Consignment Sale Success

Last week was a very crazy and very busy week for me. I worked long hours at the consignment sale, shopped a lot and sold a lot.

This week I've been trying to recover :)

So, I know you've been dying to know what I picked up! Here is a portion of my "loot":



The kids were given their "gifts" before I got a chance to take a picture - which includes a bike for Caleb that I picked up for just $20.

My total spent for the week was right around $463. Which, I have to admit was more than I wanted to spend. However, between what I made selling and what I earned working I can subtract $300 from my total bringing my out-of-pocket down to just $163 and since a large number of my purchases were made for my son's birthday next month I used money from his birthday fund to buy them. So, I can subtract another $90 off of my total since that was a previously budgeted amount and that brings me down to $73 - $10 of my purchases were for the school; a little under another $10 were for my church and now I'm down to just over $50 for everything I brought home.

Again, I would have preferred to have spent less than I made but I got a lot of things that I needed including most of Kaitlyn and Caleb's winter wardrobe.

I know in a previous post I had tips about shopping at a consignment sale. I wanted to add a few for shoppers from a worker's point of view.

1. Bring your patience! There may be long lines but I PROMISE you we can see them and we are working as hard and as fast as we can to get you out of there. I highly suggest you plan your day around shopping if you come at a busy time. The other option is to come at a slower time such as the end of the day.

2. Along with bringing your patience, bring your happiest face. While I do love volunteering at the consignment sale it's not the only thing going on in my life either. I will be as pleasant to you as you are to me. If you need help, I will go out of my way to help you no matter how you are to me, however, I would be a lot happier as a worker if you are pleasant to me.

3. Follow directions. To the best of your ability anyway. Know in advance the kind of payments a given sale takes. For example, Classy Kids takes cash, Visa and Mastercard but only with an ID. Knowing these things will speed the check out process for everyone. Want to speed it up even more? Bring cash - there's no waiting for the credit card machine to run! If you need to remove your hangers, do so. If children aren't supposed to be playing with toys or aren't supposed to be present, keep them with you or leave them at home. You get the idea :)

4. If you take it out, put it back - if you don't know where it goes, ask. If you don't want an item, not a problem but please don't drop it anywhere, let someone know so it can be easily put back. Unlike a store that is open all the time, consignors have a limited amount of time for their items to be sold and if it's not where it's supposed to be they could potentially lose a sale.

Just some thoughts I figured I'd share after a long week of working behind the counter ringing up sales :)

Fall Consignment Sales: Shopping Tips

It's that time of year again, consignment sale time! Last month my multiples club held their sale and I was able to get rid of a number of items that I no longer needed as well as pick up a few that I did.

Next week I'm working almost every night at the area's biggest consignment sale. It's a week I look forward to because I usually have a pretty good list of items that I need and can always find it there. This year/season especially I have a list.

The best way to get everything on my list? Shop as early as possible! And that's why I volunteer. I don't want to see what's left behind, I want to be first :)

Other tips for shopping at consignment sales? I've compiled a few links with some great tips for shopping sales.

How to Prepare to Shop At Classy Kids Consignment Sale

10 Consignment Sale Tips (and from a mom of triplets too!)

7 Tips for Shopping Consignment Sales

To be honest, I naturally do most of these (like volunteer to shop early) but other things I just don't get to and I still do fine.

I don't make a specific list. Mostly because I like to search for stuff I love - if I don't love it, I don't buy it unless it's really, really cheap or it's a basic that I know I need.

I don't limit myself to 10 outfits or whatever - the fun for me is wondering what I'll find so I leave the lists at home. That's just me but the consignment sale is the ONE place that I get to go and shop for fun. At the grocery store I have lists and coupons, same with any regularly priced store but at the sale I like to have fun. I shop for fun and I like to keep my eye out for clothes and toys that I want.

Does this mean I'll go over budget? Sometimes. I do keep somewhat of a limit in my head but I'm just fine if I go over budget. Why? This sale only comes around 3 times a year so there's no going back to grab the beautiful dress/outfit that I left behind.

The one new piece of advice I liked from all these lists was to have my smart phone (in my case, Galaxy Tab) with me to check prices of items online while shopping. I did this a few times at the last sale to see if what I was getting was worth it. Really comes in handy and I'll be doing it again this time!

Check back next week to see what items I picked up and how much I spent. You can see if my strategies even work :)

What A Consignment Sale

I certainly meant to do this post days ago. I also meant to finish reorganizing the dining room, post about the living room re-do and maybe a recipe or two. Instead, all I have to share before another crazy week is the spoils of last week's craziness.

After working 24 hours last week and shopping twice - here's what I picked up:



Included in the photo: my 5 highly impatient children, one toting his new guitar. Oh yes, I'm in trouble but not financially - it was only $5!



The best part? Because of all my work, the loot above cost me just over $38. Sweet :) But of course it's not all I spent. I went back on half price day and spent another $65. The kids got in on that one too picking out some little things for themselves. I spent most of that on books and clothes for Kaitlyn - that and not passing up on a princess vanity mirror for $11 :) Big spender here!!

I'm certainly glad to have last week behind me but my photo is more proof of how consignment sales are quite worth it and can save you a LOT of money. For example: those panda PJ's on top of my pile were just $2 - they are in excellent condition and contain 3 pieces - pants, top and shorts - can't beat that.

My next consignment step: tag all the fall clothes I have hanging up for our moms of multiples sale in the fall. Now that I brought new things in I have to get some other things out :)

Catching Up And Getting Ahead

Last week was an extremely busy week. Every day seemed overwhelming and I'm honestly just glad it's over.

It wasn't all bad. After all I got to do a lot of shopping :)

Here was my first haul (the girls are anxiously awaiting their new pajamas - I think I have created "pajama" monsters - they were even sleeping with their PJ's! Heck I think they are happier about new pajamas than new toys! - so they had to be in the picture just so they could get their hands on their new PJ's :) )



This is just the clothes - I usually pick up a small toy for the kids which is something they look forward to.

My total spent this time around was somewhere around $175 - I spent $15 on items for the kids school so $160 was for me. Of course, I did earn $84 merchandise credit for working 14 hours but I think I did pretty well. I went a long way towards outfitting Kaitlyn for summmer with a number of outfits for just $7! And, of course, the pajamas which were all about $3.00 each - I picked up a total of 9 pairs so that each girl got 3 new sets and believe me they know which pairs are theirs and they tell me about it every day :) On half-price day I picked up 3 coordinating outfits for the girls for under $10 total - good deals!

And now back to "regular" life - at least for 2 weeks until the moms of multiples sale on the 19th. I need to be even more ready for that sale and I have 2 weeks to tag everything. Great.

As for organizing - I've gotten some done - little things here and there - Kaitlyn organized her dresser and cleaned up her room quite well - this week I have to tackle the triplets room. They seem excited about it so hopefully that will go well.

In order to be ahead of the week I'm posting my meal plan early :) Having a meal plan ready is the best way I can feel on top of my day and week - it means I have the ingredients in hand and I know when I have to start making dinner and what will be on the table - when I don't have a meal plan I have no idea what to make and I'm missing ingredients to make any meal that I would hope to have. So, to repeat myself - meal plans are great :)

Sunday: Layered Enchilada Bake

Monday: Angel Chicken

Tuesday: Burger 'N Fries Pot Pie

Wednesday: Cheesy Chicken & Salsa Skillet

Thursday: Creamy Baked Ziti

Friday: Gram's Chicken Pot Pie Updated

Saturday: Sweet and Sour Chicken

Pricing for Consignment Sales

I know it may seem early in the year to be discussing pricing for consignment sales but one of the biggest in our area (and the one I work three times a year) starts up again in 2 weeks! You may have noticed my lack of organizational post yesterday and that's because I didn't get to it. Figures. Two weeks left to be ready for a huge sale and I'm behind.

Anyway, back to pricing.

At the beginning of the month I was asked to speak to my moms of multiples group on pricing for yard sales and as I was also asked to pass along a copy of the highlights of my speech to the club I figured why not share what I know here as well :) So, want it or not here it is.

What I consider before pricing my items for sales:

1. The condition of the item: how new is it? are there any stains? tears? how used does the item look?

- obviously the better the item looks the more you can price it for - old items that are broken should be thrown out - if they still have some use in them then a highly reduced price would be appropriate - if they look almost new and have only been gently used then buyers are willing to pay more especially if you still have the original packaging - something about that box draws people in. But remember clothes (and all other items) DO go out of style so you may not want to waste your time on items that are 10 years old or older unless that item still holds real value (but then you may want to consider selling elsewhere). If it's a toy - does it work? does it have new batteries? does it have all the pieces? The better the condition the higher the price!!

2. How much did you pay for it? did you buy it on the clearance rack? was it a gift? did you pay full price for a brand name outfit?

- the more you pay for an item the more you're going to want to get out of it - sometimes we get gifts and they are things we don't like so we're willing to price them lower to get rid of them but other times we've put money and effort into obtaining the right dress or the right outfit and we want back a good portion of what we put into it - to an extent we price items emotionally.

3. Can you sell it anywhere else? can you Craigslist it? eBay?
another sale?

- the more chances you have to sell an item the better chance you have to sell it - makes sense of course but no sale could reach everybody and it's quite possible that there is someone out there who is willing to pay you what you want for your item BUT this does mean your item may not sell as quickly. Getting a higher price requires patience and a little more work but it can be worth it. When pricing for a consignment sale for an item that you know will sell for more on Craigslist or eBay you can feel more comfortable pricing your item higher as you know you have a fallback plan if you take it home with you.

4. How badly do you want to get rid of the item?

- while you may have a fall back plan like Craigslist or eBay you may not want to go that route. Maybe you hate taking pictures and shipping or meeting people at your house to buy items so instead you just want the thing out of your house. This is the best reason to price an item below what it's worth. But be careful about going to low - there is a point where your time isn't worth the money. You may price 100 items for $0.50 and they may all sell but if you are making just 65% of that you've only made $32.50. May sound good but only if it took you two hours or less to sort, hang and tag all those items - 100 items in that time is doubtful (unless they are 100 of the same item and you are amazingly efficient).

5. Will I be utterly disappointed if this item comes home with me?

- this goes along with #3 and #4 - if I have a fall back plan I'm happy with then I don't mind if I bring the item back or if it's something may kids may still want to play with but I'm not sure then I may price the item higher to see if it sells - if it does I get the extra money - if not my kids get their toy back (believe me I've used this approach quite often). If I really want to get rid of an item then I am going to be very disappointed of something comes home with me - these are usually the biggest items - just because hauling them back and forth is a huge pain!!

6. What would I be willing to pay for the same item if I were to buy it? more? less?

- try to think without emotions about your stuff - no one is buying your memories they are only buying the item you are selling so think truthfully about what you would pay for it. Would you be willing to pay $30 for a Gymboree outfit just because it says Gymboree? Probably not and neither would most people (unless it's a VERY popular line but that would best left to eBay). Remember, just because it has a brand name doesn't mean it's new. Gymboree has been around a LONG time and anyone who knows the brand knows how new or old an outfit is - you're not fooling people so think realistically.

7. Do some research.

- what is it selling for on eBay? are people selling similar items on Craigslist? if so, what are they asking? Again, you may think your Gymboree outfit is cute but there may be very few people who agree with you so you'll need to price your item lower. Or maybe Craigslist is flooded with kids kitchens and you'll want to price that lower. OR it could be that everyone is clamoring for a Wii at any discount and they are willing to pay almost full price for a used one to save themselves a few dollars. It pays to find out from other sources.

8. Consider allowing your items to go for half price if you're unsure of what your item is worth.

- say you have a dress or an outfit that you think is worth $10 but you're not sure if everyone else would agree. You could give it a try and then allow it to go for half price (if your sale has a half price portion) and let the buyer decide. Someone may agree with you and pay your first price but if no one does at least you still have a chance at $5.00 - you've let the buyer decide the price. Another option when you're really unsure is to price the item a dollar or two higher than what you think it's worth and let it go for half price if the need arises. If it sells for more you win but if it goes for half price you haven't completely lost because you didn't start out at your lowest price. I do this a lot on smaller items or older outfits. Start out at $3 or $4 but I'm perfectly happy to get half of that just to have it gone!

9. Throw all this advice in the toilet and just go with your gut :)

- or follow a pricing guide. Once you start you'll get the hang of it and you'll consider all of the above without even consciously thinking. Don't make pricing harder than it is but if you want to get the most you possibly can do consider the above.

Other things to consider:

- can I make an outfit out of what I have? I'd much rather buy an outfit even if from 2 different brands than a separate top or bottom - this takes the thinking out of it for me and is SO much easier - outfits will sell faster - and a plus for you you can price it higher!

- make sure your items are clean - get a wipe and wipe it down - get the dust and dirt off - wash the outfit again so it smells and looks newer - no one wants to see your animals on their clothes or smell any cigarette (or other) smells - the nicer the better - CONDITION, CONDITION, CONDITION!!

- if you're trying to give your stuff away then just donate it - don't waste your item pricing too cheap - either group like items together and price them higher or donate it - don't frustrate yourself.

If it sounds like work it is. But so is your everyday job. For the most part very little comes free - if you want to make money you have to work and put in the effort - if you don't then give your stuff away and move on with your life. However, I do highly recommend consignment sales - without them clothing my kids for less would be impossible - so if you can please take the time and effort to sell a little bit of your stuff to benefit you but also to benefit the buyer because honestly I'd rather my money go to another mom who is trying to sell to benefit her children then a corporation.

Please note I think corporations do a lot of good for people but I'm also aware that some of them price their items quite high making those that shop there unable to find good deals - consignment sales are usually much cheaper so remember that the poor and needy shop them too!

My Consignment Sale Goodies

It has been a very busy week but I have managed to survive (barely). I will tell you that all my hard work was worth it. I'm not sure what my total sales were but my total take-home pay was around $550. I'll know more when my checks start coming in but still that's a significant amount of money!

Of course, not all of that money is "coming home" to me :) Most of it went to outfit my kids for the next season. Here's what I picked up:



Yes, my entire table is covered in clothes. Not pictured: a few toys that the kids have already received and begun playing with.

Total spent: $290 (give or take a few dollars)

From the picture it's a bit hard to tell just how much clothing that is but it's a LOT and includes 3 pairs of brand-new, matching Christmas pajamas for the girl's birthday next month. I got pajamas, dresses, pants, tops, outfits, brand new shoes, toys and gifts - there's no better way to shop than used!

With the leftover money I was able to order brand new clothes from Gymboree for the girls so that they would have a few matching dresses for the fall/winter season and a pair of brand new boots each (though the boots are birthday presents so they weren't included in my spending total since they came out of the kids birthday money budget). I once read that buying used shoes for your kids wasn't a good idea since each child has his or her own shoe shape and each child wears their shoes differently. For me, while I've had success with buying used clothes I haven't had as much success buying used shoes so it's something I would rather not do whenever I can.

All this to say, if you have a chance to shop at a consignment sale - DO! Even better, if you have a chance to volunteer - definitely DO! I got 7 outfits and 1 book for $9.00 because I was among the first to shop Dollar Dash at my last sale. I'm trading my time for huge money savings and the trade off is worth it. Maybe not every day - I'm still recovering from three sales in a week!

Consignment Sale Time!!

I have been SOOO busy for the past month getting items in my house sorted, cleaned, hung and tagged for consignment sales because in the next week I have 3 of them!!

Just wanted to share them with you in case you are in the Northern Virginia area and wish to do some shopping :)

The first sale is THIS Saturday at the Fairgrounds:

PWMOMC Fall 2010 Clothing & Toy Sale With Household Goods
Saturday, October 9, 2010
8am-1pm
Prince William County Fairgrounds (click here for directions)
10624 Dumfries Road - Manassas, VA

FREE ADMISSION

Sale will feature:
Fall & Winter Baby and Toddler Clothing, Shoes & Accessories
(Also some Adult clothing)
Holiday Outfits
Baby/Toddler Equipment
Toys & Games
Books, DVD/VHS movies
Maternity Clothes
Household Items
& More!!!

ALSO,
Vendor Sale & Bake Sale

Come and shop for your family’s and friends’ needs!
A portion of the sales support Prince William County Mothers of Multiples Club, a non-profit organization, and its community projects to benefit area mothers,
children, and families.

www.pwmomc.org for more information


CLASSY KIDS CONSIGNMENT

Your one stop shop for

SAVING, QUALITY and SELECTION!

Next Sale Dates:

Oct. 13-17, 2010

Prince William County Fairgrounds

10624 Dumfries Rd. Manassas, VA 20112



The last sale I'm invovled in is next weekend:

Don’t miss it!!

MOPS
(Mothers of Preschoolers)
Fall Toy and Clothing
Consignment Sale!!!

Baby’s and children’s clothes, toys and equipment

Saturday
October 16, 2010

8:00 am – 1:00pm

(1/2 price sale at 11:30!)

Rt. 29 in Gainesville at Church of the Word next to McDonald’s


It's time to stock up on your kids fall/winter wardrobe as well as to shop early for Christmas so get out there and spend a little to save a LOT!!

Consignment Sale Goodies

Today was shopping day at Classy Kids. Three times a year I get 2 hours to myself to shop for the next season's clothes along with a bunch of other goodies. Some sales I find a lot of great stuff and other times I don't do as well.

Today I did okay according to me. According to Kaitlyn and Caleb I did fabulous! They were thrilled with the few little things I picked up for them:



I was most excited about some beautiful dresses I picked up for the girls.



They were too - they've already worn them even though I thought they were nice enough for Easter! At least they looked cute.

Total consignment cost of purchase: $177.83
Total out-of-pocket: $31.83

Because I volunteer I get reimbursed for my hours which allowed me to take $96 off my purchase plus I had a $50 gift card that I won for volunteering at the last sale.

I guess I can't complain after only spending $30 on everything :)

And the sale last Saturday was very successful - I was able to get rid of more than $350 worth of items! I get 80% of that so more than enough to cover my purchases today. Of course, some of it had to go to expenses like babysitting and eating out but still, so very worth it.

Still have 2 more shifts at this week's sale and another sale next week but for both purchasing and getting rid of consignment sales are a great idea so be sure to look for some in your area.

Consignment Sales

It's consignment time again! Hard to believe when there's still a foot of snow on my back deck that it's time to pull out the spring/summer clothes and all the outdoor toys but it's true! Despite the long winter predictions it will eventually get warm so it's time to pull out the clothes, clean, sort and tag them.

If you live in the Northern Virginia area I invite you to check out a few sales - all of which I will be at, one of which I volunteer to be in charge of :) And you thought I spent all my time couponing!

March 6th: 8 AM to 1 PM - Prince William Mothers of Multiples Sale at the Prince William Fairgrounds (10624 Dumfries Road, Manassas)

March 10th to 13th: Classy Kids Consignment sales at the Prince William Fairgounrds - check out their site for more information: Classy Kids Consignment

March 20th: 8 AM to 1 PM - Mothers of Preschoolers at Church of the Word in Gainesville (14215 Lee Highway Gainesville, VA)

Classy Kids put together a tagging video which I thought you might find helpful as a way of knowing how to prepare your items for any sale you might participate in.



Hope this helps! I know I have a lot of work to do...

Consignment Time Again

I have been working hard for the past two weeks - tagging items for other people and now this week working at the consignment sale. I have been out every night! So busy :) I even had to run to Harris Teeter and spend a whole $75 without coupons - for the record I spent $79.77 and saved $61.55 - eek - haven't spent more than I saved in a long time but I'm trying to earn the gift cards at the end of the year. Good news is I stocked up on juice :)

Here's what I got this time at the sale:



I spent: $147.53

I bought a lot of PJ's, a number of games, some Petshops and puppets - my kids are now covered for their winter clothes! And the big kids are thrilled to have footed pajamas.

A few thoughts on consignment sales:

- go as early as you can which means volunteer, volunteer, volunteer! The selection is so much better then when it's been picked through by hundreds of people.

- shop again later (I spent another $42 today and got a great find for Caleb's b-day for just $6) - shop again after all the items have been gone through to see what treasures may remain uncovered - racks can sometimes be so full that it's hard to see things

- look for brand names - they hold up better

- examine the items before purchase - they should have been examined by the staff but you never know what can be missed and you don't want to get it home later and find out something was stained.

- think about the price - sometimes it's a good deal and sometimes it just isn't - I can get Gymboree cheap on sale so I don't want to spend more than that on a used item!

- make a list but be realistic - it's rare you'll find a Wii game at a consignment sale :) And sometimes the items you saw on receiving night (if you worked before the sale) won't be there so you should have a plan B too.

- it's not the end of the world! Yes, you're saving money but sometimes there are reasons we just stop at real stores instead :) You know for the fact that they have more than 1 of the same item so you don't have to wrestle with the lady next to you.

- have fun - sometimes you'll get a good deal and sometimes you'll be disappointed - the fun is in the hunt and the stories you have behind your favorite finds.

Consignment Sale Time Again

I apologize for not posting yesterday - consignment sale week is here again which means I am working at home all day and working there at night. It's worth it though to be able to shop early today.

Here's my take:




Spent $193.73.

More then I wanted to spend but still got so many great deals it was hard to pass up. The dinosaur will be a b-day present for Caleb in November and it was just $20 - over Christmas they were somewhere over $100 brand new.

Some of the other new things I'll be putting away for the girls for their birthday as well so I guess I did pretty well.

Favorite find - 3 animal flashlights for the girls - they are going to be soo excited when they see them (they're napping now).

For the big kids I got a good start on their fall wardrobe:



and for the babies I picked up 15 pairs of pajamas. They were all in great condition - sadly this won't even get us from one laundry day to the next!! But it's a great start for those cold nights that are sure to come. Eventually... (with the heat we have now I have doubts but I'm hoping!!)



(sorry - I cannot turn the picture)

I didn't go in with a list though I had a general idea of what I needed and the budget that I had hoped for was shot out of the water but still I thought I got a number of deals.

Wondering how I feel about yard sales in comparison? While I agree they are cheaper the finding of things is much harder. In my area we have one community that I feel is worth it but still you have no idea what you may find. I'd rather pay the slightly higher prices of a consignment sale and know what I'm getting.

Selling Kids Clothes

I apologize for being MIA for a few days but this weekend was my local moms of multiples yard sale and of course I volunteered to be "in charge" as my son would say.

Since I finished the other day with buying at sales I thought I'd share a few things I've learned about selling at yard sales. And, Amy at Financially Domestic wrote an article on this too. Go figure :)

Pricing.

This by far is the most asked question I get. What should I price ______ item at? I am very hesitant to give a specific price - if I price your item too high it may not sell; too low and you don't get your money's worth. So, my answer is always in the form of a question: how badly do you want to get rid of it? If you don't care if you take an item home to sell another way - say Craigslist or Ebay then go higher and see what happens. If you just want it gone price it low.

That being said you don't want to make something otherwise what is the point? To get a fair idea for your item you can:

a. Check the current retail price and price your item at least 1/2 off though I would go for more like 2/3 off current retail price (exceptions are items that really don't get use and are in very, very good condition).

b. Check Ebay - is the item selling there? You can also check Craigslist for the same reason - you can find out what other people are asking.

c. Ask yourself what you would pay for it if you were in the market for buying the item used.

Preparing your items to sell.

I am often a slacker in this department but you really do need to make the effort to have your clothes and toys look presentable in order for them to sell. Get out the Clorox wipes and wipe it down :) Wash and iron (to an extent - for $2.00 someone else can do the washing and ironing - that is why they're buying cheap after all!)

Don't use wire hangars if at all possible - it doesn't look good. Find the right hangars for the job especially when it comes to pants hangars - stretching them out over a wire hangar isn't good for the clothes. Be sure to check the sales guidelines here too - some of them want all the hangars facing the same way.

Use a tagging gun if you can - if not, use safety pins but do NOT pin through the clothes - you'll only leave holes - go through a seam or the garment's tag.

Check your items carefully for stains, tears or holes. If there are any, state them on the tag but check the seller policy carefully - some allow it if you are clear about the defect but other sales do not and will reject your item for even the smallest stain.

Make sure your electronic items work whether that's putting new batteries in yourself or just testing them with new batteries to make sure all parts are working. I have brought home some things I thought were great only to find out they don't work or something is wrong. Sure, I only paid a small price but still I paid something and I expect something good in return. You should too and you should be a seller who offers the best.

Make up uniform tags if the sale doesn't offer them then print them on cardstock to make sure your tags are sturdy and attach easily. Consider using a specific color which makes it easier to find your items when you go back for pick-up.

How much will you make?

Of course this depends on what sells but check around to see who is having sales and how much you will make. For example, my larger thrice-annual consignment sale gives first time consignors 50%. To me this isn't a great deal but they do get more exposure so a higher chance to sell your items. (At this particular sale I make 60% back as a return consignor and a volunteer so check your local sales policies)

My moms of multiples sale gives sellers 80% for members and 75% for non-members - a great deal if you have multiples or know someone who does and can hook-up with a multiples yard sale! The only downside is it generally just runs for one day but that one day can still generate a large amount of money with enough sellers and advertisements!

Around here I can also sell with my local MOPS group and make 70%. So check around - there are options in most places. Because not only does the item price matter your return matters.

Once you've finished with your items and drop them off at the appropriate time considering volunteering - sales can always use more help and remember you may get to get in earlier or even make more back on your items.

Be sure to check the policies of any sale you participate in. As a worker there's nothing more frustrating then having a seller who doesn't follow the rules.

Ultimately there's no easier money then selling stuff you already own! No new investment and you can even clean your house out. It's a win-win.

Enjoy!

photo by slapjack

Children's Consignment Sales

I've talked a lot about selling clothes on Ebay but have you thought about where to get them? Other then the store I mean? Thrift stores are a great option but who has enough time to scour them even weekly? I wish I did! But reality is that there's no way.

So, what's a girl to do?

Consignment sales! I mean look at all the great bargains that can be found:



These photos are from the consignment sale that I normally frequent. Three times a year this particular consignment sale is held at our fairgrounds. It's a HUGE sale - over 1200 consignors with over 40,000 items. Now that's a deal!

Couple things to know before you go (this list comes from personal experience as well as from Amy, a contributor at Financial Bliss):

1. Make a list before you go - have an idea of what you're looking for; what sizes your children are wearing and what clothes they actually need. List what toys/gadgets your kids have been wanting or that you might want for them - you never know what you may find or what you could miss if you aren't looking carefully.

2. Make a budget before you go - it is easier then you think to get sucked into buying something just because it's a "good bargain" - make sure you know before you buy if it is a good bargain and whether or not you need it.

3. If you see something you like, grab it - put it aside, put it in a pile, put it in a basket, don't think and walk away it may be gone when you come back! If you don't like it later then just put it back where you found it or better yet, find a worker and ask them to return it for you - they would be happy to do so and means that things won't get disorganized for them. Trust me, as a worker I'd rather put the item back myself then have the item end up in the wrong place and that not get sold because of it.

4. Bring a basket or a box or other kind of tote to store your items - there may be a place to set your items down and put them on hold but you're still going to want some place to put your stuff as you shop or your arms will get very heavy :) Amy suggests attaching a rope to your bin to make it easier to bring along with you.

5. Try, as best you can, not to bring kids with you when you shop - because a consignment sale has so many items you will need to pay attention and having kids with you is a huge distraction (even if you don't have 3 the same age!!)

6. Inspect the items before you buy - they should be checked but no one is perfect (as a checker I can assure you I'm not perfect and I've missed plenty). There's generally a no return policy so check before you buy but remember the clothes/toys are used (unless they have tags obviously).

7. Check for brand names - this is a great way to find items to sell on Ebay and possibly even make a profit but be sure to know your lines because older Gymboree is no different from newer Target - it won't re-sell on Ebay. I've made quite a bit of money buying something cheap at the sale and re-selling it on Ebay just by knowing in advance what will sell and what won't.

8. Know the rules of the sale - at my sale you are not allowed to have a stroller with a basket; you need to wait in one line to have the tags removed from your item and then you will be directed to the cashier - know where the line starts. Know when you can shop - when is the sale open to the public? To volunteers? To consignors? These are all important!

And the most important:

9. VOLUNTEER!! - this is a biggy for me - want to get the best bargains? Want to get the best selection? Then volunteer! A few hours of your time means you get the pick of the best of the best. If you can't volunteer at least consider consigning and shopping with other consignors. I will post about preparing your items for selling and how to price in another post.

But if you go to a sale - enjoy your bargains and the feeling you get from paying way less then brand new!!

A few sites that Amy shared to find a consignment sale near you - this is a great way to find a sale near you. Don't have one? Consider starting one - seriously. What a great way for mom to bring in some extra cash!!

Kids Consignment Sales

Just Between Friends

Kids Consignment Guide