Consignment sale season

[soccerchick]

999ghostslover said that she can't find decent clothing at her local yard sales because "country" people drive in and get it all. I replied that clothing is too cheap and plentiful for anyone to bother traveling to buy it. Fairly simple concept, I don't see how I could make it any clearer but perhaps I just did.

Yes, I understood HER post very clearly. Yours, not so much. Fairly simple concept written without clarity at all. Where did Italy come in there? Your brain was working faster than your fingers.

 

[Terry36]

I have a good bit of DD's clothing that I would like to take to a cosignment store. I'm new to this so can you please tell me how this works?

 

[999ghostslover]

I have a good bit of DD's clothing that I would like to take to a cosignment store. I'm new to this so can you please tell me how this works?

Where I live children's consignment stores are not the best bet. There is one in a very boutiquey neighborhood that has top brands names and they are very expensive. You could probably pay tons less by just watch sales. The other consignment stores don't seem any nicer than goodwill. But that may just be here. Here is a link to the consignment sale that I use.
http://kidsmkt.net/
Again, it is a group of women who rent out our out of business linens n things building and set up shop 2xs/yr to run a big consignment sale. They cut us a check and we get any clothes that don't sell back (or we can donate). I wish I could help you out. You may want to start a thread on the budget board or ask your local friends if they know of any in your area.
Good luck. If you don't find one close see if you can get involved in one further away and then ask them to help you set up one in the spring in your area. I bet you could make a ton! It is big mommy business. Good luck!!

 

[kfeuer]

Mine starts the 25th and I haven't priced anything yet, I really need to get started. I wasn't going to do it this year since I'm working full-time plus 2 part-time jobs, but I need the space and the money so I'm going to suck it up and get it done somehow!

So far I've only gone through clothes to pull out things to sell, but I'm going to rope DH into going through the kid's toys. I also found a nice double stroller for $5 at a garage sale a few weeks back to resell. If I have time I may put it up on Craigslist first and keep all the money.

I don't think I'll have as many things this time as in the past. If I make $200 I'll be happy. My kids are getting older and just have less stuff (and that's a good thing!)

I don't plan to do any shopping this time. My kids don't need anything at the moment. However, I have found some great deals in the past AND I'm a regular yard sale shopper. I don't think they're mutually exclusive. The hard truth is, the best deals at consignment sales go to the sellers and volunteers. We get first dibs. However, a lot of sales do 50% off most things the last day and you can find some good deals then, too.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Here is one coming up soon here. Right now is their stocking period. And since there are 4 seasons....they are only taking clothes suitable for Fall or Winter and my Florida babies don't have anything suitable for that.

In fact--this will be the first time I do a real clothing inventory for the kids to know exactly what we have and what is needed. Lol!

I plan on shopping only this October and hopefully in the spring, I might have something useful to sell. But we wear and hand down things to the point where they are not sellable.

I did score some need items at Once Upon a Child for my baby. Prices were comparable to what I think they might have been at the big consignment sale. $6.50 for a winter cover for her car seat and $8.50 (I think!) for a snow/winter coat/pant/mitten combo.

Holding off for other needs until the big sale.

 

[ferrytale]

The one I do is the 25th, but I know of a couple I will be shopping at the weekend before. I like the consignment sales because it allows me to stock up on DS's clothes 2x a year - I don't make a lot, and wind up spending what I make usually, but I don't mind. It saves me from having to hit up stores or yard sales throughout the year. Plus it helps me clean out the old clothes that don't fit - I would hand them down, but I have no one who would fit the sized I am getting rid of. If the clothes don't sell, I let them get donated to the church group at the end of the sale.
The one I volunteer at has GREAT prices and quality, they will remove something from the floor if it is too worn, stained, damaged, etc. I have gotten numerous "large" purchases of baby equipment, little tykes toys, etc, VERY inexpensive. And gotten tons of brand named clothes. I don't buy any clothing over $5 unless it is something like a suit or a full outfit and even then I won't spend more than $10.
Now I am getting really excited! I have to get my bins of clothes washed, hung and tagged.
Any suggestions on where I can get hangers(besides wal-mart/dollar store?)?

 

[Purseval]

Yes, I understood HER post very clearly. Yours, not so much. Fairly simple concept written without clarity at all. Where did Italy come in there? Your brain was working faster than your fingers.

We used to get clothing for our teenage neice and nephew who lived in Italy but even they asked us to stop sending stuff.

I could see how that would be difficult to understand I'll make it simpler then. In America clothes are cheap and easy to find. Not so easy in other countries. So we bought clothes here and mailed them to Italy but we sent so much they asked us not to send any more.

 

[amiemac78]

The one I do is the 25th, but I know of a couple I will be shopping at the weekend before. I like the consignment sales because it allows me to stock up on DS's clothes 2x a year - I don't make a lot, and wind up spending what I make usually, but I don't mind. It saves me from having to hit up stores or yard sales throughout the year. Plus it helps me clean out the old clothes that don't fit - I would hand them down, but I have no one who would fit the sized I am getting rid of. If the clothes don't sell, I let them get donated to the church group at the end of the sale.
The one I volunteer at has GREAT prices and quality, they will remove something from the floor if it is too worn, stained, damaged, etc. I have gotten numerous "large" purchases of baby equipment, little tykes toys, etc, VERY inexpensive. And gotten tons of brand named clothes. I don't buy any clothing over $5 unless it is something like a suit or a full outfit and even then I won't spend more than $10.
Now I am getting really excited! I have to get my bins of clothes washed, hung and tagged.
Any suggestions on where I can get hangers(besides wal-mart/dollar store?)?

I have gotten hanger from Old Navy before. I just called in the morning and they held them throughout the day and I picked them up before closing that night.

 

[december]

My car is loaded down now with things to take to our first local consignment sale. I've never been to one before, but 2 ladies in our county rented a building in the next town over (where I work) and are hoping to make it a twice a year sale. It is just a $5 fee, then a 70/30 split. If I make $100 I'll be happy. I had a garage sale which didn't make much over $100, and donated piles of stuff to a local mission, the weekend before the sale was announced! Oh well, I'll be ready for the one in March.

We can drop off Mon and Tue, and the consigners get to shop Thu night. I hope to find some fall/winter clothes for the baby. The public sale is Fri-Sun, and we are supposed to get checks within 2 wks. I guess that is how it usually works-I don't have anything to compare it to!

 

[SydandPaige'sMom]

Ohhhhhhh the one I do is coming up on the 25th. It is $25 per table and $15 for a rack space (we keep 100% of our profits). I've done it a few years in a row (they have a spring/summer and a fall/winter one) and usually make between $700 and $800, and all I take is clothes. lol the ladies up here sure do love their Gymbo, Gap and Naartjie I have already sold about $200 to a friend of mine and expect this one to go just as well, if not better, because I have a bunch of toys we are getting rid of too.

Good luck to all the sale ladies!

 

[bettyann29]

Thank you ladies!! I had never heard of this before.. I did a google search and there are many in my area.. I think I may go thru my stuff and plan on being part of something like this.. seems much easier and possibly able to make more profit on items than at a garage sale.. at least I can put specific items here and put the other things for my garage sale..

 

[MickeyP]

We used to get clothing for our teenage neice and nephew who lived in Italy but even they asked us to stop sending stuff.

I could see how that would be difficult to understand I'll make it simpler then. In America clothes are cheap and easy to find. Not so easy in other countries. So we bought clothes here and mailed them to Italy but we sent so much they asked us not to send any more.

Wow! Just wow.

 

[kfeuer]

To the previous poster who asked about hangers, I've had good luck just asking friends if they have any to spare. Anyone who goes to the dry cleaner a lot usually has lots of extra hangers they're happy to get rid of.

I always end up buying some child-sized hangers, though. Kid's tops just don't hang right on an adult-sized hanger. The big ones are great for pants, though. I like the child-sized wire hangers that Walmart has. It makes it easy to pin tops to the hanger if necessary (I pin anything stretchy that could easily get pulled off with a tiny safety pin). I learned the hard way after getting something back with footprints on it.

To anybody doing this the first time, make sure your toys are very well packaged. Some parents just let their kids run wild, and they will try and play with your toys. Make sure any loose pieces are in a baggie and tape it to the toy as securely as possible. Tape boxes shut (I use masking tape if regular tape would damage the toy). The big plastic, see-through bags are great for some toys (the dollar store sells them here). I tape the top of the bag shut so it can't be opened, though.

 

[ferrytale]

Thanks for your tips on hangers, I'm gonna check with friends/family first and see if they have any, then check with Old Navy (or other childrens store).
I haven't had much in the past so I always just bought a couple packs at the dollar store, but last sale I bought 8 packs, and still needed more and the goal is to MAKE $$ not spend it! Lol...

Good luck to all, here's hoping that we have great consignments!

 

[SydandPaige'sMom]

Thanks for your tips on hangers, I'm gonna check with friends/family first and see if they have any, then check with Old Navy (or other childrens store).
I haven't had much in the past so I always just bought a couple packs at the dollar store, but last sale I bought 8 packs, and still needed more and the goal is to MAKE $$ not spend it! Lol...

Good luck to all, here's hoping that we have great consignments!

I know someone that called and spoke with a manager at Old Navy one morning and asked them to hold the hangers for her. She went that night and picked them up. I did that with a store here as well and it worked out great

 

[999ghostslover]

Thanks for your tips on hangers, I'm gonna check with friends/family first and see if they have any, then check with Old Navy (or other childrens store).
I haven't had much in the past so I always just bought a couple packs at the dollar store, but last sale I bought 8 packs, and still needed more and the goal is to MAKE $$ not spend it! Lol...

Good luck to all, here's hoping that we have great consignments!

Most of our sales don't care what kind of hanger you use but the biggest one, and the one I consign in, only allows non-coated dry cleaners style hangers. My dry cleaner gives them to me for free (I don't tell anyone) bc most charge you a dollar for 25 hangers.

 

[Purseval]

For people who don't have time or a good location for consignment sales or yard sales there is a newer alternative that is catching on, the Internet consignment shop:

http://www.thredup.com/

And hear is an article on this place from the bargain hunter columnist in our local paper:

http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-bargai...ne-kids-clothes-consignment-shop-a-major-hit/

 

[mookie]

I have participated in a couple of sales but I haven't made quite that much $$$...maybe $160 or so. It can be very tedious going through the items, pricing, hanging, tagging, but I do enjoy making the money. I almost always turn around and spend what I make though because it is such guilt-free shopping at the sales! I figure I will turn around and sell whatever I buy for the most part anyways. It has been a great way to pick up some sports gear also which never goes on sale (soccer shoes, t-ball pants that kind of stuff).

I have volunteered 2 different times. Once it was to sort and hang clothes prior to the sale--the other was during the sale I straightened and organized the girls clothing section. I much preferred to work during the sale--when I worked prior to the sale, I ended up hanging and tagging items from a seller who didn't do hers (that was an option at our sale). Ugh...as if I hadn't done that enough!!!!!

Have fun and good luck!

I see you're in the Chicago Suburbs...where can I find out how to participate in these? I have TONS of stuff I would love to get rid of...