Our area has a Huge Kids Consignment Sale each year, I have spent the last 2-3 weeks getting ready for the sale and I thought it would be a great Time to share a few Tips on Kids Consignment with you. If you haven’t ever considered selling your kids clothes this is a great way to not only clean out and simplify but also to earn back a little of the money you spent on your kids clothes.
Consignment Sales are also a great way to buy kids clothing at a discount. If you shop a Kids Consignment sale you can easily get your kids clothing for as much as 25% of retail which is a HUGE 75% savings!
Find a Local Kids Consignment Sale in your Area!
Before you get started locate a Kids Consignment Sale in your area. I love the Rhea Lana Sale and they have these in over 20 states so there’s a good chance there is one near you, you might also ask your friends or search on Facebook for a local consignment group if you don’t know of a sale in your area.
Here are a few tips for getting ready to consign your kids clothes!
1. Sort your clothing!
I spent the first day determining what I wanted to keep and what I wanted to donate and what I wanted to sell. I started with 3 boxes, one for each category and that made going through all of my kids clothing quick and easy.
Remember: You typically only want to sell your best clothing at a Consignment Sale, items that are worn or stained will not sell and are better off donated to a local charity if it’s not worth your time to wash it, tag it and pick it back up then just give it away and save yourself a little time, I find this also helps make the task a little less overwhelming.
2. Wash your clothing!
It doesn’t really matter where your clothing has been stored, washing your items before you hang them will remove musty smells, get rid of dirt and minor stains and also help to get rid of wrinkles in your clothing.
I like to add Oxi-Clean and a scent booster like Downy Unstopables when I’m washing my clothes, these items help get the stains out + Add a clean fragrance to my clothing.
3. Iron & Hang your Clothing!
I know, I know… I don’t iron my kids clothes on a regular basis so I can just see some of you rolling your eyes when I mention ironing kids clothing, but the truth is Presentation is Everything!!! It’s just like a store dressing up their windows for the holidays, the way your item looks on a hanger will determine the price you can get for it. Try reminding yourself that you will sell more and ultimately make more if you take the time to iron things that need it.
TIP: You can also use this Homemade Downy Wrinkle Release to Spray items as they come out of the dryer then shake and hang, that works really well on cotton tees and other items that are soft fabrics. I used this method to avoid having to iron every item, then I focused my ironing time on really wrinkled items and dresses that were more expensive.
4. Pair Items Together!
If you have items from brands like Matilda Jane or Gymboree it’s a great idea to pair those items from the same collection together. For example, pairing the Whale Tee from Gymboree with the matching Whale Shorts could and giving them one price will gain a higher purchase price! Also, don’t forget that if you have bloomers for your girls dresses those can also be pinned to the dress having a complete set increases the value of the items.
5. Package Loose Items in a Ziploc Bag!
It’s important that loose items stay together because most people won’t buy just one shoe and things often get piled high at consignment sales so it’s important to make sure you items are secure.
If you have an item with small parts, place them in a plastic bag and then safety pin the bag to a larger piece of the set. You can also place shoes inside a plastic bag with the tag inside to avoid the tags getting tangled in the shoe bin.
6. Get Organized!
When you are pricing or tagging your items start by sorting your clothing by size, this will help you be consistent in your pricing. It is also a good idea to pay attention to the way items need to be priced, each sale I have participated in has a different pricing method so make sure you read the rules before you start pricing your items.
7. Be Competitive!
Remember your items are only worth what someone else will pay for them. Try to shop at the sale where you sell items because it’s a good idea to know how other people price similar items. Most of the time Consignment sale items sell for around 25-30% of the retail price. So an item that was originally $10 will sell for around $2.50, an item that was $40 might sell for $12.
I also take advantage of the half price sales the last few days of the consignment sale, this allows me to mark my items to be sold at half price which typically if I don’t need an item I would rather sell it at Half Price than bring it back home :)
Kids Consignment Sales Online!
If you can’t find a Kids Consignment Sale in your area there are several online versions of Consignment sales. Check out the following websites for Online Consignment Style pricing and affordable used Clothing:
ThreadUp.com This site is a great place to sell your used children’s clothing or buy new clothing! You can even search by “New with Tags” In order to find items that haven’t ever been worn!
Sign up for ThreadUp.com Here!
LikeTwice.com This is a similar site for adult clothing, you can buy and sell used clothing online! I have had great luck with this site.
Sign up for LikeTwice.com Here!
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