How to Prepare Your Items

·                     Hang ALL CLOTHING ITEMS, including pajamas, on hangers, with the hook pointing to the left as shown above. We prefer and recommend PLAIN WIRE HANGERS, but you needn’t go out and buy them!  Any sturdy hanger will do.  Pants should be hung on hangers using large safety pins towards the middle of the waist, to prevent slipping. Outfits should be arranged as shown, with the top in front, and pants hung on back. Attach matching bows, socks, etc, with safety pins or cable ties.

·                     Attach one consignor tag to each item or outfit, placing the tag to the upper right as shown.  You can use LARGE safety pins or zip/cable ties, which keep tags attached much more securely.

·                     For onesies, socks, and other small items, place same-size items in Ziploc bags, and attach your consignor tag using clear packing tape. Be sure to tape Ziploc bags closed securely using clear packing tape.  This will help to prevent loss or theft of your items.

·                     Please bag ONLY onesies, socks, tights, newborn caps, and bibs. Any other clothing items MUST BE ON HANGERS. Accessories (hats, gloves, belts, etc.) should be individually tagged or zip tied in lots so that shoppers may inspect them.

·                     For strollers, cribs, highchairs, car seats, and other large items, tags may be attached using cable ties or clear packing tape.

·                     Please secure puzzles and toys with multiple pieces using cellophane wrap or ziplock bags, and attach ONE tag.

How to Prepare Your Tags

·                     First, please review the list of items we accept at the bottom.

·                     We find it easiest to sort clothing items by gender and size first. This makes item entry go very quickly!

·                     After you've registered and sorted your items, you can start entering your items here on the tags provided in a Microsoft Excel or Word format! 

·                      Please enter a detailed description of your item, including the brand name, on the tag.

·                     Use only white card stock paper, not thin paper, to print out your tags. Using a dark color may make the tag unreadable.

·                     We can not sell items without tags, so please attach your tags securely. Painter’s tape works well for books and puzzles (clear packing tape may tear them at check-out.)

·                     Please use safety pins or cable ties to keep multiple-piece items together (car seats and strollers, game systems and cartridges, toys and their cases, etc.)

·                     We use your tags to tally your total sales, so they must remain intact - even after we remove them at checkout! USE ONLY CARD STOCK PAPER!

How to Price Your Items

·                     A good rule of thumb for clothing is to price your item at about 25% to 50% of what the item sold for when new, on sale. So an item that retailed at $25.00, but sold at clearance for $10.00 should be priced between $2.00 and $5.00. Consider the condition of your item. If it’s in like new condition, or still has the tags on, you can price it higher than if it’s more "lived in."

·                     Outfits are worth more than the sum of their parts! That is, a shirt might sell for only $2.00 and a pair of pants might sell for only $3.00. But the outfit, together, could sell for more than $5.00. Add a matching bow and socks, and the value goes up even more!

·                     For toys and equipment, consider the original price, the condition, and the availability of the item. Be sure to check the recall list at the Consumer Product Safety Commission website to ensure that your items have not been recalled.  We can not accept recalled items.

·                     Keep in mind that some of our shoppers rely on the consignment sale to clothe their families, and give their children toys. Wouldn’t you rather sell your stuff, even at 50% off, than take it back home?

·                     http://consignmentmommies.com/Resources/ClothingGuide.htm

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Helpful Hints

·                     For clothing with range sizing (6-12 months, for example), or unusual sizing (European sizing, or “medium”) use your experience with the garment and good mama judgment to assign a SINGLE size value. If an item is size 5 but fits like a 4t, enter it as a 4t and include “fits like 4t” in the description and we’ll place it in the area where 4t shoppers can find it!

·                     Clothing items sell best when on a hanger! You can bag like items such as socks, but if you pin the bag to a hanger, those socks are much more likely to sell! Clothing also sells better when freshly laundered and ironed.

·                     A picture is worth a thousand words! Take a picture of items before you bag or disassemble them and attach the picture to your item. For example, it's difficult to picture how a crib set will look when it's folded up, but your picture can show a potential buyer exactly how cute your item is! Selling a sling? Take a picture of your baby being worn in it and attach that! Cuteness sells, and a picture helps explain how an item works!

·                     Have a game or piece of equipment to sell, but you've lost the directions? A lot of the directions can be found and printed from the internet! Including directions for complex items can make a buyer feel more confident buying it!

·                     Have a large lot of like items? A collection of Thomas trains or Little People play sets, for example? While a single buyer MAY consider buying your whole collection for $50, you're more likely to sell those items in smaller lots of $15 or $20. The opposite can be true for clothing items. You can often sell coordinated outfits for more than you would get for the individual pieces.

·                     Most first-time moms receive LOTS of clothing for their babies. That means few are buying small sizes at consignment. Price your items smaller than size 12 months VERY COMPETETIVELY. We receive TONS of clothing items in the small sizes and the lower-priced items are more likely to sell. Lots work well in these smaller sizes, too. For example, your hanger of three sleepers priced at $2, is more likely to sell than a single sleeper priced at $2.

·                     Don't forget that consignment shoppers don't attach the same sentimental value to your items that you do. Those shoes may be the ones your child was wearing when he took his first steps, but that alone doesn't justify a high price. Price your items on their MERITS, not their MEMORIES!

Items We Accept

·                     Children's clothing, shoes, and accessories, sizes preemie to 16 and Juniors, gently-used and freshly-laundered.   We also accept nursing tops and maternity clothes. In the Fall/Winter sale, we accept cold-weather clothing.  In the Spring/Summer sale, we accept warm-weather clothing and swimwear.

·                     Children’s equipment:  strollers, car seats less than 5 years old, highchairs, booster seats, etc.

·                     Children’s toys, books, puzzles, videos, cd’s and dvd’s, in working order, rated appropriately for children. Ratings may not exceed PG13 or E10. We also accept books and videos about pregnancy, labor, breastfeeding and child-rearing.

·                     Children’s accessories:  diaper bags, slings and carriers, feeding items, breastfeeding and pumping supplies, unexpired formula, baby-proofing items, gates, etc.

·                     Children’s décor:  bedding, picture frames, mobiles, rugs, lamps, etc.

·                     Children’s furniture:  cribs that comply with current CPSC regulations (see http://www.cpsc.gov/info/cribs/index.html), pack-n-plays, toy boxes, shelves, tables, play houses, beds, etc.

Items We Do NOT Accept

·                     Items that have been recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. All consignors should review the recall list to ensure that their items are not deemed unsafe for children.

·                     Any crib manufactured prior to July 23, 2010. http://www.cpsc.gov/info/cribs/index.html You may however convert your crib to a toddler bed and sell it that way.

·                     http://consignmentmommies.com/Resources/RecallsandSafety.htm

·                     Items suspected of containing prohibited levels of lead or phthalates.

·                     Stuffed animals.

·                     Stained clothing, or clothing with holes, missing buttons, broken zippers, or unpleasant odors, including cigarette smoke.   Due to space constraints, out-of-season clothing is also not accepted.

·                     Broken or dirty items.  Battery-operated items sell best when a battery is included to demonstrate if/how the item works.   Please give outdoor toys a good rinsing off before bringing to the sale.  Booster seats, strollers and high chairs don’t sell well with the previous owners’ snacks included!

·                     Adult clothing, other than nursing tops or maternity.