About Us

Clarke McCarthy and Timothy Boisvert bought their home in South Orange in December of 1999, having moved here from Cobble Hill in Brooklyn.  

While shopping on-line for a crib for their now five-year old daughter, Clarke came across the national Other Mothers website.  She liked the clean, bright look of the store, and especially the idea of quality pre-owned furniture,clothes, and toys.  Furniture prices were less than half of retail!  The average clothing price was $3.99!

She was all ready to find this Other Mothers store and buy a crib.  Where was it?  Spokane, Washington!  A bit too far to go for a crib, even at bargain prices.

She searched and searched.  No Other Mothers stores in New Jersey or New York.  But at the bottom of the web page there was a tab that said "Become a Franchise Owner."  A lightbulb went off.

After twenty years as actors, both Clarke and her husband Tim were ready for a change.  They both fell in love with South Orange/Maplewood, and wanted to stay close to home to spend more time with their two small children.

An empty storefront on Irvington Avenue, right around the corner from their house, seemed like the ideal place for an Other Mothers store:  lots of space, well-lit, and walking distance from home!  The opportunity to offer quality products at fabulous prices was a great way to offer a wonderful service to the community they love.

After more than a year of planning and construction, the store was ready.  They grand-opened on June 2, 2004 with none other than Shrek in attendance!

Clarke and Tim are almost always in the store, so please say hello when you come in.  Amy, Brooke, Cristina, Mallory, Steve, Stephanie, and Tehmina, the incredible Other Mothers crew, are also happy to help with whatever you need.

We hope you grow to love the Other Mothers shopping experience as much as we do!