Top 10 selling items

We all have mountains of stuff our kids have outgrown that we want to get rid of and one of the most frequent questions we get is how well do certain items sell. Everyone wants a good return on the time they spend entering, hanging, and tagging and the best way to get that return is to consign the top selling items! So here is a glimpse of the top 10 categories from the last sale:

10. Books: There are always a large amount of books at the sale, but people love deals on them and will buy them if they are priced right!

9.  Clothing (Especially new with tags): Chose your best items. If you are selling a ton of $2 items it might not be worth your time invested. Chose the best brands you have in the best condition. A little hint is that boys clothing can sell like hot cakes. Around size 5 the selection starts to diminish, so if you have sizes 5 and up, and you price your items to sell, you are almost guaranteed a good sell through rate!

 

8. Costumes (fall) and Dance wear (spring): These items are often used only a couple of times, leaving them in excellent condition. Girl's dance costumes sell well as people buy them for dress-up bin additions.

 

7. Ride-ons: Sales of these items are not effected by the season. Tricycles, bikes, scooters, Rhody bouncers, power wheels, etc. sell very well at both the fall and spring sales.

 

6. Furniture: Gliders, bookshelves, storage/toy organizers, nursery furniture, kid's chairs, stools, etc. all sell well.

 

5. Large toy items: things like kitchens, toy vanities, doll houses, doll furniture, tool workshop sets, easels, etc. are very popular items and often sell during the first 2 days if priced right.

 

4. High end items: We have a case to display and safe-guard your high end items. Designer purses and diaper bags (like Coach and Vera Bradley), American Girl Dolls, and electronics (video games) are some of the the popular items in our high end section. This is another good chance to ask more than the normal 30% of retail as people are wiling to pay more for designer items.

 

3. Toys: We organize our toys by theme and type, so we often get repeats of the same toy. The lower priced item in the best condition will always sell first. Collectible items such as Star Wars, Super heroes, and Barbie fly off the tables! People love toys that are new in the box. Many people will buy toys as gifts for birthdays or Christmas and you can charge more than the recommended 30% of retail for these items since they are brand new. Just make sue that if you call something new in the box that it hasn't been played with. It is very disappointing to open a "New" item that is missing pieces

 

2. Baby Equipment: New mothers comprise a large part of our shopper population and they want the good deals on gently used larger items. High chairs, strollers, swings, exersaucers, play mats, and pack and plays are extremely popular. You have to assemble all of the big equipment so make sure you set it up at home and all of the parts are there. If it uses batteries, put in new ones. That way people will see it works and will buy it.

 

1. Outdoor toys: This is another category that sells out regardless of the season. Little Tykes and Step 2 are some of the more popular brands. Sandboxes, climbing gyms, slides, etc. can boost your sales totals as they normally sell for 50% or sometimes more of their retail price.

 

Now that you know what some of our most popular items are at the sale, get entering! Drop-off sneaks up on you faster than you think!

FAQ

Preparing for the sale:

Do I pin the shirts to the hanger?

If you are hanging a single shirt there is no need to pin it to the hanger.

Do I need a tagging gun? Where do I get a tagging gun?

Tagging guns and extra barbs are used to attach tags to clothing. They are available for purchase from on amazon.com or can be found at office supply stores.  If you don’t have or do not want to purchase a tagging gun you can use safety pins to attach the tags to the clothes.

What’s the rule on baby clothes? How many items can I have for each size?

Hanger Limits-
Girls 0-3 months- 15 hangers
Boys 0-3 months- 15 hangers
Girls 3-6 months- 15 hangers
Boys 3-6 months- 15 hangers
Girls 6-12 months- 15 hangers
Boys 6-12 months- 15 hangers
Girls 12-18 months- 15 hangers
Boys 12-18 months- 15 hangers
Girls 18-24 months- 15 hangers
Boys 18-24 months- 15 hangers
Yes, you can hang multiple items on a hanger- but not more than one set on a hanger. The purpose is for you to choose your best items in these size categories, and save space as we get so much of these sizes.

Do swimsuits count towards my 15 items per size? (Spring Sale ONLY!)

No

Do coats count towards my 15 items per size? (Fall  Sale ONLY!)

Yes

How do I hang multiple items?

Check out the videos here.  The first two videos show how to hang 2 & 3 piece outfits on a single hanger. ONLY ONE OUTFIT PER HANGER!!

Do I have to use wire hangers? Where do I get hangers?

Wire hangers are mandatory. You can get these from any local dry cleaner, often for free. Hangers are also available for purchase for $5 for 50 hangers or you can find them online.

Where do I buy cardstock?

Only white or off-white is acceptable. You can purchase cardstock at office supply stores, Walmart or Target, Michael’s or Joann craft stores, or online. Regular white copy paper will NOT be accepted because it is too flimsy. Tags tear and get lost during sales. Tags will be printed 6 to a page.

Can I sell onesies?

Plain simple onesies (like the plain white ones often used as undershirts) may only be sold if new in package.  Onesies that are meant to wear as shirts may be sold as part of an outfit.  Unlike previous sales, bagged used onesies will not be accepted going forward.

Can I sell maternity?

No. The items do not sell well and will not be included in the sale.

Should I put batteries in toys/monitors/etc?

Yes, shoppers want to be able to check that these items work.  The cheap dollar store batteries are all you need.

Can I sell stuffed animals? Baby dolls?

Stuffed animals that do nothing cannot be sold at the sale; they must talk, dance, or play music.  Baby dolls are allowed.

Can any brand of clothing be sold?

Yes.  The most important part is making sure that the clothes are in good condition, and stain free.  (With the exception of sizes 12 and up and adult clothing which need to be mall brand or better)

Drop-off/Pick up:

Do I need to put out my own items?

Yes.  During drop off you are expected to bring your items to the shopping floor and help hang/place them in the appropriate areas.  There will be volunteers there to assist you.

How long will drop off take?

On average it takes about 30 minutes to drop off items.  If you have a large number of clothing items, it may take longer. If you have over 300 items you will need to select 1 drop off time per every 300 items. The volunteers checking your items in need to inspect each item for rips, stains, and general wear and tear. 

Can I bring my children to drop off?
You may bring your children to drop off, but you might find it goes much easier and quicker if you do not.  You will be required to put your own items onto the sales floor and this could be difficult with kids in tow.

Why would my items be rejected?

If your items show signs of excessive wear or are stained, broken, or not in proper working order, if you use plastic hangers, regular printer paper for printing your tags, or have pinned your items incorrectly, they will not be allowed on the sales floor. If the issue is fixable, you will be allowed to re-submit the item after correction.

Shopping the sale:

When do I get to shop?

The sale opens for presale for volunteers, consignors, and the public with presale passes on the first day of the sale.  Details can be found here.

How do I qualify for the early volunteer sale?

You may choose to give up 5% of your earnings from volunteering to shop the presale before other volunteers and consignors. See the consignor agreement for more information.

Can I bring my husband, Mom, Sister, Friend, etc...to the volunteer or consignor presale?

You may bring your spouse only. Unfortunately we cannot accommodate other guests with consignors/volunteers during the presale.  If your  mother, sister, friend, etc would like to shop the volunteer presale with you they may volunteer for a shift and get a pass to the volunteer presale.  The other option is for them to buy a presale pass for the public presale or to shop the public sale.

 

Where do donations go?

We chose a different charity for each sale. We will inform the consignor group once it is chose for the current sale.

Can I bring a stroller?

Yes.  In the past strollers were not allowed because of tight spaces, but at the new location you may bring one, just not during the pre-sale.

Can I bring my children to the sale?
Yes you can bring your children, but we request that you keep a close eye on them.  Many of the toys are not in boxes and are very tempting to young children, in the past some toys have been made unsellable due to pieces being lost or being broken by unsupervised children.  Please show respect for your fellow consignors and if you bring your children make sure they are with you at all times.