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You’ve heard about consignment sales. You know you need to get rid of the clothes, toys and baby stuff your kids have outgrown. You’re ready to dip your toe in the consignment sale pool and have registered to consign. So, what’s next? Let us walk you through the simple steps for how to consign your kids clothing, toys and gear!
1. Make sure you understand the guidelines for the sale.
From category limits to what’s accepted, every sale is a little different. The only universal truth you’ll find at just about every consignment sale is that hangers should point to the left, like a question mark. To be a success, you have to know what’s required of you. If you have questions, reach out to your sale owners. They’re there to help.
2. Check Out Our Favorite Resources
Sources like Pinterest, Youtube and yes, Consignment Mommies, are full of examples on everything from tagging to shopping at a consignment sale. You might save yourself some frustration and learn something new by doing a little research.
3. Determine YOUR biggest money makers.
- Do you have a lot of outgrown kids’ toys and baby gear? Tackle them first.
- Are the clothes taking over the guest room closet or attic? You’ll want to start with them.
- Lower priorities are items like books and shoes.
If you don’t get them tagged for this sale, they’ll probably be fine to sell next season.
4. Prep Your Toys & Gear
- Get your toys and baby stuff as clean as you can, especially those places you don’t think about, like under the seat cover for your stroller or the bottom of the Cozy Coupe. Consignment sale shoppers are savvy. Taking the time to do a little cleaning will help sell your things.
- Don’t forget about checking for recalls! Wemakeitsafer.com is my favorite source to check for recalls. Their search engine is top-notch.
5. Prep Your Clothes
Wash, iron and hang up your clothes, sorting by size and gender.
- Clean: Don’t forget about treating stains!
- Iron: {Confession: I don’t iron every single piece of clothing.} 10-15 minutes in the dryer with a damp t-shirt can sae a lot of time on most clothes. I save the iron for nicer items.
- Bundle: Don’t forget about bundling and creating sets. A cardinal rule of consignment sales: Always create sets from the same size and similar branding. If you’re bundling like items, keep it down to 3 or 4 pieces.
6. Think About Security
When you’re hanging clothing, always make sure items are hanging securely and neatly. Clothes falling off or sliding around on hangers can quickly get lost in the racks. Check out our list of ways to hang pants neatly.
7. Pricing it Right
Items that are reasonably priced will always sell better. Use our pricing guide to help you figure out the best prices for your clothing and other items. If you’re donating items, it’s always a good idea to discount them.
8. Tag Your Items
- Make sure there’s enough information on your tags that they can be matched up to your items if they’re separated.
- Patterns, brands and colors are great notes to add to clothing tags.
- Toys and other items may require a little more creativity, but the brand should always be listed. If there are additional pieces, mention it.
- If there’s a small problem, be honest in your description. If there’s a large problem, don’t consign the item.
9. Be Persistent!
Don’t give up if you get overwhelmed! It’s okay if every single item you wanted to sell doesn’t make it out of the house. The important thing is to not quit tagging.
- Strive for Five: Try tagging five items a day or working on one size from start to finish before you move onto the next section.
- Save it for Later: It’s okay to not get everything finished and dropped off at the sale. There will always be another sale in the future.
- Research Restocking: A growing trend in sales is to restock with more items after a day or two. If you can’t get everything ready by drop-off, ask if you can bring restocking items in a day or two. The worst answer you might hear is no.
10. Prep for Drop-Off
Once your clothes are tagged, you’ll want them to stay organized for transport. My favorite way to bundle them is to drape a garbage bag over the bundle and write the gender and size on it. Alternate the direction of the stacks when you load them in the car is a no-muss, no-fuss option. Just make sure they come out in that same order. Some moms use rubber bands or zip ties to bundle sizes. Whatever you do, keeping sizes together will help when they’re being checked in at your sale. Check out our tips for a quick and smooth drop-off.
Celebrate!! You Did It!!
Once you get everything to your destination, the hard work is finished. You did it! You’ve consigned for the first time. Next time, it’ll be even easier and after a couple of sales, you’ll be a pro. Way to go, Mama!
I’m really interested in participating in this event coming up. I’ve never done it before but I have a HUGE amount of kids/baby clothes that I think will sell very quickly. I just don’t understand how you make the price tag yourself? Help please!! Thanks. -Sheryl Jackson