Consignors...How do I start?

JodiLinn503 · March 2011

The pile of outgrown/unused stuff in our garage is getting out of control. I need to either get my butt in gear and sign up for the Jack & Jill sale this weekend or try to organize and store it until the next Bumps and Babies sale.

Either way, I'm just not sure how to start! How did you decide what to consign and what to not? What did you do with the items you chose not to consign? For the items you did consign, how did you decide on prices? Any other lessons you learned and are willing to share?

Thanks!!

Seattle_JiLLn · March 2011

There are also stores you can do it at. One by me has you make an appointment and you bring your stiff in. They price everything and tag it and all. Seems a lot easier although of course they do take a cut.

JodiLinn503 · March 2011

Yeah, the stores' cuts are bigger, but all of the ones by me are specific about which season of clothes they're accepting. I don't want to deal with that.

indigo91804 · March 2011

Things sell best by seasons. I wash it and then assess. Would I buy it and how much would I purchase it for if it was used. If it has stains, rips, tears, or holes, I either donate it to the goodwill or throw it away. The rest I sort through. If you are going to do a sale you have to tag yourself, buy a cheap tagging gun. I did this time around and it was worth it. I have a little box put together with extra tags, extra safety pins, scissors, a fine point sharpie, etc. If would say if you are going to do the Jack and Jill then you better get rolling. It took me a lot of time to prep the stuff I had for B & B. More time than one would think. I spent two solid weekends sorting, cleaning, pricing, and tagging. Most of it was somewhat sorted from the last sale.

iHeartHimMore · March 2011

If you have a lot of stuff, it's definitely not a one afternoon job. If you have a couple hours a day this week you should be able to pull at least some of it together in time for Jack & Jill.

indigo is right - stuff for the upcoming season will sell best. And make sure that each item is in really good condition. You want everything to be clean (and pressed, if necessary) and free of holes/stains/missing buttons/etc. Each sale has specific guidelines for tagging (though they're all pretty similar) so definitely check out the Jack & Jill site.

You can tag with safety pins but it's MUCH easier and goes a lot faster (and is way better to work with at the sale) if you use a tagging gun and 1.5"+ fasteners. Make sure that all hangers point to the left (like a question mark) when you're looking at the front of the garment. And make sure that the tags are all visible outside the clothing. (Digging inside necklines to scan things when the line is wrapped around the room sucks big time.) When tagging/pinning, always put it through an inside seam if possible (the best spot is right inside the left sleeve for tops, and a left hip seam for bottoms). NEVER put your pin or gun needle through the front/body of the garment - it damages the garment, leaving visible holes.

As for pricing, I don't think there's a guide on the J&J site, but there's one on the Bumps & Babies Fair site (here). There's actually quite a lot of info in the Guidelines section that you may find helpful about how to select, prep, price and tag items (regardless of whether you end up at J&J or B&B).

If you have any more specific questions, I'm happy to try to answer them.

m&m823 · March 2011

I liked the B&B fair because I made the most back (as in, they took the least commission).

On that note, do you have a bouncy chair or portable swing hanging around?? I may be interested. Big Smile

JodiLinn503 · March 2011

Indigo--Thanks for sharing your experience. It's good to know that it'll take longer to prep than I realize. This is definitely not a week that I'll have a bunch of extra time, so it seems wiser to wait until August (and maybe sell some spring/summer stuff on CL or a local consignment shop?). It's a great idea to buy a tagging gun. With the number of pieces I have, it sounds like it'll be well worth it. Come to think of it...I may just be able to use one from DH's work (he works retail). It's worth asking, I guess. Thanks again!

Michelle (IHHM)--Thanks for such a long response. Your specific tagging info is super helpful. And, the guidelines on the B&B site are AWESOME. You really did a great job. The J&J site has some info also that I looked at (before I posted here) but I felt ilke it didn't give me near the information that the B&B site had when I looked a few weeks ago. I really should have realized what I had and just jumped on the latest B&B sale! ( DH and I agreed that the higher commission and the time factor make it make sense for me to just wait until August.

Michelle (m&m)--I don't have a portable swing, but do have a Rainforest bouncy.Let me know if you're interested.

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Consignors...How do I start?

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