Consignment Sale Tips for Buying and Selling

It’s here, it’s here!!!  It’s consignment sale time again in Knoxville.  After having kids, I have learned to appreciate a good consignment sale.  I get most all of my children’s clothes at these sales and it’s the perfect place to pick up some good quality toys for their birthday and Christmas presents.  And now since we know our family is complete, I’ve started selling the twins’ outgrown items.

Since I have now seen both sides to the sales, I thought I would offer 5 tips for buying and 5 tips for selling.

5 Tips for Buying

1. Don’t neglect the small sales.  You can’t escape hearing about the bigger sales in our our area through extensive radio ads, TV exposure, and billboards.  But there are lots of smaller sales too. The items sold are just as good AND the crowds are not nearly as big.  I have found lots of little Lily Pulitzer dresses for $2-$3 at these smaller sales.  I shop at both types of sales.

2. Bring a laundry basket (or wheeled cart).   Why you ask?  To carry your clothes/shoes/toys as you walk down the racks.  I put my basket on the floor in front of me and as I browse through the racks, and just throw the clothes in.  And then I nudge it along with my foot.

3. Take your time.  I know this isn’t possible for everyone, but if you can, leave your kids at home, especially at the big sales.  You will want to take your time going through all the racks–and with multiple children, this can take a long time.  It’s tight quarters between the racks to begin with and strollers make it even harder to get through.  Also, take time to look at the clothes in good light.  Be sure to look for small tears and stains.  Remember–no returns at consignment sales.

4. Know sizes and measurements.  Bring a tape measure.  There aren’t places to try on clothes at the sale, so know what size you need.  Since these are used they may have shrunk or been stretched a little, so it is best to know measurements too.  A tape measure is also important if you are buying a bicycle.  I needed a certain size for my daughter and it wasn’t listed on the index card.  Thanks to my tape measure and Google, I found the right fit.

5. Go in with a plan, but don’t be stuck on particulars.  I always make a list of what I need to buy before I enter the sale.  But it’s pretty generic–I need shirts, pants, dresses, socks, etc.  If I find a certain brand, great.  If it’s a favorite color, even better.  But I don’t get hung up on those.

5 Tips for Selling

1. Don’t neglect the small sales.  Just like I told the buyers, the huge crowds are at the large sales.  But lots of people shop the smaller sales too, so this is the perfect place to stand out.  And since the smaller sales typically limit the number of consignors, you won’t have to fight for rack space.  Sometimes the smaller sales will let you use any tag as long a no one already has claimed your consignor numbers.  I’m selling at both types of sales while using the same tag on all my items.

2. Use lots of safety pins.  Always, always pin your clothing to the safety pin.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen articles of clothing on the floor because they have fallen off the hanger.  You can’t sell something if it’s laying on the floor under all the other clothes.

3. Write legibly.  Since the larger sales in our area require barcodes, many times I see writing that I really can’t read all that well.  Is that a 1 or a 7?  It’s fine you have a barcode, but since some of the smaller sales don’t require them, it makes it hard for someone to interpret your writing and you might lose a sale (or have something sold for less).

4. Work a shift at the sale.  I know–you’ve already done all that hanging and tagging.  You just want it gone.  But if you work a shift at a sale, you not only tend to get a higher % of your profits, but you get to shop early.  And that my friends, is worth working a shift.  This past spring, I found an outdoor playhouse for $40 that retails for $179 at Wal-Mart.  And it was in excellent condition. No way would that have still been there when the sale opened to the public.

5. Price the item to sell!!!  This is the best advice I received when I started selling.  People are buying your clothes, not your memories.  Be mindful of the brands you are selling and don’t over-price.  We all know they sell Garanimals at Wal-Mart, so don’t price a used shirt for $4.  And most sales have a period of time that is half-price .  You can exclude your items from that, but I urge you not to.  If I have something priced at $5, I’d rather come home with $2.50 than to keep my item stored until the next sale.

I hope these tips help you when visiting your next consignment sale.  Do you have additional tips to share with our readers (and me)?  Let me know in the comments below!

We reached out to our readers on Facebook and asked for a listing upcoming sales in the Knoxville area.  A few have already started or are happening this weekend.  Check them out!

July

Southern Belle Kids Consignment Sale,  July 8-12

NW Knoxville Mom’s Club Consignment Sale,  July 12

Jack & Jules Consignment Sale,  July 24-26

August

The Picky Chick Consignment Sale, August 28-30

September

Bookwalter United Methodist Church Consignment Sale, September 5-6

East Maryville Baptist Church Consignment Sale, September 5-6

PBJ’s Children’s Consignment Sale, September 10-13

Cokesbury United Methodist Church Consignment Sale, September 12-13

SweetRepeats Morristown, September 17-20

StateMint (tween, teen, & adult sale), September 18-20

First Baptist Concord Consignment Sale, September 18-20

Hidden Gems Consignment Sale, September 19-20 (located off Dutchtown Rd)

Concord United Methodist Church Consignment Sale, September 20

Westwood Children & Teens Consignment Sale, September 25-27

First Baptist Church of Lenoir City Consignment Sale, September 26-26

October

Duck Duck Goose Consignment Sale, October 1-4

Adopt to Consign Consignment Sale, October 3-4

You can also use Little Red Hen Consignment Tagging Service for consigning if you feel like you don’t have time to consign. Stay tuned next week as she’ll be giving away early shopping passes to the Jack & Jules private sale!