I seriously love consignment sales for my 3 kids. I've spent the past few weeks gathering, washing, tagging and prepping items to sell. Now that we know we are done growing our family we are slowly getting rid of the baby girl and clothes that we can't pass down. This season I'm selling about 150 items - mostly girl clothes. Hopefully I'll make a few dollars off that. (The sale I participate in pays 70% of the sale price.) I'll use that to offset the few hundred dollars I plan to spend on summer clothes in current sizes.
So tonight I am off to shop! Woohoo!
Tips for consignment shopping:
- Bring cash. Even if they accept checks, cash is easier.
- Bring something to carry your loot in while you look. I usually bring a contoured laundry basket for clothes and a big reusable shopping bag for toys, shoes and other small items.
- Mark your basket/bags with your name so if you get separated they might return to you.
- Wear comfortable shoes.
- Leave the kids at home. This is not leisurely shopping. You are on a mission to find great prices on good quality clothes and need to be able to focus.
- Don't carry a purse. Put the essentials in your pockets - phone, cash, id
- Bring a small snack. I always seem to have to wait in line a long time so having a granola bar is nice.
- Know your kids sizes - right them down if you have to.
- Prioritize your shopping. Girls clothes are more popular than boys so hit those first. Big toys are more popular than toys. I go... big toys & gear, girl clothes, boy clothes, then shoes/dvds/books/small toys in whatever order I feel like
- Keep your receipt. You may be able to use part of it as a tax deduction.
- Wear layers. You never know if it'll be cold or hot so wear a shirt and light-weight sweater. Leave the bulky coat in the car - even if it's snowing. You can walk a few hundred feet without it to the entrance.
- Park by the EXIT not the entrance. Better to walk far when you have nothing in your hands then when they are full of goodies.
- Keep a positive attitude. Don't get uptight fighting over things. Just have fun! It's a few hours of shopping alone without the kids. What's not to like?
- Next time... consign your own stuff! You can offset a bit of the cost and at some sales you get to shop earlier than the rest of the public.
No tips. I've never been consignment sale shopping but after reading this post - I'm thinking I need to try it!
ReplyDeleteBe sure to really inspect the clothing. I've come home with a few things that were stained. I have to remind myself not to be so quick sometimes. Also, if you're buying an "outfit" that someone has placed together on a hanger, be sure that the top and bottom are the same size. I came home with a "matching" outfit that had smaller pants than the shirt & vest top. Oops!
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