Consignment Sales: Part One

What is this consignment thing and why should I do it?

First, let me school you on the difference in a consignment SALE and STORE.  A consignment SALE is a mass selling of several (hundred) sellers gently used children’s items and is typically held over a weekend or longer.  A consignment STORE is a physical location that resells gently used clothing and operates much like a retail store daily.

This spring will be my 14th consecutive consignment season, and over the course of these (almost) 7 years, I’ve learned that a SALE is the best option for maternity and childrens clothing.  Us older folk have better luck with reselling our hand-me-downs at a consignment STORE.  My focus in this post in on a consignment SALE.

I resell my children’s clothing each season and use the money earned to buy clearanced clothing for the upcoming season.  Example:  My spring consignment bounty from the upcoming March sale will be spent immediately on clearanced winter clothing for NEXT winter.  Thus, I literally don’t pay a dime out of my monthly budget for their clothing.

SHOCKING NEWS: I do not SHOP at consignment sales.  I can typically find brand new, name brand clothing for my kids at the same price by shopping off season and clearance prices. If you’re not a bargain hunter and hate to shop, then I recommend shopping your local consignment sales.  It’s a great way to get it all done in one trip and save $$ compared to paying regular prices in a retail store.

How do I find out about a sale?

Check TheBargainWatcher.com and Craigslist.org or your local newspaper for listings of sales in your area.  Also, scout your local churches, as these are typically the locations for most sales.  Spring Consignment season usually occurs between the end of February and the middle of April here in Georgia, while Fall sales usually run from late July to September.  Locations with colder/warmer climates and differences in school calendars may find their dates to be a little different.

What are typical sale policies?

Registration: Usually occurs 2 weeks or more before the sale date and is often available online.  Previous sellers are also given first priority in most cases.

Seller Fee: Usually a $5ish fee that is deducted from your sale total and is often waived if you volunteer to work a shift

Volunteering: Sales try to keep costs as low as possible and use volunteers.  Your shift could include bringing lunch, organizing racks or helping with check-out.  It is usually a 2-4 hour shift.  Volunteering can earn you a higher seller percentage and/or waive your seller fee.

Pricing: It is your responsibility to price your items and tag them according to the directions in your application packet.   I recommend 30% of retail price for gently worn clothing.  Clothes still new with tags and unworn will sell for about 50% of the tag price.  Always ask yourself, “What WOULD I pay for this?”  and not “What DID I pay for this?”

Tagging: Consignment sales prefer for things to be uniform and will require your tags be in a certain spot and your hangers to face a certain way.  Sales provide you with the layout they prefer for tags and some even offer an online system for entering sale items.

Shopping: Sellers and volunteers get to shop the sale before the public.  Most sales will have specified shopping times and a pass is required.  I have found several great toy deals buy doing this!

Payments: Shoot for a sale with a 70/30 split.  You retain 70% of the final value of your sales.  The remaining 30% can be written off on your taxes as a donation!  Also screen the application to determine how payments will be distributed.  I prefer to pick up my check when I pick up my leftovers, though some sales will mail your check in 5-10 business days.

Unsold Items: ALWAYS pick up your unsold items.  If they didn’t sell this year, you can always try again next year!  If you don’t want to fool with it- unsold items are donated to a local clothing closet or the like.

Monitoring the Sale: SOME sales have an online monitoring system that allows you to see your totals at the end of each day and even see what has sold and what has not.  Usually sales that use online tagging and barcode scanners will have this option.

I just realized I could probably write a book about consigning.  I’ll leave you with the task of choosing a sale and getting registered.  I’ll dive into strategies for making prep time fast and easy in my next post!