How to make the most money as a seller at a consignment sale

It is Spring consignment sale season.  Many sales are happening this weekend and others will be accepting their items soon. If you are a seller that has not started tagging your items (like me!), I have some tips for you.

I think the best thing about being a seller at a consignment sale is getting all that stuff out of your house. Most will agree that is and should be the goal. Eliminate clutter, toys and too much stuff! So money or not, you will accomplish a lot by being motivated to move the excess out of your house and on to others.

However, I have some tips if you want to also make some extra cash. Make sure you are reimbursed for the time it will take, otherwise you might as well donate to a charity outright.  I have been a seller twice a year for about 12+ years, volunteered at a big sale for over 10 years and learned so much to share.

Along with some friends with the same experience, I figured out how you become the top seller and money maker of a sale.  First, you need three children with different sexes. 🙂  Not everyone will qualify but you can still get a great return if you do what I always did. For many years I made a net of $1,000-$1,200+ per sale.  I made the most money when my baby was outgrowing the toddler stage and I could really start selling all the “baby stuff”. However, the number one thing I did to make the most money:

Best Tip

Price items higher than the next person. It is that simple and make sure it is discounted for the last day of the sale if that is an option. Make the discount price the reasonable price you want to get for your item. There is some level of commitment involved because I always took back everything that did not sell.  This isn’t your best method if you are trying to eliminate clutter to never see the stuff again.  If you are a first time seller, you should always ask to get your items back at the end of the sale as a gauge of how you did.  It will be a good indication of if you are pricing too high OR too low.  Keep in mind if it is a very large sale (200-300 sellers) you may still get good items back that were priced appropriately by the sheer volume of items that were available to buyers. When you get items back, you can transfer to another upcoming sale or save for next year (think extra space and big storage bins!)

Next best tip

Don’t buy more at the consignment sale than you sold!  I had to get through the baby stage to make this one happen because there is just too much good stuff to buy for little ones! Take advantage of your early shopping advantage and make a list of what you need before you shop.

Things to tag first

Tag your big money-making items first in case you run out of time before drop off.  You will run out of time.

Read the instructions for your sale. Many items may be limited to a certain number (i.e. books, shoes, maternity)

• BIG – any big toys, big baby equipment and car seats.
• Your very best clothes in great condition – put outfits together. Make sure very clean and no stains. I never iron what I’m selling but make sure it is presentable.
• Shoes still in great shape.  If your sale allows, bag up so shoppers can’t try on and possibly lose your tag.
• Coats/jackets – don’t forget light jackets in Spring if they are accepted.
• Jeans – If your sale will accept them in Spring, this is a great thing for buyers to find. When kids are outgrowing clothes by the end of the year, people need some jeans to get them through those last cool months.
• Costumes – Dress up items are always popular especially if they are the princess variety and everyone needs a new (cheap) costume for Halloween in the Fall.  Don’t forget dance costumes and dance shoes.
• Books – Concentrate on your best books first. Save the paperbacks for last and try to bag collections together.

Just like a garage sale, unfortunately you will get shoppers that try to cheat, switch tags and outright steal.  Tag and package your items with this in mind. Be very descriptive on your tags to help protect yourself.  Which book tag do you think would be switched first?  “Book” or “Goodnight Moon large hardcover Book”?

Final Notes for You

Local Facebook groups are now popular to sell your bigger items. This does allow you to keep the commission fee (typically 35%) a consignment sale would take. I will leave that up to you depending on the item. If it is priced high enough you can make more that way.  Consignment shoppers also have the mentality that they are getting a deal so it is difficult to sell at very high prices and it might be better to try online communities if you have a whole bedroom suite. On the flip side, a consignment sale doesn’t have the risk-factor of meeting strangers. With recent news reports of incidents it is a little scary and I encourage you to take advantage of meeting in police station parking lots that have been offered.  I’m not a fan of yard sales and I think a consignment sale can get you more money even with the commission cut. Bonus – you don’t haggle with people wanting everything for a dollar. Plus you get a lot more specialized traffic to view your items and advertising is not needed.

Question most asked: How do I even price things? Your guess is as good as mine! That is why you sell a first time as a trial run and get your things back to see what didn’t sell.  As a general rule price things at 1/2 of retail price if they are like new and in really great shape.  If it looks a little worn or not very special try 1/3 of original price.  When I say that I price things “high” it means that for a Gymboree like-new outfit that is really cute, I will put $8 or $10.  Unless it is a designer consignment sale, not many people will pay that unless they fall in love with it or there isn’t much competition in that age group. I’m fine with it because I’m still okay if it goes for $5 on the last day too.  You can have the same thing brand new with accessories attached and it will not sell for $12-$15 (I see this a lot).

• If something is really worn or just play clothes, try $2 an item with half price the last day.
• If you have brand new infant items that were never worn, you still won’t get more than $1 or $2 an item which is a shame.  There is just too much competition for great baby clothes.
• DVDS: $5 or under depending on how great it is. A TV show DVD (Dora, Arthur) won’t get as much.
• I would always price an exersaucer type infant toy at $25 or more at half price or discounted the last day.  Unless you are scared of getting it back, of course.  You don’t see them as much any more but I remember the days when the sale would open and people would run for them to be the first one. So why would you charge $2?
• Car seats and strollers are tricky to me so stick to the 1/2 or 1/3 rule unless it is old and then do less.
• Jogging strollers do very well so charge more depending on the brand ($65-$100).
• Infant bedding – lots of competition and you need the right person to see it so go lower.
• Games and puzzles sell well and go fast. Use the 1/2 price theory but make sure EVERY piece is included.
• In general, older aged children’s clothes allow you to charge more than a 2 year old. Big kids wear out there clothes faster and there are less options plus they cost more to begin with so it is common to see 10 or 12 year old boys jeans for $8-$10.

This is all I can think of but feel free to message me if you have a question about something I didn’t mention.

Disclaimer: all of this is just my opinion to help and not proven. The particular sale, volume of items, market of your town, economy, etc. all make a difference.

 

Favorite Local Children’s Consignment Sales

Divine Children’s Show – Designer Children’s Clothing. You just missed the Cobb County one in Marietta and there will be another one in Buckhead in April.

CCC Mops – This weekend at Cumberland Community Church

Kindermart – March 20 & 21st / First United Methodist Church on Concord Road

If you want to become a seller and didn’t plan for Fall, sign up on email lists and look for Fall registrations around August.  If you are new to consignment sales, shop and get familiar with how items are priced.

A good resource for more info and tips: Consignment Mommies.