Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Day 5 Drop-Off's: Brea's Favorite Things

Well, today was the last day of drop-off.  It was a jammed packed day of scheduled appointments and we got some awesome items in just in time! 

We are all working as hard and as fast as we can to make sense of all that is already at the sale...It takes time, energy, and LOTS of amazing help. 

Here are my favorite things from Day 5!

Brea's Top 5:

1.  American Girl Bitty Baby Twins $60
2.  3 Firetruck Toddler Beds with the adorable features and light on top $100 each
3.  Moses Basket with Rocking Stand (Gender Neutral) $25
4.  Pink Leapster with Case and 4 Games $20
5.  2 Wiggles Cozy Coupes RETIRED AND SUPER HARD TO FIND $12 and $25

ALSO, Don't for get if you need extra money to fund your new purchases, we will have someone on hand THURSDAY NIGHT (tomorrow) from 3-7 at the sale.  They will be paying CASH for your unwanted gold and it is TOP DOLLAR CASH.  I have worked with them before and they are wonderful and have a great reputation.

It is happening.  I can't wait to see the look on people's faces when they see the selection.  Thank you for all of your support for this sale!!!

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Day 4 of Drop-Off: Brea's Favorite Things

Yeah, I'm pooped.

We officially hit a record today: 271 consignors dropped off in one day. Insane. I'm truly sorry for those of you that arrived between 4-6pm. I promise we had no wait for racks earlier in the week, but EVERYONE decided to drop off tonight. It was nuts, but it still worked and the longest anyone waited was an hour. THANKS for all the patience!

Also, a HUGE shout out to our AMAZING workers. It always shocks me at how many people literally show up wanting to help. They don't realize that I ask God to watch out for us and he literally dumps people in our laps to help us get that place organized.

Ok, so here's the facts: so far, we have 10 cribs. over 30 pack-n-plays. over 100 strollers. over 10 outdoor toys including play houses, slides, activity centers, etc. we have more clothes than anyone could ever need, but I know we will sell most of them. The shoes are top notch, seriously. I snagged a pair of Merrell tennis shoes for M.E. today for $10. My other favorite find was a Mini Boden coat for M.E. for $12. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Mini Boden.

I'll also take this moment to share my philosophy on early shopping. There are 5 people that shop before the 3pm workers (the first worker shift). It is me (although I don't buy as much as you would think, I'm too busy working to shop), my little sister Ali, my mother in law Barbara, our sale manager Natalie and my best friend Angie. Natalie and Angie both work about 200 hours each so I figure the least I can do is let them shop early. I tell you this because I can't stand when you work a ton of hours at a sale, only to come back to shop and NOTHING you want is still there. I truly believe that those who work the hardest deserve to get the pick of the litter. We truly LOVE our workers so we want them to be able to walk away knowing that their hard work definitely paid off when it comes time to shop.

Ok, enough of the mushy stuff. Time to talk DEALS! Here's my top 5 favorite DEALS of the day. If you didn't get to drop off, no worries....you can bring items to restock on Sunday from 1-3 and Monday-Wednesday from 11-5. Stuff sells great next week too so don't hesitate to pull out items and start tagging.

Brea's Top 5:
1. Lelli Kelly high top tennis shoes girls size 12 $12 (these shoes are AMAZING!)
2. Ragazzi crib $150
3. Bumbo $8
4. loads of play food and stainless steel dishes for a play kitchen $5 each
5. BLUE wooden play kitchen with loads of accessories (and we all know how hard it is to find a boy colored kitchen!) $60

Stay tuned as I list my top five from our last day of APPOINTMENT ONLY drop off on Wednesday...and yes, all appointments are FULL! THANKS TO OUR GREAT CONSIGNORS!

Monday, August 2, 2010

Day 3 Drop-off: Brea's Favorite Things

Yep, it's official, I'm getting old. My body aches, literally aches, in places I didn't know could hurt. I already know that when I wake up in the morning, I will be just as sore as I am laying here in bed. Plus, I have to tell you that I'm pretty hacked off I missed the finale of the Bachelorette, but hey, the consignment sale is more important.

I got to see 179 faces dropping off today and man, oh man, did you bring the stuff! We are expecting about 300 to general drop-off tomorrow so PLEASE bring some patience with you when you come. We are working our tails off to make sure you guys come in AND leave happy, but please know that if we don't inspect everything that comes in, you won't be pleased when you shop. We now have 5 toddler beds, multiples of cribs, literally at least 70 strollers and more toys and shoes than is physically possible to contain. We are just praying that God stretches the racks (and we know he will) and that everyone remains patient with us during general drop off tomorrow. We have the BEST consignors so I know I shouldn't worry!

Here's my top 5 from today. Again, please don't hesitate to leave any questions you might have and I'll be happy to get back to you:

1. Britax car seat for special needs child $100 (retails for over $600)
2. Junior set of golf clubs with bag $10
3. Awesome Little Tikes outdoor climbing toy $35 (yes, only $35 and this sucker is HUGE!)
4. Little Tikes slide $8
5. Little Tikes castle with slide $50

Stay tuned as I will update again on Tuesday night! Oh, and Jenna, we have several side by side double strollers AND a bunch of front/back doubles! Prices go from $45-$150. Hope that helps!

Day 2 of Drop-off: Brea's Favorite Things

Yes, I know I'm a little late in getting my favorite things post from Sunday, but we were there setting up more racks until almost 11pm and by the time I finished answering emails it was 1am, so I figured it could wait right? :)

Sunday's drop-off was amazing! We had about 200 people drop-off in under 6 hours. Some amazing stuff is being brought in! For those of you that asked a few questions in the last post. Yes, I have seen several sit and stand strollers including an amazing TRIPLE one....it has two spots for the small ones and then the seat in the back. SO COOL! I will check prices on sit and stands and post that tonight. I have also seen multiple plastic toy boxes, but only a few wooden ones so far. Again, I'll check prices and post that tonight. I have seen several of the plastic vanities, but a super cool princess wooden vanity came in yesterday. On push cars, I know we have gotten at least two of the primary colored ones that would work for a boy (red, blue).

PLEASE feel free to post comments about what you are looking for and I'll be happy to check and see if we have any yet.

Brea's Top 5 for Sunday, 8/1:
1. Entire wooden twin bedroom set: includes twin bed, dresser, desk with chair $200
2. Little Tikes pink play house that has never been outdoors $100
3. The amazing sit and stand stroller I mentioned above. Looks BRAND NEW $225
4. Girls 12M Matilda Jane knot dress with ruffle pants. $40
5. I say this in all seriousness. I have never seen so much new and used Gymboree in my life. So I am stuffing this all in on #5. Seriously, if you love Gymboree clothes, you must attend this sale. I even saw two piece outfits come in yesterday for $4!

Check back tonight for my post on Monday's favorite things. General drop off today from 10-6!

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Day 1 Drop Off: Brea's Favorite Things

Today was our first day of drop-off for our Fall/Winter 2010 sale. I am so tired. I have realized that we only do this two times a year because it takes my body all the months in between to prepare for the next one!

So, in Encores North tradition, I like to list my top 5 things that came in during that day's drop-off. Let me start off by saying that we have had just shy of 200 people drop-off so far and I swear, we already have enough stuff to start shopping tomorrow! Seriously! We already have over 30 strollers, 3 cribs, exersaucers galore and I haven't even talked about clothing! The girls checking in clothing are being pickier than ever so please don't be upset if they send you back home with your stained items or they have you rehang your items so that they sell better, I promise they do all this to keep the quality of our sale top notch!

We have 1200 consignors signed up to participate so the next four days should be insane. I'm hoping we get LOADS and LOADS of large items as those items seem to sell as quickly as we get them. Things like cribs, toddler beds, bikes, outdoor toys, etc.

Here's my top five items that I picked for Saturday, July 31:

1. American Girl Julie doll in box $60
2. Bratt Decor Venetian Crib (retails for over $1000) $450
3. Cozy Coupe push car $10
4. BRAND NEW Skip Hop camo diaper bag $10
5. Thomas the Tank Engine lot: includes 40 wooden trains with carrying case and loads of wooden track $100

Check back tomorrow night and I'll post my next top 5. Also, feel free to leave a comment of what you are hoping to find or if you want to know if we have gotten a specific item and I'll be happy to answer your question in my post tomorrow!

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

It's Time....

for the Fall/Winter 2010 consigning season. Nuts huh?

I don't know where you live, but here it is 100 degrees and HOT so the thought of shopping for sweaters and jackets makes me want to sweat just thinking about it.

Not only is it time to start getting your personal items tagged to get ready to sale, it's also time to start making those lists of what you need for the upcoming seasons. Here's a few things to be doing now so you don't get caught shopping without a list of things you need:

1. Go get all your kid's feet measured. There is nothing worse than guessing on size and then getting home with tons of cute shoes and then none of them fitting.

2. Try on last season's clothing on your kids. What sizes do you really need and can you get away with using some of those old sizes again this season? I personally sell everything from the previous season simply because I know I am going to overbuy for the next season (as usual) and the old stuff will be the last thing I tend to put on them so why not sell it now when I can get more money for it.

3. Make a list of birthdays/holidays/etc. that are coming up. What are your kids going to want for Christmas? Trust me, YOU are the only person that will ever know you bought the toy used so why not save the money! Especially think about things like movies and books where you can literally find those items at 75-90% off the original retail so those are great items to buy used.

4. If you are redecorating your kid's rooms, think about themes you can go with. I personally feel like some of the best deals you will find at consignment are on kid's bedding and room decor so definitely put a theme in place before you shop otherwise you will impulse buy.

5. For all those mommy's of girls: make a list of hairbows you are going to need. I know at our sale, we have an amazing selection of bows and I tend to buy colors I don't need simply because I didn't have a list.

I have a wonderful little black book I keep in my purse where I keep all this information. I also keep a list of items my friends are looking for along with their cell number and that way if I am out shopping and spot something, I can get their approval to buy it!

Monday, March 8, 2010

A few of my favorite things...

So, a few sales ago, I started posting each night about my favorite things I had seen come in during drop-off. I always picked my top 5. Well, tonight, I am going to pick my top 15 since I haven't updated in 3 nights. Hope that's ok!

1. American Girl doll with extra outfit $50
2. Pink Step 2 Pig toy chest $35
3. Pink Peg Perego highchair $50
4. HUGE Lot of Geotrax $75
5. muliple wii games : $15 each
6. Bob ironman jogging stroller $200
7. HARD TO FIND Wiggles Power Wheels Big Red Car $60 (SO COOL!)
8. Bumbo $10
9. All the brand new in package Melissa and Doug wooden toys !
10. Janie and Jack 3-6 Month outfit $3
11. Matilda Jane skirt set $15
12. Double Chicco stroller $120 (like brand new)
13. Princess doll stroller $4
14. Pink Converse high tops in my daughter's size $4
15. Full size Pottery Barn Kids patchwork quilt with sham $40

I feel like I barely scratched the surface. I'll do a better job tomorrow!

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Getting It Ready: Day 6: Clothing

If you are like me, getting clothing ready for the sale can honestly become a MAJOR chore. I literally spend hours pulling clothing out of bins, hanging sets, ironing, searching for stains, etc. I have to remind myself how much it is all worth it once I get that check. Here are a few tips that will hopefully make getting your clothing together a little easier:

1. As you pack up clothing that no longer fits, fold sets together in the bin. This makes it so much easier when it's time to start matching up sets.

2. If YOU think it looks too worn, is outdated, has stains, etc. go ahead and donate it. If you find issue with it why would you want someone else to get home with it?

3. Hang pants, shorts and nice sets on paper covered hangers. They just look so much nicer on paper and the paper keeps the individual pieces from sliding around. When they look better, they sell for a higher price.

4. Think about what you would pay for clothing as you price it. Also try to take emotions out of pricing. So many times people price things too high because they have fond memories of their child wearing the outfit only to be disappointed when it doesn't sell. I have found that pricing clothing at 75% off what you originally paid gets it sold.

5. The higher the size, the better it sells. Don't forget while pricing that many people receive sizes 0-12 months as shower gifts so it's harder to resell those sizes. In my opinion, boy clothing that is name brand and in great condition sells for a higher price and faster than girl clothing.

6. Sets sell better than pieces. The only time I will bust up a set is if the top is a different size from the bottom. Many times, especially on my boys' clothing, I will put a Gymboree top with a Gap pair of shorts. People like to buy in sets because they don't have to turn around and search out matching pieces.

Next post: final tips on getting it all done!

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Getting It Ready: Day 5: Ride On Toys

If you want to make some serious $ at a consignment sale, consign your child's riding toys.

I have ran a consignment sale for 5 1/2 years and I can tell you it is probably THE category that sells the best. Workers and consignors typically run to grab the tag off a cozy coupe, battery powered jeep, or bicycle. We are lucky if we have any ride on toys left two days into the consignment sale.

Want to get top dollar for your ride on toy? Keep these tips in mind...

1. Clean your ride on toys! We all know that your children typically use these toys outdoors, so it's not unusual that they will need a good cleaning prior to selling. A clean cozy coupe will easily bring $20-$25 but if it's not clean, many times they won't sell for more than $10. Clorox wipes will usually do the trick on most ride on toys. During the summer, before the fall sale, I always let my kids do a car wash on the toys we plan to sell. They put on their swimsuits and clean the toys with soap and water. They think it's a fun game and I get all my stuff sparkling clean...it's a great game!

2. Make sure all the parts are included and work. On a power wheels, a dead battery will keep you from being able to sell a Barbie jeep. Did you know many of the discount battery stores sell batteries that will work for these vehicles? To me, it's worth spending $30 on a battery to turn around and sell it for $75. All keep in mind that most manufacturers sell replacement parts via their website, so when it doubt, google the manufacturer.

3. Tagging is key! If you paid $50 for the ride on toy and your child barely used it, tell them! Using key words "like new", "hard to find", etc. definitely tempt buyers to grab that tag as soon as they see the item.

So clean out your garages and get those ride on toys ready!

Tomorrow's post: CLOTHING!!

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Getting It Ready: Day 4: Baby Stuff

If you are like me, baby stuff tends to reproduce in your home and then when you are ready to be done with it, parts and pieces start hiding out in all these weird places. Like, why can't I find the caps for the bottles when I have kept them in the same spot on the shelf for years.

Getting baby stuff tagged for the sale takes a lot of work and supplies. Before you get started, I would get your gallon size baggies, clear packaging tape, curling ribbon, and pins out.

First thing we'll discuss is bibs, onesies and receiving blankets. On bibs, I like to group bibs into like sets (boy, girl, gender neutral) and then put 3-5 bibs in a baggie and seal the top of it. Don't forget to TAPE or PIN the tag to the OUTSIDE of the baggie. Same exact same on blankets, unless they are high end receiving blankets like Gymboree, Kissy Kissy, Janie and Jack, etc. On these, I like to physically hang them over a hanger, still securing with pins and tag like normal. We will actually hang these at the front of the newborn section and these sell great. You can typically get $3-$5 for a NICE blanket! Now, if you have a sets of Carters, etc., I would again put several together as a set, seal them in the baggie, and then price them for about $1 per blanket.
If you have an awesome Gymboree set of onesies, rig them up on a hanger and sell them that way. I would only bag onesies if they are a more generic brand and again, go with the $1 per item on things like this.

I also tend to sell bottles in sets (like 5 Dr. Brown Bottles for $9)

Items like infant socks, hair accessories, etc. would also need to be bagged with a detailed description either taped or pinned to the OUTSIDE of the bag.

On items like baby monitors, please check to make these items still work and that they have working batteries. Also, a good wipedown with Clorox wipes makes these look like new.

Here is a more detailed list of items that sell great that I would include in the baby category.

Bathtubs
Bumbos
Potty Training Potty
Booster seats
Sheets for cribs
Hooded Towel sets
Baby Gates
Diaper Genie (just please do us all a favor and give them a good scrub down before you bring them in!)
Boppy
Diaper Bags

Also, don't forget your larger items you used with your baby: Changing table, glider rocker, crib, toddler beds, room decor. All of these tend to fly out the door!

If you have any questions on this list, feel free to leave a comment and I'll get right back to you.

COMING UP NEXT: DAY 5: Ride On Toys

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Getting It Ready: Day 3: Puzzles and Games

Believe it or not, I have found the any type of toy sells better than clothing. I know I personally use the consignment sale as a way to PURGE toys, but it is a great way to pick up practically brand new toys for a fraction of retail.

I know when it comes to buying puzzles and games, there is nothing more frustrating as a shopper than to get home and realize that there are pieces missing or that part of the game doesn't work. We bought a DVD Twister game at a sale in the fall and when we got home, the entire DVD was in Spanish.

So, when it comes to tagging puzzles and games, have your children either work the puzzle or play the game before you tag it. Trust me, they will tell you what is missing and you certainly don't want to sell something that isn't 100% complete. When it comes to toddler wooden puzzles, put the puzzle pieces in a clear baggie and tape it to the back of the wooden board. Add your tag to the outside of the bag and make sure you use clear packing tape to keep it all secured. On puzzles in boxes, once you have confirmed all pieces are there, use clear packing tape to seal the original box back together. Tape tag to the outside of the box.

On games, you will use the clear packing tape to seal the original box back together. Tape your tag to the outside of the box. If you are selling games that have DVDs or you are selling video games, make sure you check them for scratches or that they actually work. Sealing the game inside it's original box doesn't allow the consignor to check for scratches so they are relying on you to make sure you have already made sure it worked.

Tomorrow's post I will talk about getting baby items packaged and tagged, including bottles, bibs, receiving blankets, etc.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Getting It Ready: Day 2: Equipment

It's day 2 which means it is time for me to talk about getting any type of baby/child equipment ready. When I say equipment, I basically mean high chairs, car seats, strollers, bumbos, etc.

Equipment is great to sell because not only is it one of our top sellers, but many people find they can get a great chunk of money back out of items they have gotten a lot of use out of. Things like Bumbos are easy to sell for $20 which is more than half of original retail. Simply wiping them down with a clorox wipe makes them look like new and they are in huge demand. During the last sale. we sold at least 25 of them and literally had none left at the end.

Items like car seats become a little harder to sell simply because they tend to show more wear and they get recalled more often. They also expire which many people don't know. Car seats are required to have a date stamped on them when they are made. This is usually on a sticker underneath the actual seat. Carseats are considered expired after 6 years but we at Encores and More North don't take them after 5 years. It is important to keep in mind how old your car seat is when it comes to pricing. If you have a Britax car seat that is 4 years old, it's hard to realize it may only be worth $30-$40 but keep in mind in another year or so, it's not worth anything. Another thing to note(especially with Britax), you can sell the covers without the actual car seat. Many people will buy a replacement cover for their Britax.

In my opinion, the most important thing to do when it comes to equipment is to make sure it is clean. No one wants to get home with a high chair that has loads of yucky food under the seat covering. If you keep your items clean and in good shape while using them, you will certainly be able to price it higher when it comes time to consign. If you find that you break a piece off your equipment during use, don't forget to contact the manufacturer as you can usually buy replacement parts directly from them.

I have found that generally on equipment you can usually get half of the original cost back out of the item. When you consider the amount of use you get out of things like exersaucers, swings, etc. I think this is a great return on investment. When I am purchasing things at the sale and then it's time to resell it again, I have found I get almost 100% back out of the item based on the original consignment price.

So while you are getting your clothing and shoes tagged, don't forget to tag your equipment. You'll be shocked at how quickly your consignment check quickly goes up when you get rid of equipment!

Tomorrow's post: puzzles and games

Monday, February 1, 2010

Getting it Ready: Day 1: Shoes

Since March is rapidly approaching, I felt it was time to do a little series called "Getting it Ready." This week I'll be doing one short blog post each day about how you can get everything tagged and ready in time for the sale. Today we will focus on shoes.

When it's time to gather my shoes to get them ready for tagging, I immediately start putting them into stacks. The first stack is "NEW/LIKE NEW". Shoes that would go in this stack means they never wore them or they might have worn them once. They have no visible wear and mine usually still have tags left on them. The second stack is the "WORN" pile. Here I put everything else that they have worn throughout the last season. The last pile is "YUCK" and I am quick to pull those yuck shoes out of the worn pile. I spend the most time on the worn pile: finding mates, examining them for damage, can this spot be cleaned? If I find items that are really too worn, they go directly to the YUCK pile.

I am usually surprised at how well I do with my shoes. All my YUCK shoes go immediately to donate, but everything else gets tied together with curling ribbon, tagged and then off it goes. Make sure on your tags you bring attention to the brand or what you originally paid for the shoes. Make sure you also put the accurate size on the tag up in the corner where you would put the size.

My best deal buying shoes at Encores and More North? Ugg boots for $8. Yes, I was pumped. They were very clean too!

Tomorrow's Post: Equipment (Exersaucers, High Chairs, Strollers)