Presentation is everything, so please make sure you follow these suggestions for preparing your items closely to maximize the number of items accepted and sold. We will be very critical during check-in. This is done so that your items sell.
Have the following items available when preparing your items
- Scissors
- Clear tape
- Zippered storage bags
- Wire hangers
- Medium & Large safety pins
- 60-67# WHITE Cardstock paper for printing tags (change to landscape)
How to prepare clothing
- Hang all clothing on WIRE hangers with the opening of the hook facing left, like a question mark.
- Use safety pins to pin skirts or pants to a hanger. Pants cannot be folded over the bottom of a hanger, no matter the size. See image below. (Do not pin shirts to hangers; this just creates extra work for you and us.)
- For outfits with a top and bottom: hang the top on the hanger & pin the pants/skirt to the back of the top using two safety pins, making sure to go through the hanger. See image below.
- Shoes should be kept together with zap straps. This will allow a shopper to try the shoe on while still keeping the pair together. Pin your tag to the shoe.
- Secure skate blades with guards or tape.
- Hang blankets over the bottom of an adult-size hanger, using safety pins at both ends to ensure it will not slip off.
- Bundle crib sets together in a large bag or tie together. Make sure to include a listing of what the set includes. (i.e. Includes: bumper, sheet, blanket)
- Button all buttons, snap all snaps, zip all zippers!
- Using safety pins, attach tags to the upper right-hand corner of the item OR to the items original tag. (If you think pinning directly on the item will leave a hole, please pin it to the size tag.)
- Once items are properly prepared and tagged, bundle them by size and gender for check-in.
How to prepare non-clothing items
- Wipe down all toys, books, baby items, etc. Only clean items will be accepted.
- Secure small parts in zippered storage bags and seal shut with clear packing tape. Tape small parts to the larger part of the item. Make sure to label each parts of a set: ‘1 of 2, 2 of 2,’ etc.
- Group books together in zippered storage bags and seal shut with clear packing tape. Slip a piece of paper inside the storage bag to let a shopper know what titles are inside. Books will be accepted individually, but they often sell better in groups.
- Tape all games, puzzles, lego sets, etc. closed. These items must contain all their pieces!
- Make sure all battery-operated toys have working batteries. Volunteers will be checking these items at check-in.
- Attach all tags using safety pins or tape. Do not tape over a bar code.
Contact us with any questions you have. And remember, quality is paramount. If you wouldn’t buy an item yourself, most likely no one else will buy it either.
