I know it’s (finally!) spring and everyone is excited for yard sales and garage sales to get started. Those can be great places to get inventory, but I wanted to talk today about kids consignment sales which can be another fantastic place to pick up items to sell. It’s like going to a garage sale with 100 families (or more!) participating and all they have to offer is kids clothing, shoes, toys and baby equipment.

Have you ever been to a consignment sale? They can be lots of fun, but they can also be crowded and so packed with people and stuff that it’s hard to know where to look first. I’ve found several regular (either annual or bi-annual) sales in my area that I really enjoy shopping at. Along the way I’ve learned a few tips that I’m going to share with you.

Of course, the first thing is finding a sale in your area. A great starting place is http://www.kidsconsignmentsales.com. Click on the “seasonal sales” link and you can find a list of area consignment sales by clicking on your state. Canadian sellers, don’t feel left out, this site also has sales listed by Canadian province. Another way to find sales is to check out www.craigslist.org for sales in your area.

You’ve found a sale, marked your calendar…..now what?

• Be an early bird – get the worm. If at all possible, I like to shop on the first day of the sale and get there when it opens.

• Bring your own bag, basket or box. Only one of the sales that I regularly shop at offers shopping carts (and those are in limited supply). A big bag (like a beach bag), a laundry basket or even a box can work well for storing all your goodies while you shop. I’ve practically broken fingers (or at least cut off circulation for a long while) trying to hang tons of hangers on one hand while continuing to rifle through clothing racks with the other hand….not fun.

• Find out payment policies ahead of time. Many sales are cash only, so check that out and make sure you have enough money on hand.

• Consider being a volunteer. I’ve worked at two different sales and the benefits can far outweigh the little bit of time you have to give. Most sales offer a pre-sale (usually the day before the sale is open to the public) that you can attend if you are a consignor or volunteer. Shopping the pre-sale gets you access to the goodies before everyone else! The one sale I’ve shopped and volunteered at 3 different times…..each time I’ve done more than 1/2 of my total shopping during the pre-sale. My favorite time to volunteer is during the set-up time. Doing this allows me to scope out the good deals while I’m hanging clothes on racks or setting toys on shelves, so when the pre-sale starts I can go straight for my “must buy” items.

• Shop again the last day. Most sales run for 2-3 days and traditionally the last day is 1/2 price day. It’s a great time to snag some bargains!

• Know your price points. One downfall to a consignment sale is that there are items from many, many different sellers and everyone is allowed to price their own items. So you might find some real deals and other things may be pretty pricey. Know what you can spend and still make a decent profit and leave behind the overpriced items….maybe they will still be there on 1/2 price day and you can buy them then.

Happy shopping!

Filed under: Shopping by jmk_akk
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