Last spring, I signed up to consign for the first time with Just Between Friends of Allentown. What does that mean, exactly? In a nutshell, I cleaned out my closets -- all the clothes and gear my kids outgrew and the toys they didn't play with -- and sold it all for a profit! I prepped the items, dropped them off and let JBF do the rest, selling everything at their huge weekend sale. And I made a few hundred dollars (the average consignor makes over $400!) How amazing is that?!
Just Between Friends is having their fall sale October 7-9 at Elite Sports Academy in Emmaus. This is an incredible opportunity to cash in on your kids' stuff! Want to join me as a consignor? You'll need to register first (do that here) and then check out my top 10 personal consignor tips below.
1. Gather your supplies. You don't need much to be a consignor, but you do need hangers (any kind will do!), cardstock for printing tags, safety pins or a tagging gun for attaching tags to clothes, packing tape (for taping tags on toys and other gear) and baggies of all sizes for packaging small toys or items with multiple pieces. You might also want a notepad to keep yourself organized.
2. Start early. Like, now. Trust me, there's nothing fun about staying up the night before the sale drop-off to sort, enter and tag the items you want to sell. As your kiddos outgrow their clothing, set aside the items in good condition. Better yet, put them on hangers in a spare closet or on a rack in the basement. And when the kids are sleeping or out of the house, sneak into the playroom and gather up the old toys they don't play with anymore. (Of course you could ask them to help you choose toys to sell, but in my house this usually ends with zero toys on the "sell" pile.)
3. TLC goes a long way. Check your items twice for stains (especially necklines and sleeves), broken zippers/missing buttons, holes, worn-out fabric (pilling), etc. Basically, if you wouldn't want to buy it, don't try and sell it! But JBF does understand that you may miss something here or there, so after you drop off your items (which is quick and incredibly easy -- just sign in and put your items on the sales floor!) JBF will double check and pull anything that isn't in great condition.
4. Use the JBF pricing guide -- and all their other fabulous tips! These gals are the experts and will make the process of consigning easy and painless. They are also hosting a Consignor 101 Facebook party on September 8 that you won't want to miss!
5. Bundle items together. Use packaging tape, bags, zip ties or string to bundle books, blankets, towels and anything else moms might want to buy in a set.
6. Let your items sell for half off. The last day of the sale is Half Price day, but as a consignor, you can choose whether or not they sell for 50% off. My advice? DO IT. You do not want to drag those items back into your home and store them for another 6 months! (Although if you do decide to pick up any items that didn't sell, JBF makes it incredibly easy! They have everything sorted and ready for you to take home. No digging through the racks to find your things! And, in case you're wondering, items that don't sell and aren't picked up are donated to local charities.)
7. Volunteer to help at the sale. You'll earn an extra commission on the items you sell, you'll meet other local moms just like you and you'll get a break from the kids for a few hours. Win, win, win!
8. Help promote the sale. Tell your friends and family. Hand out shopping passes. We want as many people shopping as possible, because more shoppers means more sales and more money for the consignors!
9. Make time to shop! As a consignor, you'll get to shop before the general public. Take advantage of it! Trust me, you'll find amazing deals and come home bragging to your family about how much money you just saved.
10. Watch the money roll in! During the sale, you can log in to the JBF system and watch a real-time report of your items selling. (Yes, it's addicting!)
So to recap, you'll earn a fat check by cleaning out your kids' closets and find amazing deals for your own family. So what are you waiting for? Start tagging!
