As a mom of two messy little men I rarely purchase new clothes. When we still lived in Kansas, I did a LOT of my shopping at children’s consignment sales. If you are new to the world of seasonal consignment sales it can seem a bit overwhelming, what with the thousands of clothing items, toys, books, games, baby gear, etc.
So, how do you figure out what to buy and still leave with your sanity intact? With a little planning ahead & quick thinking (before someone else snags that coveted ERGO) you can leave with a slew of bargains! Here are my tried & perfected tips on shopping seasonal children’s consignment sales:
- Know what you need. Go through your kids drawers/closet before the sale and make a detailed list. Think: clothing & shoe sizes, specific toys/books/gear you are in search of.
- Go early!! If the sale starts at 10am, people line up at 9am. Really they do. The best gear and clothing will go first. Most sales offer the opportunity to volunteer and thus, shop early. If you’re in search of something specific, this may be your best way to get the deal of the sale!
- Be okay with lines. Bottom line, be prepared for a wait. A wait to get in and a wait to check out are very common. The great deals are worth it! Just keep in mind that more often than not these sales have way more shoppers than volunteers so your patience will be appreciated.
- Wear the right shoes & don’t come hungry. Seems simple, but these tips are often overlooked. (This will also help get you through the long lines!)
- Give yourself time. Slow down and really look through the racks of clothing. Since there usually aren’t large amounts of one item, there are a lot of items to choose from.
Now you might be thinking, what the heck am I going to get for all that planning & prepping & patience? Here are my reasons why I’ve stuck with seasonal consignment sales (and ultimately why I started one in Victoria):
- One-stop shopping. You can shop for all your kid’s clothing, shoes, toys, gear, etc. in a single trip. This can be a HUGE time saver in comparison to shopping online.
- Bargain prices. Garage sales or online website prices are hit-or-miss. Sometimes you score a great bargain, most of the time by the time you drive to the sale or the item you’re seeking you realize the power of cleverly edited advertising. Consignment sales take the time-consuming hunt away from you. You will be able to find great items for your kids at each sale, time and time again.
- Exceptional variety. If you are scouting something specific, like a stroller, chances are you will have several to choose from. With hundreds of different families consigning, the variety of items at a sale may pleasantly surprise you.
- Great quality. Victoria Kids Consignment has a good screening process before the sale begins. All clothing items are checked for stains, tears, missing buttons, etc. All toys are checked for cleanliness, working batteries, etc. You will not be wasting your time picking through stuff that should be turned into rags or tossed in the garbage/recycle.
- Organization. With so many families participating in the weekend-long events, the selection of items is huge! And at a Victoria Kids Consignment Sale it’s ALL organized. No hunting or digging through tables or bins of clothing. There is often over 60 ft. of hanging clothing sizes 6 and under. As the sizes go up, the selection does go down, since most kids wear their clothes longer the older they get OR it gets passed down to younger siblings. If your kids are under age 12 you will find a huge selection of great bargains to make them (and you) happy!
The next Victoria Kids Consignment Sale is May 4-6 at the Sheraton Hotel (behind Costco). Hope to see you there!!
