Kids grow up fast and they have stuff. Lots of stuff. Sometimes too much stuff. If you can’t save it for a family member or younger sibling, what do you do? Seasonal local children’s consignment sales can be a great way to stretch the budget without compromising on quality. In the South, we like to dress them up in seersucker Jon Jons and precious smocked dresses as long as we can get away with it. That can get expensive, especially if they only have the chance to wear something really cute once or twice.

About 3 years ago, after the birth of my third child and first daughter Emma, I stood in my sewing room (attic) and stared down a wall of storage bins full of little boys clothing. 5 years’ worth, to be exact. All of it neatly sorted, in bins, by size and season. There were 12, 56 quart clear tubs full of neatly folded boys clothing in total. Confession, I might be a hoarder saver.

My first and only little girl needed a wardrobe! So that Spring, I participated in my first consignment sale and after the initial shock of it wore off, I can honestly say I was hooked. Consignment sales can bring anything and everything. I had no idea what to expect but I decided to take a chance and jump right in. I sorted through the bins and picked out 40 items of clothing to sell. I signed up to volunteer for a shift and WOW did I learn a lot! I think for my first sale, I made about $125.00 and came home with 15 items left over. Okay, trial run over lets’ do this! I entered 2 more sales that season and ended up making over $400 in cash after fees and percentages were settled.

Come that next Fall, I was prepared with a plan in place for how to get the most out of consigning locally!

A quick how-to…

1. Planning the sale season. I have a consignment calendar. Yes, I do and it works well for me. Rows and columns printed on a page where I write down the beginning and ending dates of all the sales for the season. I can quickly determine when each sale is and if I will be able to get my things back in time to re-enter and re-tag in time for the next sale. Participating in multiple sales each season is key to the most return on your time and effort. Determine the sales you can participate in based on what you have to sell. Some sales are higher end clothing only. Some sales move toys and furniture like a boss. Only one or two accept Maternity clothing.
2. Storing and sorting clothes. Whenever I can, I quickly scan the kids closets and pull out whatever will not be worn or handed down. I am fortunate enough to have the clothes saved and stored in a hanging area in my sewing room / attic. Already on hangers, it makes quick work of taking them down where you can enter them into an inventory system for tagging. Other moms use tote bins that they store clothes in, hanger and all. Sorted by gender/size/season, tubs are a convenient way to transport items to and from the sale.
3. Item entry is important. After your inventory is all pulled together, sort by gender then size. Smallest to largest. Then start entering your things. Don’t spend too much time on it but make the description detailed enough to match something up with a missing tag. Tags fall off, a lot, and as a volunteer work very hard to match up items so that YOU don’t loose money.
4. Price it to sell. Price is key. Value the item to be ½ to ⅓ of the original cost. Shop a sale first to do some pricing research. Take 30 – 45 minutes and walk through a sale to check how others are pricing things.
5. Get all your supplies. Get a tagging gun. I promise, you will thank me. And use heavy cardstock for your printed tags.
   • Hangers ($ store plastic kid sized hangers are perfect)
   • Safety pins
   • rubber bands
   • masking tape
   • Sharpie pens
   • Ziplock bags
   • Heavy cardstock or hanging tags like these:  Merchandise Tags

Start small. Pull out 25-30 things and enter them into online inventory. Make a drop-off appointment and see how it works for you. When you go pick up that check, I think you will be bitten with the consignment selling bug.

Spring 2017 Consignment Sales In and Around Memphis

February

Sweet Repeats
Sale Dates: February 1 – 4
Location:  6645 Poplar Ave, Ste 110, Germantown, TN 38138
Contact: sale@sweetrepeatsmemphis.com
Consignor Percentage: $10 fee and receive 50% – 65% depending on your tagging/entry method

Kids Town
Sale Dates: February 4 – 6
Location: Agricenter International, 7777 Walnut Grove Road, Memphis, TN
Contact: info@consignkidstown.com
Consignor Percentage: $10 fee and receive 70%

Emmanuel Clothing Sale
*proceeds benefitting missions
Sale Dates: February 20 – 25
Location: 2404 Kirby Road, Memphis, TN 38119
Contact: emmanuelclothingsale@gmail.com
Consignor Percentage: $10 fee for 160 items and receive 80%

Children’s Clothing Exchange
Sale Dates: February 22 – 26
Location: 1134 N. Germantown Parkway Suite 101, Cordova, TN 38016
Contact: info@ccexsale.com
Consignor Percentage: receive 65%

Blue Door Exchange
*Private residence
Sale Dates: Feb 26 – March 2
Location: 4227 Amber Lane, Memphis, TN 38111
Contact: bluedoorexchange@comcast.net

March

Rhea Lana’s – North Mississippi
Sale Dates: March 1 – 4
Location: Olive Branch Shrine Club, 9765 Goodman Road, Olive Branch, MS
Contact: rhonda@rhealana.com
Consignor Percentage: $10 fee and receive 70% – 80%

Rhea Lana’s – Germantown / Collierville
Sale Dates: March 1 – 4
Location: Agricenter International, 7777 Walnut Grove Road, Memphis, TN
Contact: lauren@rhealana.com
Consignor Percentage: $10 fee and receive 70% – 80%

Sycamore View Consignment Sale
Sycamore View Church of Christ
Sale Dates: March 3 – 4
Location: 1910 Sycamore View Road, Memphis, TN 38134
Contact: svccsale@gmail.com
Consignor Percentage: 70% – 80%

Germantown UMC Children’s Clothing Sale
Sale Dates: March 24 – 25
Location: 2333 West Street, Germantown, TN 38138
Contact: info@gumwclothingsale.com
Consignor Percentage: 70%

Mommy’s Secret Consignment Sale
Sale Dates: March 30 – April 1
Location: Landers Center, 4560 Venture Drive, Southaven, MS 38671
Contact: info@mommyssecret.com
Consignor Percentage: 65% – 75%

Second Blessings Children’s Consignment Sale
*Private residence
Sale Dates: March 30 – April 1
Location: 2052 Cranbrook Drive, Germantown, TN 38138
Contact: secondblessings@gmail.com
Consignor Percentage: $5 fee and 65%

Lil’ Blessings
First Baptist Church – Olive Branch
Sale Dates: March 30 – April 1
Location: 9155 Highland Street, Olive Branch, MS
Contact: info@lilblessings.org
Consignor Percentage:

April

Highland Children’s Clothing Sale
Highland Church of Christ
Sale Dates: April 7 – 8
Location: 400 N. Houston Levee Road, Cordova, TN 38018
Contact: info@highlandclothingsale.com
Consignor Percentage: 75% – 85% (Highest return if you volunteer)

Too Good to Be Through Consignment
Sale Dates: April 13 – 15
Location: OLD Brighton High School, 66 School Street, Brighton, TN
Contact: michelepike1@aol.com
Consignor Percentage:  $10 fee and receive 65%-80%

Dates Still to be Determined

Rhea Lana’s – Greater Memphis
Sale Dates:  
Location:
Contact: ellen@rhealana.com
Consignor Percentage: $10 fee and 70% – 80%

Just Boys Consignment Sale *Private residence
Sale Dates:
Location: 320 South Grove Park Road, Memphis, TN 38117
Website:
Contact: justboyssale@yahoo.com
Consignor Percentage: