Now seriously

The scoop: Helpful hints for shoppers and sellers

If at all possible, leave the kids at home. The sales can become very crowded, and you will probably save more money.

Arrive early! A line starts to form about 30 minutes before the sales begins. If you need big ticket items such as car seats, cribs, strollers, go for those first. They are always highly sought after items. You can always put a hold on these items while you continue to shop.

Bring a laundry basket or a really big bag with you to shop. A vertical hamper/laundry basket works better than the horizontal style as they take up less space. This will allow you to be hands free while your grabbing your goodies.

Make a list of items you are looking for before you arrive. The selection can be overwhelming, but if you stick to the list, you can target the specific items before you begin browsing. This will also help you save money by buying only the things you need.

If you are looking for clothing, go ahead and grab everything that you like. You can always sort through them when you have finished shopping to finalize your selection.

Bring cash or your check book with you as most sales are not equipped to handle debit card payments. Have an idea of how much you want to spend before you arrive, and it may be best to take only the cash you are willing to spend. On average, I spend between $40 - $70 on clothing at each sale. As a general rule, I do not spend more than $8 on an outfit (unless it is irresistible).

Like an item, but the price is too high? Most items are 50% off on Saturday. You can tell whether your item will be reduced by looking at the price tag. If the corner is cut, no discount will be given. If all four corners are solid, half off to you!

Bring a doting grandparent. If the grandparents like to spend money on the grandchildren, then you can help them make that dollar go further at a consignment sale.

Don't charge $20 or more for an outfit, no matter how much you paid. You seem WAY to attached to those clothes when you do. Remember: the clothes are not your kids. If you're getting rid of clothes, then price to move. People come for a deal, and they're putting these clothes on their kids. Most of the time there are so many great deals (and sometimes duplicate items) that it's easy to pass up pricey items.

If you have an outfit you'd like to sell, then keep it together. It's nice to find whole outfits, and people will pay slightly more for them. If you don't have a complete outfit, then put some coordinating clothing together to make a cute ensemble. You can make a few extra dollars by adding a hair clip and/or socks & tights to your outfits.

Don't bring your tired-table-cloth looking dresses and expect anything but funny looks. There is a sea of clothing items here, and yours are just disturbing everyone. Even if I wanted to buy them, I'd be afraid someone else was going to see me. I'll wait until I find it in the local dumpster.

Stains on those clothes? It may remind you of a great time you had making finger paints out of green peas, but to everyone else it looks like a possible bio-hazard. One word, "Gross!"

Bring your sense of humor. Most people at a consignment sale are having a wonderful time finding great deals and enjoying the company of other like minded mothers, fathers, and grandparents. However, it takes only one bad apple to ruin the experience. Don't get so carried away with the deals that you sacrifice your integrity in the process. It's likely you'll see many of these people again, and stealing a good deal away from someone isn't worth being the laughed at later on.

Volunteer, Volunteer, Volunteer!!! You don't have to be affiliated with the church or any church for that matter to volunteer, but you can still reap the benefits of shopping early while doing a good thing!

Posted by Amy Foresman at 4:22 PM 0 comments
What is consignment?
If you are new to the world of consignment, you have no clue as to what I am talking about. So, what is consignment anyway? Consignment means sending your property to an agent for sale. The 'agent' that I will be referring to throughout my posts are local area churches, since that's the focus of my blog. Your 'property' can be any gently used childhood item (e.g., clothing, pack n plays, crib, toys) that you would like to sell. Since the church is the one who will be sorting, organizing, staffing and promoting the sale, they will take a percentage of the profit. In most cases, you will make 60% and the church makes 40%. You make money, the church makes money, and everyone else finds much needed and wanted items for their children and grandchildren at extremely low prices. It's a win/win/win situation for everyone!

But that's not all! Those of you with a little experience can attest to the fact that the earlier you attend the sale,the more items there are available. As a consignor, not only do you make money, but you also have the benefit of shopping the sale early! The typical sale runs Friday and Saturday. Consignors generally get to shop on Thursday night. I will explain more on how to become a consignor in a later post.

Not planning on selling anything, but would still like to get in on the sale early? Well, the church needs staffing in order to make it all happen. To maximize their profits, churches rely almost entirely on volunteers. The volunteer opportunities and positions vary from church to church, so you will need to contact each church in order to find out the details. The typical shift is 3-4 hours, and the church organizers really try to work around your schedule, offering morning or evening shifts. The benefits of volunteering are the best! Not only do you get to shop early, you get to peruse the items as they come in, and you get to shop before the consignors and the general public!
Posted by Amy Foresman at 10:40 AM 0 comments
Thursday, October 1, 2009
lessons in frugality
I could go on and on about how wonderfully terrific my children are. I will spare you the every detail of my life at home, as reading all the gushings about such things isn't something I seek from other bloggers. I will just tell you that I love motherhood. Every age of childhood is unique, and I am simply amazed by these little creatures I have been blessed with. Until they reach a certain age, the are very much like dolls with attitude. You can dress them up, but it doesn't mean you can necessarily take them anywhere.

That said, playing dress up can be expensive. If you have children, you can probably attest to the hundreds of dollars that we spend each new season on clothing for them. I have found some excellent sources of seasoned clothing, toys, and childhood gear at consignment sales around town, and I can't wait to share them with you. I had saved so much money by shopping these sales that I will never be able to pay full retail for children's clothing ever again.

The way it all started

I originally had to create this blog as a class project. Not having posted anything in 2+ years, I recently came to the realization that the information contained within the confines of this computer should be readily available to everyone. This stuff is important to other Moms in my community. So here we are again... and here is the information that you have all been waiting for regarding the best Spring 2012 consignment sales in our area.