Are You Overpricing?  

If you are disappointed in your sell thru rate and you re you looking to increase it, here are some areas to consider.

Bedding: Most people have crib sheets on their registry.  We don’t take crib bedding sets for this reason.  If you have toddler, twin, standard, or queen bed sets, price them very low.  Bedding can be very personal and people want what they want.  However, if it’s prices low enough, they may want yours!  We suggest around 15% of retail for this category.

Decor: People have a specific theme for their children’s bedrooms, it isn’t likely that your theme is their theme.  However, if it is priced low enough, your theme just might become their theme!  We suggest 25%-30% retail.  Any other decor items, 15%-20% of retail.

Formal Gowns: We know you paid a bundle for that bridesmaid or prom dress however, if you want it to sell you need to price low.  You are not going to recoup your money for that dress, at all, ever.  We suggest 15% of retail for this category.

Clothing: Sizes 0-24 months.  These are the categories that inventory is in abundance.  Everyone gets tons of these items at their shower.  Also, babies don’t generally wear out their clothing before they grow out of it.  Make sets and price low so yours are the ones sold!

How to Prepare and Tag Shoes

There are some items that are simply awkward to tag. Shoes fall into that category. We often get questions on the best way to approach the prep and tagging so I will break it down for you!

1. The most important thing is condition. People want shoes in excellent condition. We do not accept shoes with major scuffs on the toe or ones that are dirty. Please take the time to clean your shoes well. If they are leather, you can use a magic eraser to get them in shape. Just a few minutes on your part can mean the difference of shoes that sell and those that don't.

 

2. Seasonality. We only accept seasonal shoes. If you are prepping for the spring sale, this means you can include sandals, water shoes, flip flops, rain boots, and even cleats for sports. For the winter sale we accept snow boots and heavier shoes with fuzzy lining.

 

 3. Keep the shoes from getting separated. No one wants to buy 1 shoe. This means your shoes need to stay together throughout the sale. The best way to keep them together is with zipties. Most shoes have some place where you can slip a ziptie through. You can go through a shoelace hole (if the shoes have them) or many styles have a loop on the heel end that can be used to slip a zip tie through and pair them up. If there is no where to attach a ziptie, you can use a large rubber band to hold shoes together. Baby crib shoes, booties, Robeez, slippers, or other small shoes can be placed in Ziploc bags with the tag taped or pinned to the inside.

 

 4. How to tag. It is a good idea to reinforce the tag (where you will punch the hole) with a small piece of packing tape. Then, using a hole punch, punch a hole in the tag (at the top of tag). If you are using a ziptie, loop it through the first shoe, then through the hole in the tag, and then through the second shoe, and secure the ziptie. Also shoes are notorious for losing tags so use blue painters tape on the bottom of each and put your consignor number and item number on them as well.

 

 

What you need to know about selling Juniors clothing

Tweens and teens, they are really picky about their clothes, aren't they? Well, at the RI Kids Consignment Sale, we want only the top brands and most in-style clothes for this selective bunch. Here are some of the rues for consigning Juniors items:

Juniors clothing are odd sizes 0-15 (0, 1, 3, 5, etc.). Don't get these confused with women's clothing which are even sizes. The clothing cannot be more than 3 years old and must come from MALL store or better.  Check out the lists for acceptable and unacceptable brands and stores. We realize this list can not possibly be all-inclusive so please email rikidsquestions@gmail.com if you need clarification on a brand!

Unacceptable brands and stores:

 Acceptable brands and stores:

 

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!

This NOT That: A Photo Guide to answer some FAQs

We know there are a lot of things to consider when consigning your items. From the supply needs to categorizing your items, it can get confusing, even for the veteran consignor. Here are a few topics with photos to help guide you along the way.

 

Supplies

Hangers are number 1! They need to be wire and facing the right way.

I know my toys work, do I really need batteries?? YES!!

 

 

Feeding Supplies


We welcome bottles and sippy cups, but please no used nipples or valves.

Dress Up and Dancewear

Because of space constraints only dancewear is allowed at the Spring Sale. Save your costumes for the Fall!

Define "Gently Used"

We want your kids shoes, but we don't want them to look like they are going to walk by themselves!

 

Seasonality

 

There are some fine lines and we know seasons in New England overlap a little, but no one wants to wear cuordoroys and fleece in summer, am I right??