I have over 20 years of retail experience in the clothing/jewelry business. I was trained back in the "old days" by a tyrant district manager who insisted everything look perfect in our stores. She drove us crazy but all that training has made me a much better retailer. So I want to pass along some helpful hints to help you maximize your efforts so you can earn the most money. I gotta say that I was shocked to see what people bring in to a consignment sale. Things that were dirty, wrinkled, stained, smelly, worn out and just plain old! I don't know if people don't read the FAQ on the JBF site to know what is acceptable or are people just ignorant? Obviously you can tell I was much bothered by this so I decided I needed to blog about it.
If you want your goods to bring you the most money here's what you must do;
Toys;
1. Make sure they are clean, dust-free and if they require batteries they must have batteries that work. You can get batteries at the dollar store.
Clothing;
1. Bring all clothing clean and as wrinkle-free as you possibly can, if it's 100% cotton and you want top dollar, iron it. Yes, I said iron!
2. Make sure they are free of odors too. If you smoke or you store them in the garage or musty basement then you need to store them in an air-tight container and put a dryer sheet with them. Ideally you should wash them just before you bring them in, but I know that's not always possible.
3. Make sure all clothing are current styles, 5 years old or newer. This means it was purchased NEW in the last 5 years. This doesn't mean new to you in the last 5 years.
4. Clean shoes as well as you can and use a quick shine sponge on leather.
Hanging;
1. Use tubular hangers. You can get these at yard sales or at the discount store. Also ask friends if they are getting rid of some. I always ask when I am shopping at the mall if stores have an kid size hangers they are getting rid of.
2. Do the best you can to get pants/skirts to hang well so they display well. I'm working on a solution for this to help everyone.
Tagging
1. You can get a tagging gun from the fabric store or better yet, from a store supply store. A tagging gun makes tagging clothing quick and easy.
2. Use card stock to print your tags! I don't know why people feel it's okay to skip this SIMPLE step.
Card stock, purchased at Walmart is probably less than $7 and well worth it. You can't imagine how many tags come off due to the fact that they are printed on flimsy paper.
If you don't use card stock you are wasting everyone's time! Think about it; you've taken all the time and energy to prep your merchandise. The JBF staff and all the volunteers have taken time and energy to help your merchandise sell but since you used flimsy paper your tag came off of your item and now it is unsellable. This wasted everyone's time!
3. Make sure you have the right size on the tag if it's clothing. If the size on your clothing says "18-24 mos" print the size on the tag as 18 months. This way the item will go in the 18 month category and will have a better chance of selling. If it's put in the 24 month category many would pass it up because there's not as much time for the toddler to wear it.
If you want something to sell, price it low enough that you would buy it at a re-sale shop. I am amazed at how many name brands I see, new with tags, priced higher than I would find them on the sale rack at the mall! Really people?
Don't get upset if the person checking you in gives you things back. She knows if it's unacceptable. It is not a personal attack! I was amazed at how offended one woman got when I gave her things back.
If you are going to consign with any place where you have to do the hanging and tagging and you want to get premium money for your items you must remember that it needs to look as good as it can look. There are probably hundreds of thousands of items at a sale. If you want yours to sell it needs to stand out and look better than the rest or there's a good chance it will be passed up. If something is wrinkled, dirty, or poorly hung, I don't even waste my time because there are thousands of other items to look at.
I'm sure I stepped on some toes but I just had to share!
Be blessed and happy tagging,
Tami Smith
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