FAQ
How Do I Get Started?
First of all, you need to know when and where the sales will be held. You can check the classified ads in your local Parent magazine or on Craigslist. And here are some great websites that list consignment sales.
National: www.kidsconsignmentsales.com
National: www.consignmentmommies.com
Middle Tennessee: www.consigningtime.com
Minneapolis/St. Paul: www.twincitieskidssales.com
Once you find out about the sales in your area, you need to decide if you will only be shopping, or selling too. I would suggest that you shop a few before taking the plunge into selling.
Shopping Only
If you just want to shop at the consignment sale, be ready for some good deals! Make sure you know the dates and times for the Public Sale. And check out my article on Tips for Shopping at consignment sales.
Shopping and Selling
Welcome to the world of presales and tagging! I have lots of good articles for getting ready for the sale. Check out the Selling articles here.
What is a Consignment Sale?
Merriam-Webster defines consign as a verb meaning "to send or address to an agent to be cared for or sold." Simply put, that says when you consign something, you give it to someone else to sell for you. They will keep a portion of the sale price and you get the rest.
A consignment sale is different from a consignment store.
A consignment store is a brick and mortar store. You might actually consign your items with them, where they sell them for you, or you might get paid up-front for the items that you take to them. The children's consignment stores that pay up-front give only a fraction of what the items are worth. One mom I spoke with said that she averaged 83 cents per item after taking her name-brand clothes to a consignment store. It is only a good deal if you absolutely don't have the time to sell at a consignment sale or don't have a sale in your area.
A seasonal consignment sale is a sale that is put on by a church, organization, group of people, etc. It is seasonal in nature, usually a spring sale and a fall sale. It is not in a brick and mortar store. They can be held in churches, hotel conference rooms, school gymnasiums, clubhouses, or in a person's backyard. Most seasonal consignment sales are for children's clothing and toys. I know of a few that are for adult clothing and home goods. Consignment sales are set up, in general, where the consignor pays a $5-$15 participation fee and retains 70% of the sales price. The consignor has to tag and price all of their items before taking them to the sale. Because these sales are seasonal and are only available for a week or less at a time, you have to be "in the loop" to know when and where they will be held.
See the How to Get Started article to get in the loop.
How Much Should I Ask For My Items?
Coming Soon
