Sarah Garrett
If your town is anything like mine, you will see advertisements for multiple children’s consignment sales, especially when the seasons change. After seeing the droves of vehicles at one of these sales year after year, I finally decided to see what all the fuss was about. After experiencing this sale first hand, I realized that there were ways to save and earn money at these events, and as a teacher extra funds are always welcome.
How the Sales Operate
What I did not realize about these sales is that they sell so much more than children’s clothes. They sell toys, books, electronics, bedding, cribs, car seats, strollers, shoes (all sizes), maternity clothes, and junior sized clothes.
To sell, one signs up as a consigner and labels all of the items to be sold; each sale has a specific way. There is generally a small entry fee and they take 20-30% commission. When the sale is over, just pick up the items that did not sell and the money earned. It is that simple.
Ways to Save
These sales rely almost solely on volunteers. Volunteers sign up for a two to four hour shift and can choose to work before, during, or after the sale. The trade-off for these hours is that the volunteers can shop before the public. If you want to save as much as you can, sign up to volunteer. Also, some of these sales have a “First Time Mom’s Club” where if one is expecting or has a child under one year of age, the mother can shop first without having to volunteer.
Another way to save is to make a list. Since these items sell for at least 50-90% off the retail price, it may be hard to not fill your bag full of all the adorable clothes. However, since there is no return policy, beware not to over buy, or you will not get the most “bang for your buck”.
Generally, on the last day of the sale, many items are marked 50% off or more. After buying all of the essentials, it may be worth your time to return and see what is left. If you have a little money left to splurge, getting items at an even deeper discount is completely worth it.
Ways to Earn
If you have children, selling their clothing items and toys will earn money; one simply needs to make sure they have the potential to earn enough to make it worth the time. If you only have a few items to sell that will barely cover the entry fee, it may not be worth the time. So what if you only have a few items, or do not have children?
Being a teacher can give one an advantage to earn more at these sales. When a sale approaches, ask students if they have any gently used clothes that they, or their siblings, have outgrown; this is especially helpful if one teaches elementary school. If at the high school level, it is still beneficial to ask because many of these sales accept clothing through junior sizes. Also ask if they have toys, books, or anything else the sale may take.
If you are involved in any other social group whether through a church or civic organization, ask them as well. The more items you have, the more potential there is to earn.
Going All Out?
This may be a stretch, but if you do not have any sales like this in your area, it may be worth looking into starting one. In my town, the individual that runs the sale keeps all of the profit since the entire staff is volunteers. This may be unrealistic with the time frame a teacher would have to work in, but it may be something to consider.
In Closing
These children’s consignment sales can be a great way to save an earn money. Below is a list of sales in the Tennessee/Georgia region and a website that has multiple cities to search. If you do have one in your town, but have never been, it is worth the time to check it out.
Chattanooga, TN:
http://chattanooga.jbfsale.com/sellView.jsp
http://dkdkgoose.com/chattanooga/
Ringgold, GA:
http://www.theboutiqueforaweek.com/
Cleveland, TN:
https://alc4kids.wordpress.com/
This website has multiple cities listed:
http://consignmentmommies.com/
Happy Savings!
