Parents anticipate making sacrifices for their kids.
Nearly getting trampled at my first children’s consignment sale was not one of mine.
These semi-annual events are the hottest ticket in town for bargain-seeking parents and grandparents. I heard about them from a friend shortly after I became a mother eight years years ago. She divulged that “every spring and fall, various moms groups hold these huge sales (for) gently used kids’ clothing, furniture, toys and maternity… Thousands of shoppers attend and everything is 50-90 percent below retail!”
At first, I felt betrayed by my other mom friends. I had just spent months schlepping to garage sales in search of well-priced baby gear! How could they have neglected to tell me about consignment sales?
It turns out that baby gear — of which new models and trendy brands seem to surface daily — is abundant at children’s consignment sales. “Baby equipment, gear and toys are some of our biggest bargains,” says Tracey Gifford, who runs Just Between Friends Denver, the area’s largest regular children’s consignment sale event.
If you have your own items to sell, Denver mom Tina Keating recommends becoming a consignor.
“At St. Philip Early Learning Center’s Children’s Consignment Sale, we offer a 70/30 split,” she says. “You keep 70 percent of the profits from your items and our school fund-raiser takes 30 percent. And you get to set your own price.”
Keating adds that you don’t always need to camp out to get the best deals, but “parents who volunteer get (first) dibs because they shop before the sale opens up to the general public.”
I wish I’d heard that tip before attending my first consignment sale. Back then, I arrived more than an hour early to guarantee an optimal place in line.
And that wasn’t my only rookie move. I quickly realized that I was unprepared as most consignment sale attendees come armed with large bags or laundry baskets to stash their spoils. (Strollers often are not allowed.)
These events tend to charge a nominal entrance fee. So the women who waited to get into that first sale I attended were clutching dollar bills as though this were some sort of
strip club for baby mamas.
While we all waited to shop, I exchanged pleasantries and chatted with several other moms. But then, a five-minute warning sounded, and a hush fell over the crowd just before a brave volunteer flung open the doors.
That’s when I learned that bargain hunting can be a competitive sport. I’ve never shopped on Black Friday so I was unprepared for the screaming, racing and grabbing of everything in sight.
After recovering from the shock of it all, I got in on the action. I left the sale an hour later, triumphant, with a haul of toys and clothes that would have cost me hundreds of dollars new.
On the way out, I ran into one of my early-morning buddies who, during the course of this sale, had morphed from friend to foe and apparently back to friend again. “Now wasn’t that just the coolest thing ever, Amber?”
Cool enough to keep me going back year after year.
Amber Johnson is the editor , a family travel writer and blogger. She can be reached at amber@ or on Twitter: @TheMileHighMama.
Staying sane at a kids consignment sale
Tracey Gifford with Just Between Friends () has these tips for consignment sale first-timers.
Come early. Wear comfortable shoes, bring water or snacks and take a break when possible. Make a list of your most-wanted items and the sizes your children wear in clothing and shoes.
Leave kids at home. If you can, schedule your shopping time to attend without your kids, so you can shop undistracted.
Carpe diem. There will be several hundred people shopping at the same time, so if you see something you want, don’t hesitate!
Twice as nice. Go back to the half-price sale. On the final day, most remaining items are an additional 50 percent off the already discounted price. This is a great time to stock up on play clothes, books and other items that were out of your budget.
Tote up. Most sales encourage you to bring a laundry basket, wagon or other shopping device to avoid carrying large quantities. Also, check to see if there is a “hold area” where shoppers can stash their items and then keep shopping.
Social network. Join the mailing list to get notifications of upcoming events. Trust me, once you have seen a children’s consignment sale in action, you won’t want to miss another one.
Amber Johnson
A selection of spring 2012 childrens consignment sales
For an updated list, visit .
TODAY
Your Kids Closet
9 a.m.-2 p.m.
Where: The Wildlife Experience, Parker
yourkidscloset.com
MARCH 31
Darling Doubles
Saturday, 8 a.m.-11 a.m.; 11 a.m.-noon (half-price)
Where: Adams County Fairgrounds, Brighton
darlingdoubles.org
APRIL 13-14
New to You
Friday 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturday 8 a.m.-noon (half-price)
Where: Christ Lutheran Church, Highlands Ranch
newtoyousale.org
APRIL 14
Supertwins of the Rocky Mountains (STORM)
Saturday 9 a.m.-noon
Where: Sheridan Rec Center, Denver
stormcolorado.com
APRIL 19-22
Just Between Friends of Denver
Thursday 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
Friday 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. (25 percent off); Sunday 9 a.m.-3 p.m. (half-price)
Where: National Western Complex, Denver
jbfsale.com/denver
APRIL 21
Double Delights
Saturday 9 a.m.-noon
Where: Grace United Methodist Church, Denver
orgsites.com/co/ doubledelights
APRIL 26-28
St. Philip Early Learning Center
Thursday 9:30 a.m.-7 p.m.; Friday 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m.; Saturday 8 a.m.-noon (half-price)
Where: St. Phillip Lutheran Church, Littleton
StPhilipELC.org
