we didn’t have a lot of luck reselling it.”

“Plus, at the time,” Jay says, “we were looking for a business opportunity to stave off inflation. We looked at various industries. We knew we wanted something sustainable, that was good for the environment, helped people and our community all at the same time. We found Once Upon A Child and it ticked all our boxes.”

It’s not surprising that community was one of the must-haves on the Hinton’s wish list. Community has been a big part of Gina and Jay’s family heritage for decades. Their roots go five generations deep in Winter Garden history.

“My great-grandparents moved to Winter Garden in the 1920s,” says Gina. “My great-grandfather was one of the original citrus pioneers. My family signed the loan documents that helped build the First Baptist Church of Winter Garden. And later, my great aunt was principal of Tildenville Elementary School. My great uncle fought and died in World War II. His name is on a plaque at the Veteran’s Memorial along with Winter Garden’s  other soldiers who didn’t make it home. Winter Garden was a much smaller community during WWII.”

Once Upon A Child is a retail store in the Publix center at Highway 50 and Good Homes Road that is focused entirely on gently loved children’s items. Clothing, furniture, cribs, strollers, baby bouncers, toys. Most visitors to Once Upon A Child come into the store to shop. But a good percentage also bring in children’s items of their own they’d like to sell. And that is where the store gets its inventory: from the community to repurpose and give a second life back to the community.

“We found it so difficult to try to sell our things before Once Upon A Child,” Gina said. “People don’t show up. They want everything for pennies. And you don’t know who they are. Who did I just invite to my home? Was Once Upon A Child a little self-serving for me? Maybe, but like Jay said, we are giving back and helping people purchase high-quality items for a fraction of what they cost new. We have a children’s stroller in our store right now. I don’t know how long it’ll last. It cost $1,200 new and we’re selling it for $300! And it’s in pristine condition!”

“I like to think of how much what we resell is staying out of the landfills,” Jay told us. “We’re helping the environment by reducing waste and helping people save money at the same time. When people bring their items in to us, we use a proprietary software program to price them. If they like the price and they choose to sell, we pay them right then and there. They don’t have to wait for their items to sell like in a consignment shop. It’s a great deal all around.”

Mark Your Calendars for September 28!

“We’re having a Re-Grand Opening to introduce ourselves and Once Upon A Child to the community,” Gina says. “We’re new owners here and we’re so excited to show off our store. We’ll have loads of fun, too, with Kona Ice; so refreshing on a hot afternoon! There will be face painting, giveaways, a giant Spin the Wheel for prizes and chances at a Free Shopping Spree.”

“You can probably tell how much this means to us,” Jay agrees. “To be able to give something back to this community, especially now. Times are a little difficult. Things are expensive. And it can be a little scary going to a stranger’s house to buy baby clothes. Moms can shop at Once Upon A Child instead. Have some fun, save some money—and even more important, be safe.”