Michigan - ALL CITIES
When we started compiling today’s blog post on power RE-selling, we knew exactly where to start. Natalie Dohanos is one of those rock star shoppers, consignors & now, sale owners. She’s got a rep as an incredible savvy shopper, has great taste and has clearly honed in on the world of finding DEEP CLEARANCE and GREAT quality USED items for her sale! It’s no wonder that her INAURGURAL sale with Encores & More Murfeesboro had over 200 consignors!
Here are Natalie’s Top Tips for Success in the Buy & Sell World of Children’s Resell
1. Garage Sale Baby
Natalie started her resale journey by scouring local garage sales for big ticket items (especially baby items). Strollers, pack n’ plays and Little Tykes items were at the top of her list. She suggests trying to buy up a few of each of the “big ticket” items to both “stock the sale” and to diversify. Natalie credits great mentors in the Encore’s group of sales for showing her the ropes!
2. Learn the Retail Game
Natalie started in retail so she’s got a great pulse on the cycle of promos, sales & clearances. If you aren’t familiar with the cycles or with the concept of “lines,” check out both the websites and FB pages of sites like GymboHaven.com or TargetSavers.com.
3. Make Friends
Store employees and managers are your secret to success in resale. Get to know your local employees and don’t be afraid to ask tough questions: Will this item go on sale soon? Will they be marking these down again? When? Do you have any more clearance items in the back?
4. Ask for More
A lot of stores have very limited “rack space” and will sometimes pull clearance or sale items off the rack and into the back. Don’t be afraid to ask if there’s more you can check out.
5. Look for Coupons
For Gymboree sales, Natalie has been known to purchase the entire rack of Parent’s magazines to score their coupons. You can also check out TargetSavers.com, SouthernSavers.com, BabyCheapSkate.com or other couponing sites to find the best deals. Don’t hesitate to ask store managers what magazines to find coupons in.
6. Sets Sell
Natalie coordinates outfits with tops, bottoms, jackets & accessories. And her “fashionista-ing” pays off… sets sell much faster and typically for a greater combined price than separates. The exception? Fall / winter items can get pricey, so avoid creating sets that exceed reasonable price limits.
7. Assembly Required
With a little elbow grease and a lot of allen-wrenching, you can take a boxed item from hard to imagine to ready to sell. Natalie suggests saving the box to help with merchandising, but assures us that fully-assembled products sell faster and for more!
8. Learn to Google & Search Craigslists
Natalie has had great success in the past buying up boutique & overstock items from store closings or warehouse sales. How does she find them? Lots and lots of Googling & Craigslist searching. Her top terms? Boutique closeout, boutique closing, store closing, overstock, sample sale, warehouse sale.
9. Creative Storage
The retail sales cycle probably won’t line up with your seasonal consignment sale so be prepared to store items until next season. (Check out our collection of storage ideas)
10. Get to Know Your Sale
Volunteer at drop-off and pickup of your favorite sale. You’ll see incoming pricing and then, will see what didn’t sell & why.