It's the most wonderful time of the year...

Well, for type A, OCD, ADD people like me that is. It's consignment time baby!

I, for one, love that time of the year where I can finally unpack those bins of outgrown, barely worn clothes and slap tags on them. Where I can bribe my kids with visions of new toys if they will just release their death grip on a toy that 20 minutes prior they had not touched in 6 months. Where I can see the vision that my husband "might" be able to park in the garage again (but alas, this usually lasts about 14 days until I start cleaning out the next batch of consignment items). Where I am already making bets with anyone that will listen of what I hope my check will be.

Yes, it's the most wonderful time of the year.

As many of you know, I've been a participant of some kind in consignment sales for the last 12 years. I started out as a shopper, then a consignor, then a volunteer, then an owner and now I'm back to just volunteer/consignor, but man, oh man, I love it. I love that my kids can look amazing for a fraction of retail. I love that the people I meet at these little events have become some of my dearest friends. I love that I am literally making money on many of my kids old items.

I decided to write today's blog to inspire those of you that have never even come close to relating to the first few paragraphs I just wrote. You may be someone who just had a baby that still thinks that buying new is the only way to go. You may be someone who currently just donates all your kid's old stuff to local charities and not thinking another thing about it. You also be someone who has 9 billion tubs of your kids outgrown stuff in the attic, garage, etc. and the thought of even opening pandora's box is enough to make you want to suck down a migraine pill.

Let's face it: participating in a consignment sale is a ton of work. Yep, I said it. Everyone glorifies it like it's the easiest thing in the world, but it's not. The hard work is the reason that many moms choose to dump their like new Gymboree in boxes priced for $.25 each at garage sales. It's also the same reason that they dump off trash bag after trash bag of their kids items to charities. Who has time for all that work? Well, I've made time because I've figured out a few things, the most important being:

When I consign, I no longer have to budget for kids items. I just use the money I've made to buy the next season of goodies.

Now, some of you reading that will think, "that's just not possible" but I'm here to tell you IT IS! Not only is it possible, but many times, I end up not spending as much as I just made; therefore, I walk away with a new wardrobe for my kids and MONEY to buy other stuff that the precious darlings will NEED ;)

To help you get started, I will be blogging over the next 24 hours on ways to overcome the feeling of being overwhelmed and turn that feeling into motivation. If you will follow the next few posts step by step, not only will you declutter your home, you will also find that you will have a nice little check in your mailbox in about 6 weeks :) So, stop procrastinating and commit to making some money and diving into the consignment world!

Nicaragua BOUND Baby!

Well, the hubs is going on a little trip. It's kind of a last minute thing, but he felt his heart stirring a few weeks ago about a trip our church had planned to Nicaragua. It's through this group: XMA

Basically, he's going on a no frills mission trip to Nicaragua from June 23-30. They basically go into the most remote places to teach peeps about Jesus. It's dangerous but the danger excites J. It thrills me, let me tell you!

Why am I writing this? Well, we've paid everything except the final $950 due Sunday. Yes, as in 5 days. God has totally provided the first $750 and we've already had $175 in donations towards the $950, but I'm hoping by raffling off some pretty amazing items tomorrow we can raise the rest.

How can you help? Well, help me spread the word. Feel free to post this link to everyone you know as we will be updating tomorrow with the raffle items including an American Girl doll and a piece of artwork from Pitter Patter Art. If you want to donate something cool for the raffle, shoot me an email to breaf@matildajaneclothing.com. I am humbly asking for some help with this and trust that no matter what, God will provide for Jonathan to go on this trip! Check back Thursday morning at 10am for all the scoop on the raffle! THANKS!

The Best Kept Secret

Don't you love when you find a place where you find everything you are looking for when it comes to your child's wardrobe? Don't you love when people ask you about your child's adorable outfit and you smile because you know you got it for a great deal? Yep, I do too.

Sometimes when you find those hidden gems, you almost don't want to let people in on your little "secret." Well, I'm letting the cat out of the bag....

I've found a great newer sale where you can literally find everything you need not only for your kid's summer wardrobe, but you might find a few gems for yourself. It's Encores and More Murfreesboro.

Now, you and I both know that here in Nashville, you have about 8 million sales to consider when it comes time to selling your children's old goods, but when it comes to shopping, it's not too often you find that diamond in the rough. You know that sale where you go in KNOWING you are going to completely blow your budget, you are going to find adorable outfits, killer shoes, and some amazing toys that you plan to put up for birthdays, Easter, etc. but they are so great you can't stand it and cave in and give it to them. Where you score a pair of boutique shoes for your little girl's Easter dress for $5. Where you find brand new Matilda Jane for pennies on the dollar. Yes, it's hard to find, but I promise you, I've found it!

Encores in Murfreesboro is rather new to the scene, but let me tell you they are coming in like a lion. Their first sale was in the fall and I put about half of my stuff in it just to test the waters. I was amazed that I sold just as much, if not more than some of the mega sales around town. Yes, even the one I used to run.

This time for the Spring sale, the owners have outdone themselves. In the fall, they never dreamed they would have the response they did and quickly filled up their space. It was definitely a tight fit, but people walked away singing it's praises and begging for more so the owners answered the call and got a nice, HUGE location this time. It's at the Mid-TN Expo center in Murfreesboro and there are literally RACKS AND RACKS of amazing clothing, tons of toys, adult clothing and home decor and did I mention TOYS!

Tomorrow is the last day of drop off, but they still need workers and the best part starts Wednesday: SHOPPING! Go check it out and let me know what you think. I know you are going to love it. Trust me, I'm picky and don't put my name behind many things, but I'm telling you that you will kick yourself if you miss this sale. The owners sent me a few pictures to show off the goodies they have in so far and I was blown away. I'll share a few below.

The best part about this sale in my opinion? Oh, how about hundreds of NEW WITH TAGS boutique outfits and Gymboree sets, loads of brand new shoes, and much more. They get a lot of boutique overstock and the Gymboree selection is amazing. So...come on down and shop! Say hello while you are there as I'm working all day Wednesday so that I can shop the worker sale Tuesday night. I'm not missing this sale, that's for sure!

How adorable is this table and chairs?

 Check all the girls shoes AND all those cozy coupes in the background!

 Need some Matilda Jane? Um, yes, please. Yep, this whole rack is at Encores Murfreesboro!

Sweet Leslie

I wish I wasn't typing this. I wish I had answers for what I'm about to type, but I don't.

Our sweet Leslie Armstrong passed away last night. For those of you that worked, consigned, or shopped at Encores North, I'm sure you saw or interacted with Leslie. She was that sweet redhead who checked you in during dropping off, cut your tags at check out and always had a smile on her face.

Here's some of the pics I will cherish forever. The first is Alicia Pelham, Natalie Dohanos, me and Leslie on a cruise we took in October 2010:

This pic was taken at the Encores North sale when we were still at Goody's. This is Leslie and Katy Oakes. Man, she had a great smile:

Probably one of my favorite memories..the first time we all went to dinner and thought it would be a good idea to ride in the back of a pickup truck. I don't think I've ever laughed so hard in my life:

This was the sale held next to Aldi's. Leslie was so excited because she found out the day of worker presale that she was having a boy, sweet Mason.

Same sale...Leslie needed some new maternity clothes so Pam Davis and I thought we could help her out :)

On the cruise: we were going for a glamour shot style portrait and obviously, having a great time.

Sweet Leslie, you have impacted me more than you will know. You were a true friend and I will miss you so much. Scrapbook retreats and sales won't be the same. My heart is broken.

Spring 2012 selling season is HERE!

Hard to believe 2012 is here! With a new year comes the stress of suddenly getting ready for the next sale. I know for me, it's hard to be thinking about pulling out spring/summer clothing when it's 30 degrees outside.

It's been a while since I posted so I thought I would update you on what I am planning on doing this consignment sale season. As you all know, I sold Encores and More North to the owners of the original Encores in January 2011. Many have asked how it feels to not have the sale and to be honest, I really don't miss the sale itself, I miss the people. I loved getting to spend so much time working with ladies I loved and respected. I also LOVED to see just how far the blessings from the sale could reach. I consider it a great honor that I got to run Encores North for as long as I did.

I am still buying out children's boutiques and Gymboree. I will continue to sell that inventory through Encores, but will be doing so at Encores Murfreesboro. Natalie, my sale manager at North when I still owned it, is now running that sale and although she just had her first sale in September, it was really awesome. I love how much she is focused on the community and I loved that I found the brands I loved for my kids there: Mini Boden, Gymboree, Matilda Jane. She was super picky on her adult stuff so it wasn't overwhelming to shop and I even found some Anthropologie there!

I do plan to put my leftovers in Encores North, but since the sale is later than normal, I will be putting all my item in the Boro sale first. So, what about you...where you are consigning this Spring?

My Consignment Manager

Hey everyone! I wanted to take a few minutes and give you my perspective on My Consignment Manager and all the questions everyone has been asking. Please keep in mind, this is my opinion and thoughts, not anything I've cleared with the new owners.

Jonathan and I had first considered using MCM or one of their competitors years ago. When we started 6 years ago (almost 7!), we literally had an old school system that was based solely on an excel spreadsheet and old school barcodes. For 6 years, at the end of each sale, all the info we could give consignors at the end of each sale was the number of items sold and at what price (and whether or not they were discounted). We hated we couldn't give more info, but based on the old system, we couldn't have all the info (including an item number) on that specific bar coding machine.

That's where my sweet hubby came in and by the grace of God and 5 years of college, he was able to write the program which allowed us to have people create tags at home. Again, although this worked SO much better, it still didn't allow people to see specifics on their sheet that came with their checks. The other downfall to that system was that if people accidentally transposed their numbers, the system had no way of knowing that and someone could end up tagging their items under the wrong number. And yes, it happened a lot.

When I sold the sale, I strongly urged the new owners to go with a system like MCM. It was something Jonathan and I were planning on doing to prevent the transposing of numbers, plus I knew with a program like this, MCM would get the phone calls at 2am about lost tags versus my husband. It seemed like a great thing! Natalie and I were gung ho about the changes until we went and shadowed another sale that had recently implemented a program like this into their sale. Here's what we found:

*In order for the inventory to be 100% accurate, you either have to check off an itemized list OR scan each item in at check in. The reason is that SO MANY PEOPLE at that sale accidentally left stuff at home, gave things to a friend or just plain forgot to pin the tag on after they printed. I would say we easily saw 50% of consignors who arrived and had to x items off their inventory sheets. THANK GOD we kept those sheets when you read the points below.

*Consignors showed up constantly with complaints about their uploads. They didn't see an item on the floor and yet, it wasn't listed in their sold items from the night before's upload. The other sale literally had one worker who all they did was walk the floor and reassure consignors that their items were on the floor, etc.

*You wouldn't believe the number of people that showed up both at pick up and called later claiming they had brought an item and it apparently sold, but they didn't get paid. Back to those inventory sheets above. Yep, sure enough when we looked it up, they had indeed not brought the item. Now, I know many of you would say that's the reason we sign a waiver, but let's be honest, no sale wants to have a reputation of theft or untruthfullness.

So, why does it work well for other sales:

*they limit items or consignors. If you think about, how many sales let you bring an unlimited amount of items. We calculated that in order to check inventory on every single consignor (1100 of you), it would take between 1/1.5 hours for check in. Was it worse to have people mad about not seeing specifics on what they sold or having people mad that check-in took so long? Also, we had 72 hours to have 1100 people drop off. Most sales have a max of 300 people and the same amount of time.

*they don't do restock. Again, in order for the system to go live, we have to shut the sale down, which means people would not be able to restock like they do at Encores North. I personally believe that restock is one of the main reasons the sale stays so busy throughout the week.

So back to why the new owners did it the way they did? Well, quite simply, it's a learning process. They are still trying to figure the whole thing out and MCM has come right out and told us that we are one of the largest chain of sales they have ever worked with. It's not that they want your sales to be some big secret, but figuring out how to balance all of the points above and keeping everyone happy is tricky. Should you have been notified before? Yes. And I think I can tell you that they are sorry you weren't. No one likes change and change is handled best when everyone is in the know. I can promise you it wasn't intentional.

So why should you trust the new owners? Well, I'll tell you that I do. They have ran a successful sale in the Nashville area for 18 years and are bigger and stronger than ever before. They've given complete control to Natalie who proved to me for 2 years that she is very capable to manage this sale. I personally put over $25K in inventory in the sale and I can promise you I would have never done that if I was worried about not getting paid. No way. I can also tell you that although I love the owners of other sales in this area and have participated in many of them, I have yet to find another sale where I can sell the items for the prices I put and sell the majority of my items like I do at Encores North. I sell things there close to retail sometimes and boy, am I glad I do! That money goes towards clothing my kids and buying more inventory for future sales.

So all that to say, I'm glad you guys are expressing concerns and I know the new owners are always considering new ways to make the sale better and better. I just wanted to take a few minutes and explain why things were done this time. Don't forget, half price is Friday and Saturday and I can promise you there is still TONS of great bargains (AND all the NEW GYMBOREE AND BOUTIQUE is going HALF OFF!). Have a great week and thanks for reading this far :) Brea

Brea's Favorite Things: Day 1 Drop Off

So as many of you know, this is my first official sale where I am no longer the owner. Although I sold the sale in January, I was still acting as the owner for the Spring sale while I transitioned Natalie into the full time manager role. I honestly wondered how I would feel for the Fall sale...would I regret my decision to sale, would I miss it, would I be emotional?

Well, it turns out I worried for nothing. As I watched my sweet Natalie effortlessly fill my shoes in her new role, I realized that was God's way of giving me peace that I had made the right decision. The fact that she let me work all 3 days of drop off so that I could see all of you, hug your necks and get to work during the madness made all those sad feelings drift away. Getting to see all of you today and your excitement about the new location and the amount of stuff there made me giddy and I loved the fact that I walked out tonight just as stress free as I felt when I walked in this morning.

It truly meant the world to me that so many of you hugged me, loved on me, brought me coffee, asked about the kids and Jonathan. I truly think what sets Encores North apart from other sales is that we truly are like family and I am so blessed that you stuck with Encores North even though our family tree has changed a bit. Connie and Russie are so excited that you guys have embraced them so openly and man, the changes they have made are AH-MAZ-ING.

So, all that to say, I may not be the owner, but the sale will always be my baby so by golly, I'm doing my top 5 favorite things of the day each night. I hope my posts will inspire you to tell EVERYONE about this amazing sale :)

A couple of housecleaning things to note first:
1. When you arrive to drop off, come in and check in first before you haul anything out of your car.
2. After your items have been inspected, PLEASE put all your clothing items out in the appropriate size and do it as quickly as possible. People with appointments after you are waiting on the racks to load their items in. If you wish to browse, bring your rack up front and then go back to look at items.
3. On that note, PLEASE keep your kiddos with you at all times while you browse. We are working out tails off and we really don't need kiddos playing on toys. Also, DON'T hide any goodies you might want. If security finds you hiding items, you will be approached and besides, it's just not cool. Everyone should have equal opportunity to shop and it's not fair to give yourself an advantage. If we find workers hiding anything, they will not be allowed to work again.
4. On that note, if you want to be the first to shop for all those must haves, come work some shifts. It takes all of our amazing volunteers to pull off a sale of this size and we are really a cool group of hot mommas (yeah, I've had a lot of coffee today) so come hang with us! It's great "adult" time where you get to get some exercise and meet new friends instead of wiping booties and talking baby talk at home. PLUS, you get to shop before the consignors!

So, now the part you are waiting for...Brea's TOP 5 for Monday, September 19th:

1. Replica antique metal car $50-this will fit a toddler and is PERFECT for portraits-so COOL!
2. Double (yes, I said DOUBLE) jogging stroller $24 (I know, right!)

3. Awesome Little Tikes play mountain for hot wheels $4 (see pic above)
4. Matilda Jane outfits that are brand new with tags in size 2. Ruffle pants were $12, three piece sets $15. Um, yes, I LOVE this since I am now selling MJC :)
5. Awesome Little Tikes slide $12
 and because I can, I'm adding 5 more :)
6. Little Einsteins Pat the Rocket with all the figures $7 (sorry ladies, my Mary Elizabeth has already claimed this...she's convinced her little brother is Quincy)
7. Mini Boden boys heavy coat in size 3/4 $20
8. multiple cozy coupes from $10 each
9. multiple awesome toy boxes from $15 each
10. AMAZING cream colored wooden crib. Would be a perfect crib to pass down from generation to generation and it converts to a full bed. $285 and BEAUTIFUL, your little princess will love it :)

Ok, I promise I will shut it, but just to give you an idea...we had about 325 drop off today, we have 1700 registered and we already have 16 racks of boys 4T. Yep, it's going to be a good sale :)

DROP OFF DETAILS

Well, today's the day! Today we start drop-off for Encores North in Hendersonville. To make your experience as easy as possible, I thought I would take a few minutes to give you some helpful hints about drop-off.

STEP 1: When you arrive at the Expo Center, park your car and come inside. Don't bring anything with you as you will be going through the check in process first. This is also a good time to pop a movie in your van and give your kids some Benedryl if you brought them with you (KIDDING!)

STEP 2: When you come inside, you will be greeted by two lovelies otherwise known as Lovely #1 (Rachel-the front desk diva) and Lovely #2 (Leslie-the newbie-but equally as amazing). These girls will walk you through the process of fully registering. You will check one form to make sure you contact info is correct, you will read the waiver and sign whether you are picking up or donating, and you will BRING YOUR SELF ADDRESSED STAMPED ENVELOPE. After you do all this, they will give you passes to shop and info on working if you want to shop early.

STEP 3: Use the kids while they are still awake (KIDDING!) This is the time to unload your car and bring items inside. There will be an area where all DVDS, books, and shoes will be checked in. There will be another area where you take all other large items (toys, bedding, equipment). It is best if you pack your items in bags or boxes you don't mind not getting back, but if they are already packed in tubs, we will be happy to unload these for you and give them right back. Another tip: DON'T leave without your bins, once they get left then tend to get mixed into the wasteland of tubs left at Encores North. We allow people to shop with them during the sale and then send them with the donate people. Always check back at these stations before you leave as anything deemed not acceptable, yet not picked up will be automatically sent to donate.

STEP 4: If you can, it's easiest to have your clothing organized by sex and size. This is for you, not us. Once you get everything in, you will be on a list in the order in which you checked in. We will call your number and then go through your clothing items, checking for stains, damage, out of date, etc. Once we have finished, we will give you back the items that aren't accepted and then you can take the rolling rack and put your items out in size. PLEASE try to do this as quickly as possible as others are waiting on your rack to start their process.

Wanting to browse while you are there? This isn't an issue but please do this after you are completely done with the steps above. Also, keep in mind that if you have kids with you, they MUST be with you at all times and if they aren't, you won't be able to look around. Also, we have not got the sale ready yet, so PLEASE be careful as we aren't responsible for any accidents that occur while on property. Last but not least, we have armed unmarked security on premises at all times so you can always feel secure AND know that we are doing everything possible to prevent theft.

A few last helpful tips:
*Not using presale passes? Give them away, sell them on craigslist, etc. but make sure whoever you give it to knows ONE PERSON per pass and ABSOLUTELY NO CHILDREN at presale.
*We still need tables! Bartering 4 tables allows you to shop at 2pm on Friday, September 23 and 2 tables at 4pm on Friday, September 23. Email natalie.dohanos@comcast.net if you have tables we could use.
*Still need a drop off appt and they are full: email natalie.dohanos@comcast.net and we will get you hooked up. If you aren't consigning after all and can go in and remove your appt, that would be awesome as it will free it up for someone else.

GUESS WHAT'S BACK STARTING TONIGHT!!! Brea's Favorite THINGS!

ATTN: New Moms

When we started Encores North years ago, we quickly realized that we needed to do something to cater to the new moms. We hated watching those pregnant women stand in line with everyone else and started brainstorming on what we could do. Natalie D. had the great idea to move it to Saturday morning before we opened to the public which would give all the new moms the chance to shop by themselves (without the insane crowd or line) AND allow us to give them more one on one attention. She even created a list of what every new mom should have to give people an idea of what we considered must haves!

Boy, did that idea work! In the Spring of 2011, we had record attendance! We got tons of great feedback and are so excited to offer it in this format again. So what is the new mom's sale? Well, here's the scoop:

WHO CAN SHOP?
Anyone who is pregnant with their first child or who is a new mom. No one that has children over 18M is allowed to come. The reason we do this is because this is a time where we can spend a lot of time helping people with equipment, etc. We also allow the new mom to bring one guest. We prefer that this be spouse or grandma. Adopting? Fostering? Come on down!

WHAT CAN YOU SHOP FOR? Anything in the whole store. If you want to shop for your nieces and nephews, feel free. We just wanted to give you the opportunity to come and shop in a stress free environment.

WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT? Basically everything and anything you could possibly ever need. We will have cribs, pack and plays, changing tables, stroller combos, bumbos, bath tubs, newborn clothing, etc. Everything will be neatly organized and we will have lots of workers to help you if you have questions. We will also have a huge selection of maternity clothing so you can buy a full wardrobe and with the addition of the adult sale this year, you can even buy some new clothes for yourself after you have the baby!

HOW DO YOU GET IN? We just need you to put your contact information on a piece of paper that we will collect at the door. By giving us that info, you are making a verbal agreement that you qualify to shop during the new mom's sale.

WHEN IS IT? Saturday, September 24 at 8am. Yes, people will line up. Yes, it will be fun. Yes, you will be glad you came and might even meet some new friends while you are shopping.

HOW DO YOU SHOP EVEN EARLIER? Well, there are several ways. First, you can consign. If you consign at either the children's or adult's sale, you will receive a pass to shop the Friday night before. If you want to volunteer your time, you can shop up to a full day BEFORE the consignors. Trust me, there are still plenty of options to do either but don't hesitate. If you want all the info, go to www.encoresconsignmentnorth.com and you can get all the info on being a consignor or worker by clicking on the MCM link.

We can't wait to meet all the new mom's!

Consignment Questions? We have ANSWERS!

Well, it's officially time to start your last minute, tag like a mad woman (man) for Encores North. Drop off is SEVEN days away and if you are like me, you aren't even close to ready. I'll warn you, this post might be long, but if you plan to consign at North without any bumps in the road, you NEED to read this! :)

Step 1: Getting registered.
*When you have unloaded tubs and tubs of stuff to sell and you want to cry, never fear....pour yourself a drink (water, of course!) AND go ahead and get yourself registered. Only selling kids clothing, you need to go here:
Encores North Children's Sale-My Consignment Manager
Here you will register by creating a user name and password (WRITE THIS DOWN!) and it will give you a consignor number. I would also go ahead and register for a drop off time while you are at it and write this down as well. It will automatically give you a number and you can go ahead and start tagging if you are ready.

What constitutes as a children's item? Well, anything related to children including maternity clothing.

IF YOU HAVE ADULT ITEMS (adult furniture, home decor, clothing) YOU MUST register on this system:
Encores North Adult Sale-My Consignment Manager
Here you will register using the same user name and password that you created above and it will allow you to choose your number. Just choose the same number, except if you were 002304 above, you will now be A02304 for the adult sale.

Why is it different for each sale? Well, the adult sale and the children's sale are two completely different sales. Although they are held at the same location and same time, the splits are different (70/30 on the kids, 60/40 on the adults), there are two seperate fees AND we will have some people that only sell adults and some that only sell childrens.

On that note, before you start tagging for the adult sale, MAKE SURE you read the list of acceptable brands for the adult sale: http://www.encoresconsignmentnorthadultsale.com/#/general-information/4553075807
You should think of the adult sale like this: UPSCALE not garage sale! If you bring clothing items older than 3 years and brands not on the list above, they will be rejected at drop-off. Adult clothing does not sell near as well as children's, so please make sure you are only bringing the cream of the crop, not just some old clothing you dug out. What would you want to buy? High end, boutique brands, Uggs, awesome furniture, etc.


Step 2: Tagging
As you enter your items in the system, feel free to do a little at a time! The system will store your items for you until you print. KEEP IN MIND: While you can see all the inventory you have entered, the only way we could show you what you are selling throughout the sale would be to physically scan each item as you bring it in. Unfortunately, we just aren't able to do that. At the end of the sale, you WILL be able to see your totals right before we mail checks, but we will not be uploading what you sold on an item by item basis. If you have questions, please feel free to email breagirl@aol.com about this.

Step 3: Printing
MAKE SURE you are printing on cardstock which you can buy very cheaply at Walmart, Target, etc. It will say CARDSTOCK on the packaging so if it doesn't, you aren't buying the right thing. Also, as you print, make sure your barcodes look good. Here's some examples:

http://www.encoresconsignmentnorthadultsale.com/#/barcodes/4554207874

If your barcodes are bad and don't scan, you will have to go home and reprint.

Step 4: Dropping Off
First, make an appointment NOW. They are filling up quickly because we don't have any general drop off days this time. As you are loading your car, try to keep your clothing items in size/sex order simply because you will be putting out your own clothing items so this will save you loads of time. If at all possible, try not to bring your kiddos to drop off. Yes, we LOVE your kids and we know you do too....with that being said, you are going to be checking in, signing forms, putting out items, etc. so you will be so much less stressed IF you don't have the littles hanging on your leg :)

Step 5: Shopping! THE BEST STEP
Consignors get to shop at 6pm on Friday, September 22 at 6pm. One person per pass, NO KIDDOS! You will also receive a guest pass for the same night at 8pm for a friend/relative to join you. Again, one person, no kids.

Want to shop before the consignors? Just sign up to work some shifts with us! We still have lots of great shifts open and you will love all the women and men you meet working. I always get so excited to go to an event later in the season and see so many new friends that met while working. It's a great group of people.

WE REALLY NEED WOMEN AND MEN that can help with security and loading. If you are able to help carry heavy items to the car, chat it up with customers and watch for thieves, WE NEED YOU! Shoot an email to natalie.dohanos@comcast.net and put in the subject line: SECURITY SHIFTS and she will get right back to you.

That's all for now...I'll be doing a post later today on all the people shopping at new moms so be watching for that!

Consignment Money: What's YOUR plans?

I often have people ask me what I do with the money I make from consignment sales. I thought this would be a great topic for discussion and I could throw in a little contest too! I mean, seriously, who doesn't love to win something right?

I started consigning in 2000 when I discovered Baby Lulu. We had one child who was 1 1/2 at the time and I instantly fell in love with this clothing line. I was also becoming obsessed with Gymboree at the time. Back in those days, a Gymboree hat from a hard to find line would easily sell for $30 on ebay, so I quickly figured out that by scouring consignment sales, I could pick up some hard to find pieces AND save lots of money. At the time, I was selling my daughter's outgrown clothing on ebay, but I was quickly getting fed up with all the fees AND the people that didn't pay AND the people who complained once they got it AND (well, you get the point). I decided to give consigning a try. Honestly, I didn't have a lot of faith that I would sell very much. Even though I was selling higher end brands and everything I had was in good condition, who was really going to pay ebay prices for my stuff? Yeah, I was wrong. Even though it was a lot of work to get my items hung, priced, dropped off, picked up, etc., once I got that check from the first sale (actually it was cash in a baggie with all my cards, remember those days?) I was HOOKED. Suddenly, all that time I spent at the post office in line to ship stuff, all the money I had spent on packaging materials, and all the hassles of ebay buyers were a thing of the past....I was hooked on consigning and I've never looked back. Sure, I've tried different outlets over the years (yard sales, craigslist, etc) but by far, I have found that consigning is the easiest way to go. You are typically able to get top dollar for your item simply because if you pick the right sale, you are hitting a MASSIVE target audience.

Four years ago, I hired a VIP tagger and man, did my life change! No longer did I have to spend hours and hours finding hangers, pins, baggies, etc. They literally came to my house, picked it up and I was done. Yes, I was paying 20% more and a supply fee, but I was also finding that they were pricing it higher than I would have in the first place; therefore, I really didn't notice the lower percentage. Pair that with the fact that I found out I was cleaning out even more items than usual simply because I knew I wasn't the one having to price it all and man, oh man, I was in love.

So, that leads to the question...what do I do with my consignment earnings? Well, fast forward to 2011 and we now have 5 kids 12 and under. I typically set aside $1000 of my earnings to buy all 5 of them their next season wardrobe. I am a big fan of buying ahead and putting stuff back in the closet (that's why I love restock, always finding next season items!), so typically I can stretch my $1000 pretty far. This year, on top of that, I am setting a goal for our family. I would LOVE to take a Disney cruise in 2012 so all of my earnings above and beyond what I need for the clothing budget will be dumped into a vacation fund for this cruise.

So, you ready for the contest? Well, here it is :) If you want to be the first consignor to be able to shop at either Encores North or Encores Murfreesboro presale, all you need to do is leave a comment on this blog post about what you plan to do with your consignor check! In your comment, let us know what sale you plan to shop (or if you plan to shop both, say that too!) On Wednesday, August 24th at 10pm CST, we will pick two winners (one from North, one from the Boro) from the comments left and the winner will get to come in 30 minutes before the consignor presale starts! I can't wait to read your comments and who knows? You comment may inspire someone else to consign, or better yet? Give them a great idea to save for!

Encores North: Everything you need to know BEFORE you print your tags!

I thought I would spend a few minutes this morning giving everyone the lowdown on what to do and not to do when it comes to printing your tags for the sale. Yes, we are using a new system this time, but I promise once you sit down to use it, you will be thrilled with the ease of the system and it's really cool to test out some of the features (like seeing how much inventory you have entered, transferring items from sale to sale, etc)


All that to say, you need to make sure you are doing some KEY things RIGHT before you spend all your time tagging only to get to drop off and realize you have done it WRONG. By following these simply guidelines, drop off will be a breeze and you will be telling all your friends how amazing the new system is.


First and MOST importantly, there are two tagging systems in place:
The one for the Encores North CHILDREN'S sale can be accessed by going here: http://seller3.myconsignmentmanager.com/encoresconsignment/northsale/
The one for the Encores North ADULT'S sale is here:  
http://seller3.myconsignmentmanager.com/encoresconsignment/northadult/


Once you are in the system, PLEASE remember that you will need to access the other system if you pricing both children's and adult items. If you tag 10 pieces of kids clothing and then find an adult sweater, switch systems. You can use the same number for each system, but this is VERY important: you will put an "A" before your number in the adult system. So, if your kids number is 2589, your adult number will be A02589. When you go to print your tags, don't be alarmed if the numbers now read 002589 and A02589, this is normal and correct!

Once you are ready to print tags, you need to make sure your printer is printing them 6 tags to a page ON CARDSTOCK. We will not accept paper tags.Please set your printer settings to gray scale or draft (so your barcodes do not print too dark) and set the scaling to “Fit to the Page”. Like Goldilocks, aim for not too dark, not too light, but “just right!”
Here are some things to beware of:

• Thick, dark bar code lines that run together
• Wavy lines or fuzzy lines
• Spotty or very light lines

Chances are, if you are questioning whether the barcode looks right, it probably isn't. Here's a great page to check out good and bad bar codes:http://encoresconsignmentnorth.com/#/barcodes/4554024268

One last thing to remember, DON'T hand write tags. We can no longer take them. Don't have a printer? Head to a friend or family's house and print your tags there. You are able to type it all in at home and then access it from a different location to print. DON'T make a bunch of $5 tags and then make copies of those tags...each item must have it's own item number and if you are copying tags, the system will only recognize it being sold one time (each tag is coded with a specific item number for that item)

Have questions? We are absolutely here to help and no question is silly! consignorquestions@aol.com

Happy Tagging!

ATTN: M'Boro and Mt. Juliet Consignment Lovers

Ok, here's the scoop! Encores is branching out and because our new branches are in areas we aren't from, we need help getting space for our upcoming Fall 2011 sales!

What we need:
*At least 4,000 sq. feet (needs to be open space-no offices, well lit, and air conditioned)
*Have decent parking
*We would prefer to have it to use from a Saturday to the following Sunday
*Would love to use a church gym, school gym, community center and also open to empty commercial space

We aren't afraid to clean it up and we have EXCELLENT references and insurance in place!

Here's where YOU come in:
We need someone who might have an "in" with a location like I mentioned above. Do you know of a church that would be willing to let us use a fellowship hall/gym for a large donation to their building fund? Are you a member of a civic club that has space they rent out for functions? We want to hear from you!

If you can do some leg work for us and talk us up and help us get a lease, here's what we are offering: a $250 gift certificate to our Fall 2011 sale AND you get to be the first person to shop! In order to get these perks, we have to get a signed lease with your lead :)

We so want to become a blessing for the Mt. Juliet and Murfreesboro communities but we need YOUR help to make it happen! If you have any leads, feel free to contact us!

Working at Encores North

We need workers!
Yes we do!
We need workers!
How 'bout you!

Yes, I used to be a cheerleader in my former life. Former being the chosen word. Thought I would throw in a little cheer this morning to get you fired up about working at Encores North!

When I started Encores in 2005, I was mainly looking for a place to sell all of my children's outgrown things. Simple enough right? Fast forward 6 years and I can clearly see how God put some of the most amazing women (and men) in my life simply from a little consignment sale. It's amazing to me how something as simple as the sale can help you form relationships with other women who truly get what your life is like! Do you feel like all you do all day is wipe booties, say no, and pray for nap time? Well guess what, there are lots of other moms just like you that are working Encores and More North that you can swap war stories with! Do you work full time and feel like just finding the time to squeeze in a few hours each day for your kids is hard enough? Yep, there are those moms there too! Are you a grandma who simply adores helping your children find amazing deals for your precious grandchildren? Yep, you'll find those women there as well.

All that to say...
We need workers for our Fall 2011 sale. Not only do you get to see all the amazing stuff that comes in if you choose to work the drop-off days, but you might even find some people who you are able to laugh with about your stressful life. You might find some people who truly want to see pics of your precious grandchildren. You might find some women who rush in to change into their consignment clothes after a long day at work. You might just form some friendships that you can look back on years from now and be thankful for!

Come work with us! I promise you will love your experience (and if you don't, let us know). I promise you will LOVE shopping with the workers (just think, no craziness!). It's a win-win and I don't want you to miss out! Sign up today: http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fseller3.myconsignmentmanager.com%2Fencoresconsignment%2Fnorthsale%2F&h=gAQBk9H9s

Good Things Come To Those Who Wait

I know many of you have been wondering about all the details for the Encores North Fall/Winter 2011 sale! I promise we haven't been keeping them a secret, but when we found out we could no longer use the old Goody's location in Rivergate, we started a frantic, long search for a new space. All that searching paid off as we have found our best location yet (and hopefully one we can use for years to come!)

Encores North Fall/Winter 2011 will be held in the new Expo center in Hendersonville. Located right in the heart of Hendersonville, it can be accessed either off New Shackle or Old Shackle Drive in Hendersonville. The exact location is 90 Volunteer Drive in Hendersonville, TN 37075. It's so easy to get to from either the Vietnam Veterans bypass OR Gallatin Road. The best part? It's over DOUBLE the size of the old Goody's...yes, it's over 80,000 square feet. The other best part? In addition to our amazing kid's sale, we will be bringing back an adult and home decor sale at the same time in the same location. Now, you can truly buy and sell everything your entire family needs!

Here's the details:
DROP OFF:
September 19-September 21
WORKERS ONLY SHOP:
September 22
CONSIGNOR'S PRESALE:
September 23
NEW MOM'S SALE:
September 24
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC:
September 24-October 1

All the details will be updated on the website over the new few days so keep checking back at http://www.encoresconsignmentnorth.com/. I can promise you this is going to be the BEST sale yet...we are so excited for all the shoppers to have tons of room to shop in. We will also be offering booth rentals to local businesses and other ways to advertise! Start tagging and we'll see you in September!

Fall 2011 Encores North Sale

FROM BREA:
I'm sure many of you have noticed lots of changes with Encores North Fall 2011 sale. First, let me encourage you that "a little change will do you good!" There's many things that are changing that I had been meaning to implement for a while now, but the sale is often so much work, that it sort of sneaks up on you and by then, it was always too late to make those changes.

I want to share with you my new role at Encores North. In January of this year, my husband and I made the final decision to sell the sale to the owners of the original Encores in Franklin. We felt and continue to feel that they know our vision for what we wanted Encores to be to our community and have promised to continue it's traditions of customer service and giving back to the community. The new owners agreed to keep the staff as it was, so you will still see all the familiar faces at Encores North. I have stepped back as much as possible to allow more freedom with my family, but to also take on a new role both as a trainer for future Encores sales and as a trunk keeper for Matilda Jane Clothing.

With that being said, the new owners, Natalie (sale manager) and I worked together to develop some positive changes for the sale...to make our sale the biggest and best around! We implemented a new tagging system which many of you have already checked out. Here's a couple of helpful hints for the tagging system:

1. Once you get a number for any of the Encores sales, you don't need to get a new number for the other Encores sales. Just email the other Encores sales you want to participate in and they will get that number registered for that sale as well. Just think: NO RETAGGING! It's an awesome feature of the site.
2. Because you have to fully register to get a number, you will now have a password and username attached to your number. No more worrying if you are using the right number or wondering if someone has transposed their number. This system prevents that from happening!

Another HUGE change which is amazing is our search for a new location. Let's face it, we had completely outgrown the Goody's space in Rivergate. We began our search for a new location right away and have been given some amazing opportunities for great, larger, SAFER space. We are in the final stages of nailing down a lease, so please continue to check our facebook page for updates as we will list that info as soon as we have it.

With that being said, appointments and worker shifts will not open until we have the dates and location nailed down. Please don't think that because it is listed as closed that we no longer have shifts left: actually, it's quite the opposite. We will need loads of workers to pull off our best sale yet.

I still plan to be a huge part of Encores North and I am already SO busy working getting all this NEW Gymboree and boutique clothing tagged and ready to consign. I have a feeling that we are getting ready to blow the doors off Sumner County with an amazing sale. What can you do to get ready?

1. Tag your items! Don't let it sneak up on you and be stressed at the last minute pulling items together.
2. Tell your friends! The more people that know about Encores North, the more shoppers we have which means your items sell better! It's a win-win!
3. Sign up for shifts once they become available! You will often hear people say that once you shop with the workers a FULL day before consignors, you never go back. Imagine the deals you can score while you shop in a nice, peaceful environment.

I'm excited about the future of Encores North and I can't wait to see how much you guys are going to love the changes. THANKS for your continued support of the sale! It's been an absolute blessing being part of such an amazing sale and I look forward to being involved for years to come!

So far, SOOO good

When we initially found out the dates we could get the building for the sale, we were a little worried about how well attended the sale would be since it happened to fall the week of Spring Break for Nashville, TN.

We worried for nothing.

Our opening day, Saturday, was our largest Saturday ever. We typically have a line until around 2pm and then it slows down. We didn't catch the line until 4pm yesterday and that was with running 22 lanes. Insane.

When I walked back to strollers and realized we have less than 15 left out of the 119 that we started with, I was shocked. We have 2 Bumbos left! We started with 39. We have 9 swings left. We started with 90.

The good news? Consignors are going to be thrilled with their checks.
The bad news? We NEED consignors to bring in more goodies during our restock days, Monday-Wednesday from 11am-5pm. If you have large toys, equipment, beds, furniture, strollers, clothing, ANYTHING, please consider spending today tagging it.

Here's our rules on restock: MUST use the online tagging system you can find at online at Encores and More North. Clothing can be all seasons, but must be free from stains, odors, and other damage. Same goes for equipment. Carseats must be no older than 5 years and have not been in a wreck. We are taking NO drop side cribs unless than have been repaired using the manufacturer recall kit.

Come see us at Encores North this week, as we typically have over 100 consignors bring in more goodies. We have people come and shop EVERY day, so I promise we won't look at you like your crazy if you come back every day. We still have loads of amazing clothes and other goodies, so come check it out!

Spring 2011: Worker Sale

It's Friday morning and I'm one tired little girl. Yesterday was our worker sale for anyone that works at least 5 hours plus sort and up. The workers started shopping at 3pm (these workers did 30 hours plus sort to come in this early) and I got home a little after 1am. It was so fun to watch them be so excited to shop! I love to see them try to act like they aren't running to the item so they do this cute little run/walk until they can snatch the item and then they do a little happy dance that they got it. It's awesome and makes all this hard work SO worth it.

Rest assured, unless I had just told you that, you would come to shop never dreaming anyone had shopped before you. Seriously, it doesn't look like anything is gone. Seriously. I have never seen so much stuff in my life, and it's amazing stuff at that.

Here's some of the comments workers made last night:
*This is the best selection of boy's clothing items we have EVER had for a Spring sale. Typically boys wear their clothing out, but there is not only so much great used stuff, there is TONS of NEW WITH TAG items. Even the boys bigger sizes have a great selection (like 8 racks of boy's size 6)
*The shoes are amazing.
*The toy room (FAR LEFT behind boys) is the most organized it's ever been.

The only negative thing I heard was that some were sad we were no longer taking checks, but with SIX checks that we have been unable to collect from the Fall sale, we just can't afford to do it any longer. We are taking ALL debit/credit cards EXCEPT American Express. Bring your ID.

Consignors shop tonight at 6pm. PLEASE remember we don't let any children in to the presale. People with a guest pass shop tonight at 8pm. It's going to be fun!

Spring 2011: Day 5 Drop Off: Brea's Favorite Things

Drop off is officially over. It went so amazingly well (at least I think it did). It's hard to explain to you how much is there. It's definitely the biggest sale we have ever had. Seriously.

I did some counting last night and here's a few fun facts. We have 119 strollers. 119. Insane, right? We have 50 full size baby swings and 40 portable swings. That's 90 swings. The toy room looks amazing. It's so organized it's scary. Items are grouped into very detailed categories and the cheapest items are towards the front as we all want the bargains right?

Today is worker shopping day. Anyone working at least 5 hours plus sort shops today/tonight so we will spend this morning finishing up organizing and getting the register lanes ready. Our workers today will go through every piece of clothing there and pull out any stained items we missed during check in, any fall/winter (it goes out Sunday afternoon), and everything is resized. If you hid a stack, trust me, your hidden stuff will get put back out as this sucker is going to be the most organized anyone has ever seen it (at least I hope you think so)

Brea's Favorite Things from the last day of drop off:
1. ANOTHER bounce house. This one is much bigger and has a slide. $130
2. Beautiful custom skirts and knot dresses that look just like Matilda Jane. Skirts are $6 and knot dresses are $9. Girls size 2T (may be other sizes, but that's what I saw)
3. Janie and Jack boys outfits that look like new $10-$12
4. Bag of hot wheels size cars from the movie Cars $5 (don't fall in love, I bought them!)
5. Beautiful crib $150
6. Disney DVD's $4 each

Answering yesterday's questions:
We have some at least two rocker gliders with stools. I know the one I noticed looked brand new and was $90 for the set. Great deal! We also have a ton of car seats...a TON!

Spring 2011: Day 4 Drop Off: Brea's Favorite Things

I am so sorry I am just now getting this on here. I love hearing from you guys that you anxiously check my favorite things, but I must tell you that it puts the pressure on me to find the VERY best bargains! :)

Tuesday general drop off is over. We had exactly 250 people drop off which puts our consignor count so far just shy of 800. We have about 200 dropping off today so we should land right around 1,000 consignors not counting the new ones that will drop off next week for restock (typically around 100 people). Although we didn't see a big jump in consignors for this sale, I am very excited that those who did consign really outdid themselves when it comes to cleaning out stuff.

I'm so pumped to tell you that we have THIRTY highchairs (not counting boosters), 25 toddler beds, 3 cribs, at least 30 swings (not counting the smaller, portable ones), at least 30 Bumbos, and more Elmos than a small country would ever need!

Definitely THE SALE that should not be missed....post on facebook (tell them to like Encores and More NORTH on facebook) and tell your friends to check this sale out. By getting more shoppers (especially during Spring Break), consignors sell more stuff! Although the building is stuffed now, our prayers are that the building is close to empty next Saturday.

I have to also take a minute and tell you how many amazing people God has placed at the sale this week. Just yesterday (Tuesday drop off), I met the sweetest worker and we realized how much we have in common (LONG STORY). It's moments like this that I realize that when God chose me to do this 7 years ago, his purpose was so much larger than a sale. It's about relationships, friendships, community, and customer service. I'm proud to be a part of something that is so great, seriously proud.

Here it is. Brea's Favorite Things:
1. A white wooden vanity with stool. $30

2. Bumbo with tray $8

3. HUGE John Deere pedal tractor $25 (retails for $199)
4. Little Tikes plastic toybox (great condition) $10, yes, I said it TEN DOLLARS!
5. Chicco travel system. Includes stroller, infant car seat and base $45
6. Fisher Price rainforest high chair in amazing condition $35
7. Leapfrog Activity Table $5

Tonight will be my last night to post my favorite things, BUT I am adding a new feature this year. YOUR favorite BUYS! As my workers check out, I'll post some of the favorite things they found this year to give everyone an idea on how much it's worth it to get in here and shop early by becoming a worker. If you're reading this and you score a major deal (or just find something that you've been searching for FOREVER), let me know and I'll add it to my list.

Off to our last day of APPOINTMENT ONLY drop off! :)