These days, a dollar goes a long way. Consignment sales are a fantastic way to make that dollar stretch just a little bit further. I have been with the Just Between Friends sale of Aurora for a few years now, and I love everything about it. There is so much that goes into it, there are so many friends that are made, and it really is awesome to see how things develop from beginning to end. There are a TON of ways to participate and maximize your dollar, but since we are still a way off from the sale, this week I am going to focus on getting your stuff ready to consign. It may seem like a daunting task at the beginning, but if you just take it step by step you will be ready for drop off in no time! Everyone who consigns has their own way of doing things, and after the first or second time you will find your own groove as well, but these are the steps that I have found really work for me, especially because I can do them over a length of time rather than all at once.
GET SIGNED UP: Before you start doing anything, the first step is to get signed up! Just Between Friends Aurora has a great new site that is extremely user-friendly! Sign up HERE. If you scroll down to the bottom of the homepage, you will see a few sections (Corporate, shop, sell, volunteer, etc). Under sell you will find a lot of useful resources, such as a pricing guideline and how to video’s. These are great to check out. You will notice that there are a lot of options, such as volunteering and vendors etc. Volunteering is a GREAT way to help out and get in early on the good stuff, and being a vendor is a guaranteed way to get your product in front of your target audience. If you are a vendor, contact Caryn Berg immediately as those spots are almost filled!
GATHER YOUR STUFF: My kids and I did the first part of this over the weekend. We gutted out their playroom (literally, we pulled everything out and then put it back in after going through it all one by one). With older kids it is a great idea to get them to give you an idea or two of what they are willing to put in the sale. I was actually surprised by their answers, and I ended up putting a few items in the “sell” pile that I otherwise wouldn’t have.
The clothes are a two-part process for me. I have a bin at the top of their closet, and each time I notice something is too small I throw it up there. And then, when it gets to this time of the year, I go through each drawer and the closet and add other pieces of clothing that they have outgrown to that bucket.
Go through the kitchen stuff. Yep, you can sell those little bowls that your kids have sadly gotten too big for! Go through the bedroom. How many humidifiers do you need in one room anyhow? And definitely go through the accessories. Those little heads have gotten bigger, too. Hats, headbands and belts are all things that you can sell at the sale! And definitely go through the DVD’s, books, puzzles, games and ANYTHING kid-related. And finally, if you are done having kiddo’s, don’t forget that you can sell your maternity clothes!
Now that you have everything gathered, it is time to…
CLEAN EVERYTHING THOROUGHLY: Toys are pretty easy to clean. I usually sit down with my Clorox wipes, some q-tips, a wet washcloth, and an eyeglass cleaner (if you are selling cd’s or DVD’s). Some of the smaller toys can be cleaned simply by putting them through the dishwasher.
Even if the clothes are already cleaned and hanging in the closet, I send them through the washer again. Bring them outside in the sunshine or in a room with bright light to find any stains that need to be removed (Zout works great, as do bleach sticks). Wash and dry everything using a non-scented detergent.
For your larger items, like strollers and pack-n-plays, make sure that you are cleaning every place those little hands have been! If the fabric can be put through the washer, then clean them this way. But make sure that everything is as clean as you would want it to be.
BUNDLE: Make sure you have ALL of the pieces of a puzzle, game, toy etc. Put the extra pieces in a bag and tape them to the toy if necessary.
Clothes may take a bit more time. If you had favorite outfits (shirts and pants etc), then put those together. If you put things together, make sure that the sizes are the same. If you have a really nice shirt, dress, or pair of pants that can go with many different things, they don’t need to be put with something else. Just be sure to price accordingly.
For larger items, make sure all pieces are there. All belts should be included in the stroller, the trays need to be included with the highchair, and the hanging toys should be included with the mobiles.
Now that everything is gathered and clean, you are all set to start inputting and tagging! Next week’s article will cover just that!
