Prepping for a Consignment Sale

I have been at this consignment sale game for a few years now and I have learned a thing or two on how to prep and how to prep well. Follow these tips to sell your stuff and make some money (and get out of your house)!

This post is sponsored by #JBFPhilly. All tips and opinions are based on my years of shopping the sale!

I love shopping consignment sales for the boys! Over the years, I have scored some amazing deals. but I don’t just shop the sales. I also consign at them!

This is a relative easy way to clean out clothes that are too small and toys that the kids don’t play with anymore.

My all-time favorite consignment sale is coming up and I can not wait! You do not want to miss this sale. The #JBFPhilly sale runs September 20-23, with a pre-sale event on September 19th at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center (100 Station Ave – HALL B, Oaks 19456).

Want to consign at the JBFPhilly sale? Sign up HERE!

Pre-sale tickets for special guests (teachers and first time parents/grandparents) for September 19 can be grabbed HERE!

Want to attend the sale? Get your tickets HERE! Admission is $3 on the first day, September 20 but is waived with these tickets. All other days are free!

Never consigned before? Don’t worry I got you covered!

How to Prep for a Consignment Sale

1. Start way in advance. In the beginning, I made the mistake of waiting to sort and tag until the day before drop-off. Now, I am constantly adding things to the consignment pile throughout the year. I have a hamper in Ben’s room that is no longer used for dirty clothes. Instead, clothes that he outgrows during the year get placed in the hamper. When it comes time for that season’s sale all of the clothes are in one place. Same goes with shoes, hats, coats, etc.

2. Hoard those hangers. Another thing I gather throughout the year are hangers. If you are consigning clothes, you are going to need them. I have a reuseable tote that is designated the hanger holder. Keep your hangers that you get from the sale. When you buy clothes in the store, ask to keep the hangers. If you need to purchase hangers, the dollar store is the best place to grab them.

3. Gather your supplies. My number one lifesaver when tagging for the consignment sale is a tagging gun. You can pick one up for $8 on Amazon and you will have enough barbs to last you a few sales. Other supplies you should have on hand are safety pins (a lot!), shipping tape, rubber bands, a paper cutter, batteries (grab them from the dollar store), Lysol wipes, and storage bags.

4. Prep your items. Sort through your clothes with a fine tooth comb. Look for stains, fading, and tears. Weed out those items as they will not pass the clothing inspection. Wipe down toys and equipment with the Lysol wipes. Have scuff marks on toys? Use a Magic Eraser to get them off!

5. Sort your tags. Sort your tags between categories: toys, clothes, baby equipment, etc. I also sort my clothing tags by brand. This will help tagging go smoothly.

6. Tag with care. When using your tagging gun, you want to make sure you tag in a place that will not leave a hole in the item. The easiest place is on the existing tag of the clothing. However, with a lot of clothing being tagless, this can be more difficult. Find an inside seam to place the tag.

When using packing tape to adhere a tag onto an item, make sure you don’t place it over the name of the item or in a place that will damage the item or packaging.

7. Tag in multiples. Sets or clothing sold in multiples tend to sell better at consignment sales. If you are selling a set of shirts, for example, rubber band the hangers together instead of trying to cram them onto one hanger. Another good reason to use rubber bands? People look for them! When I am shopping, I look for hangers rubber banded together because I know the better deals are in sets.

8. Load up your car! You are ready to go!  If you have everything sorted and prepped in your car, it will make drop off a lot easier for you.

It’s really that easy!

If you are looking for more consignment tips, check out “Everything You Need to Know about Consignment Sale Shopping!”