Stone Soup

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We're Stone Soup, Bend, Oregon's best children's resale store! Our goal is to combine the shopping experience of an upscale childrens retailer with the bargain prices of a resale store.

With our bright, tastefully decorated interior, inviting play area, and carefully-selected inventory of well-known brands like Gap, Janie & Jack, Patagonia, Hanna Andersson, Tea, Catimini, Mini Boden, Gymboree, and Baby Lulu, Stone Soup has all the trappings of a trendy childrens boutique at about 25 percent of the cost of retail.

When new customers come in, their first comment is usually "I thought this was supposed to be a resale store!" Then they see our prices and it hits them: We're offering the best of both worlds!

As a resale store, we purchase much of our inventory from local Bend-area parents (either for cash or store credit), creating a cycle of buying and selling we believe works for everyone. Our reputation depends upon the quality and condition of the items we sell, so were very selective about what we buy. But, unlike consignment stores, people who sell to us get paid immediately. And because we pay more in store credit than in cash, people who sell to us usually buy from us, too.

The result is more than just great clothes at great prices. Preserving, sharing, and recycling resources benefits everyone. We like being a part of that.

In addition to childrens clothing, Stone Soup also buys and sells maternity wear, educational toys, and childrens equipment and accessories.

We met a few years ago as neighbors and have been friends ever since. As budget-savvy moms, we are always looking for a great deal on things for our kids. We love the brand name clothes, but not the brand name prices, so we decided to open Stone Soup! It's important to us to make the store a place where we would shop ourselves- a place that emphasizes, quality, cleanliness, and great prices, with a kid friendly environment complete with a fun play area.

Shanna moved to Bend from Salt Lake in 2005. Her family includes her wonderful and very funny husband, John, and her amazingly cute 7 year-old daughter, Bronwyn.

Chrissy moved to Bend in 2005 from Northern California (although she grew up in Seattle!). She has a terrific husband, Carl, and two energetic boys - 8 year-old Thomas, and Beck, who's 3.

Stone Soup was originally Shanna's brainchild... she loves a bargain and can hunt one down just about anywhere. She asked Chrissy to come on board as her partner and the bargain shopping began!

Both of us work on all the details of the store together - but we each have our strengths which complement the other's weaknesses. Chrissy is the computer girl in the business - and Shanna has an uncanny ability to spot a stain a mile away (which makes for amazingly clean merchandise in our store)!

Being moms is by far the best job either of us has ever had - but Stone Soup is a passion that we couldn't resist. We feel so lucky to be able to live and work in Bend, it's such a great place!

One winter day, a hungry traveler came upon a village. Maybe I can find something to eat here, he thought.

Hello, he cried as he walked through the village streets. I have traveled a long distance, and I am very hungry. Can anyone spare me some food? The villagers, who were all huddled in their houses against the cold, did not answer. There was precious little food for themselves in these difficult times, and certainly not enough to share with a stranger.

The traveler pulled a large iron pot from his pack and filled it with water from the village well. He built a fire under the pot. Then he drew an ordinary-looking stone from his pack and dropped it into the water.

I certainly love my stone soup, the traveler said in a loud voice. It has a most marvelous flavor. In fact, the only thing that could possibly make this soup taste better would be a head of cabbage. Of course, there is no hope of that in these difficult times.

Suddenly, a villager emerged from his house carrying a small head of cabbage. Take this, said the villager. All I ask is that you let my child have some of your stone soup.

Of course! cried the traveler as he dropped the cabbage into the pot. In fact, I would be honored if your entire family ate with me. I am just sorry that I could not offer you stone soup with beef. Now that is truly fit for a king!" With that, another villager approached the traveler, this one carrying a piece of salted beef.

Here, she said, placing the beef into the pot. All I ask is that you let my children eat some of your stone soup. Certainly! said the traveler. But you must try it yourself. It is truly wonderful.

And so it went -- through potatoes, onions, carrots, mushrooms, and so on -- until all of the villagers were gathered around the pot. When the stone soup was ready, there was enough delicious food for everyone in the village.

This is truly miraculous! said the villagers as they ate. To think that such delicious soup could be made from a stone! When the traveler left, he gave the villagers his stone as a gift.

Ever since that day, when the winter cold is upon the village and food is scarce, the villagers pull out their amazing stone and gather around a large pot. By working together as a community, with everyone sharing what they can, the stone always makes enough soup for the entire village.