SPRING CLEANING: A TIME TO CONSIGN + 10 HELPFUL TIPS

So you dove into a closet cleanse and you're ready to clear the clutter? While donating all those garments is wonderful, another means of clearing your closet clutter can be to consign. Consignment is a way for you to turn the clothing and accessories you no longer wear into funds for something new. Consignment can help moms extend kids clothing budgets: Sell the gently used clothing kids grow out of so fast, into dollars to buy clothing for the following season or that they can grow into (See Resale Shopping for Kids at SheKnows.com). Consigning clothing can also be a great money saving system of rebuilding your wardrobe for a lifestyle change, especially if you've moved to a new climate or location - or you're just a simple fashionista!

Not all consignment shops are brick-and-mortar - Some consignment businesses also sell on-line now-a-days. Here are 4  to look into: 

 

"Everything SOLD is new again" -at Tradesy.

Tradesy

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My Sister's Closet

The Women's Closet Exchange

You might recognize The Women's Exchange from the popular TV show, ReSale Royalty, which is located in St. Louis, MO, but also has an excellent assortment of designer goods online, for a fraction of the cost of buying them retail. A great means of adding a little splurge while you save and purge. For additional consignment shops and locations, do a search in Google for (your area) Consignment Shops, plus also visit The High Low, which offers not only a list and links to 5 Online Consignment Shops, but also calls out a few others in the comment section as well.

Locally here in Phoenix, I've had success selling clothing from a closet cleanse at TurnStyle Consignment. I've been able to reinvest the funds from clothing I no longer wear (because of lifestyle change + personal style & fit) into 'new to me' secondhand style finds to build my wardrobe for the lifestyle I live today. This is especially helpful when you've bought and worn something, and you're not comfortable with your purchase. Just clean the garment and take it to consign to help recoup some of your loss. Besides carefully reading the Consignment Terms from the establishment you want to partner with, here are, from my own personal experience with consigning clothing...

 10 helpful tips to consider when it comes time to consign:

1 - Consign only your best and present your consignment items the best way possible


2 - If not dry cleaned pressed or ironed, sometimes a quick spritz & light dryer time can remove wrinkles (especially for knits) just be sure to hang immediately after cycle complete.

3 - If you have pets, a quick pass with a sticky lint roller can help to remove pet hairs - even if item is already cleaned.

4 - Hang clean & wrinkle free consignment clothes vs using a bag drop off: Your items will not only look their best, but you'll be able to keep track of how many items the shop takes to consign. Some items will need to be bagged (such as shoes or accessories) which the blue Ikea Tote is great for.

5 - Clean and polish shoes, boots & bags, especially if these items have been lingering in your closet, they may have collected some dust. If it's a tote or purse you've grown tired of, but it's still in good condition: check all pockets, clip any stray strings, and shake out any bottom dwellers. Be sure to include the bags dust bag (if it came with). GooGone helps to quickly polish bags, boots and shoes - works especially well on patent finishes.

Women's Closet Exchange

6 - Check your local or online consignment shop site for a list of brands they do & don't accept. Typically, consignment shops are looking for gently used to new items, from the past year, up to 4 - 5 years. The exception would be authentic vintage or retro items. Besides clothing, fashion items can also include: purses, wallets, travel bags, better costume + fine jewelry, sunglasses, shoes, vintage bags + jewelry, hats, and scarves. 

Good to know: Some consignment shops will also take that perfume you spritzed once and didn't care for, or had a reaction to. Again, just check site or call to verify.

7 - Check consignment site to see if an appointment is necessary plus what the item limit is. Some may be split: 25 item walk-ins Monday - Friday, while weekends may require an appointment.

 

From the New York Times: How To Monetize your Closet

8 - Check which season consignment shop is accepting, or when the following season will be accepted. Typically January - June are Spring / Summer consignments while July - December are collections for Fall / Winter consignments. Fur season can typically be October - January. To sell your wedding dress or accessories, look into PreownedWeddingDresses.com

9 - If you're selling clothes online, take photos showing what makes your item unique. If there is visible wear or damage, be sure to photograph it. Remember, online today is all about being transparent plus building a good online reputation.

10 - Whatever doesn't consign, donate to your local Goodwill, Salvation Army, or church thrift shop. For extra thrifty savings, drop off donations to Savers Thrift, and receive a $3 off your next purchase coupon. Across the pond, a charity organization to donate to can also be cashinthecloset.
  

From Tradesy who says, Your Closet is a Goldmine! Great online source to sell on:

Your listing is 100% free, you can sell as many items as you'd like plus you can set your own prices. Your listing will remains active until the item sells. See Tradesy: How it Works.

One example of Consignment Terms - From TurnStyle.

Some consignment establishments will offer you 45% of the selling price (if you want to receive a check) and 55% as a shop credit to use towards your new purchases. Remember though, consignment shops aren't selling items at retail prices - they are usually priced 60% to 70% less than retail. Granted, consignment isn't going to necessarily turn your bank account into a Trump account, but if you're looking for a budget friendly wardrobe solution - other than thrift - consignment is it! For additional tips about how to consign, see this article at Lucky: Consigning your Clothes: What you Need to Know.

After your closet cleanse, you'll be ready to shop for a few updated pieces to layer into key items, which just like accessorizing your home, can make the old seem new again. Here's a checklist of 50 Closet Classics to keep - and if you don't already have, consider investing in...

 

50 Closet Classics from Matchbook Magazine 

 And don't forget - Skinny hangers help save space!

Happy Spring Cleaning and Closet purging!

Thanks for stopping by!

How Fall Closet Cleaning Can Help Make Donations

Fall closet cleaning can help with donations: for Sandy Survivors as well as your local community. After purging my closets last weekend, I was able to help with both. Last weekend, after Sandy had hit, I felt a major sense of urgency to help in some way. Being located across the country, I could have donated funds to the Red Cross. But since I have acquired so many home textiles and cold weather goods over the years, from working retail plus shopping thrift -- I felt the urge to purge. I started in one closet, and it led to another, and a cabinet here plus a trunk there. I was able to clear out four 40lb boxes of blankets, sheets, towels, sweaters, coats, jackets and even a few (new) toiletries (like soap & shampoo). I also added in a few (new) cleansers and cosmetics products the hubs has brought home the past year as gratis. Gratis are basically vendor product gifts, usually new to try or lines being dropped. I don't 'need' all this stuff like so many others are in need on the east coast now. So I asked Jeff to bring home some empty boxes, and I sorted and packed up these donations to send to a contact in New Jersey. Over this weekend, my contact (Betty Shepard of Wisteria Cleaning) and a few others are getting together to bring these and several other donations to shelters near the shore.

 

How did I organize my donations? I started in a pretty cleared space: a spare room that is to become our guest room (next week!!)

 

After clearing pillows off floor, I started to gather donations from the closets, and stacked into category piles on the floor...

 

What started out as a few items quickly GREW. The mind set was to take the emotion out of it: These people NEED these things far more than I do. Some of the stacks I sorted were:

 

Towels

 

Textiles

 

Yes - I also sent an extra American flag I had..

 

Sweaters & Scarves...

 

Knit tops like tees & tanks: GREAT for layering under sweaters to help keep people warm in the winter...

 

Pre sorting like items together made it easier to fill the boxes with...

 

All clothing: Knit tops, sweaters, scarves, socks, bras, underwear (NEW), 

jackets and coats...

 

Blankets!

 

Towels and toiletries...

Sheets, sheet sets, and pillow cases...

But while I was purging my closets, I had also come across some other items I really don't need (like extra hangers or tea-light holders). However, not all of these items wouldn't necessarily be items needed at the shelters right now - so those items I took to donate at  another thrift store chain I learned about here in Arizona called Savers.

 

The extra donations not as urgent to send to New Jersey were separated and I donated these locally.

Then I built the boxes Jeff brought home...

 

I lined the boxes with kraft paper...

 

Lined...

 

Sorted...

 

Added a message to each box...

 

To let Betty know what was in each box. but without spelling it out, I used: C for Clothing, B for Blankets, S for Sheets and T for Towels...

 

Jeff brought them to UPS, sent ground...

And now the space is clear again, ready to get a makeover as a guest room, the closets are cleaned out and better organized plus this was a great way to help both the Sandy Survivors and my local community by donating to thrift.

 

Yesterday, I contacted a local shop I frequently visit, to ask them if we could team up to collect 6  categories of items to donate to Sandy Survivors: Sheets, Towels, Blankets, Coats, Socks & Sweaters. I'd like to be able to announce it this week to let locals know, but I haven't heard back yet from the shop owner. It won't cost them a thing to do, it won't take away from their business and it can give a means of others also helping with donations from afar. I'd be there to collect them, haul them home to sort and pack 9as I did here) and ship them to New Jersey, where they will be transported again to shelters on the shore in need xo

 

I can't BE there physically right now, but I'm focusing on what I can do from here.

 This probably hit me so strongly not only because I was born & raised in New Jersey, but also because along with friends, I have family there. One of which was my Godmother. She lives in Spring Lake, and the last time we had spoken was the morning of the storm... than I heard nothing from her, until yesterday. I had been calling every morning & every night, last night, I was able to speak with her and hear HER say, "I'm alright."

 

 

 I'm SO happy she's OK!!

But still, so many aren't and people still do need our help...

Here are some stories and info about other people donating to Sandy Survivors:

 

 Donate goods & supplies in Collingswood/Camden County area: Collingswood Farmer's Market, Saturday, Nov. 10 from 8am-12pm. Reader Tricia B. is coordinating an amazing donation effort using goods dropped off at the market. Check out this photo she shared - way to go, Tricia. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Collingswood-Farmers-Market/107197919352172

 

 Truck filled with donations from the generous Collingswood community. Credit: Tricia Burrough

And of course, Betty Shepard of Wisteria Cleaning in Wilingboro NJ, Rocking the Rescue!

 Rock the Rescue in Ocean and Atlantic Counties. 

Shared from Betty Shepard today: 

"Rocking the Rescue continues! JoAnn's SUV is packed with diapers, baby wipes, paper towels, food, coats, sweaters, new bedding & clothing donated by the members of the Moorestown Lunch group of BNI. Donations rolled in from twitter and Facebook friends."

 

Donations are piling up! This is wonderful to see.

Maybe some stores like Office Max or Staples could donate banquet tables, shelving or carts to help sort and organize drop off locals. I love the way everyone there is helping each other out!! And besides donations, don't forget about the displaced pets who are lost and need to be reunited with their owners. Learn more at: Hurricane Sandy - Lost & Found Pets.

 

Thanks for stopping by...

 

 

 

Organizing a Garage Sale TO SELL!

I put my retail experience to good use this weekend: I had a garage sale! Our gated community advertised a garage sale would be open to the public: so I took FULL advantage of the opportunity! All week, my FOCUS was on purging from closets, from the office, from cupboards, from the attic, and from the garage... all the things that I not only have not used in 6 months or a year, but also purging items that add NO VALUE to my life. Having just past Halloween, you'd think there be something scary about cleaning out the skeletons and dusting off the cobwebs... but it wasn't at all! It was actually a lucrative ($) cleansing.... I even utilized discontinued sale signs from my previous employer to shout out the event! BIGGEST SALE OF THE SEASON! EVERYTHING ON SALE

I started the urge to purge at the beginning of the week by scheduling a closet a day to tackle. Otherwise, the task may have become too overwhelming. While pulling out what I was purging, I was able to keep re-organizing the spaces. I did have "some" treasures I had brought home from my old office, that I did need to create space for (for ex. my 9/11 newspaper collection, colored pens & pencils, floor plan templates, and "ideas" to go through at a later date). What was to be purged, I'd gathered at the top of the stairs, to bring down to the garage. I daily kept piling in the garage until I got to Friday, the day before the sale

(call it the presale)
Friday morning, I Google'd some info about setting up garage sales, and from the info I gathered, I made myself a checklist:

1. Price dots on EVERYTHING
2. Larger signs on larger items
3. Picture of a comparable item to show its value (ex. P1 chair $129 mine @ $30 for same)

4. Utilize an online price list from the Salvation Army site as a price "guide"
5. Visited my local thrift stores to check out their pricing on similar items
6. Utilize banquet tables covered with black sheets cut in 1/2 as cloth.
7. Categorize items: Home Decor, Fashion Apparel, Books & Music

8. Colorize these like items so it was easier to "sell" in multiples
9. Utilize easel-like stands to prop up decorative detailed plates
10. Utilize a table easel as a handbag stand
11. Utilize small white boxes w/cotton inserts for jewelry

 

1. Repurpose Dry Cleaners hangers to replace our personal hangers
2. Borrowed a T-Stand rack from "a" store for hanging items
3. Sell Cd's @ a price point & multiples for incentive ($2 ea. or 3 for $5)
4. Utilize plexi shoe box storage bin for sale of CD's
5. Utilize a riser under table for "nest" (height easier to shop vs. on the ground)
6. Collect plastic grocery bags and paper shopping bags
7. Play peppy music (makes people BUY more!! )

Friday, I opened the garage, set up one of the tables in the driveway, and began categorizing and pricing the stuff to be sold. When that table was full, I opened up a second table, and continued to sort and price. Afterwards I dragged both tables into the garage. My mom came up Friday night, so she would be my assistant from start to finish on Saturday.

Saturday morning, with the help of my husband, I was able to just lift the tables up, and place them in the driveway ALREADY SET. I angled the tables, so drive-by's could get a glimps of EVERYTHING, but easier for them to spot my trash as their treasure. My husband went to work, and my mom and I sold our hearts out. 

Sales actually INCREASED when I played Micheal Jackson, and decreased when I played Madonna. Neighbors played some reggae on Sunday morning... which was wonderful with the bright sunlight and the breezy weather! Some input I got from FB friends was to ADVERTISE ON CRAIGS LIST. I can't say enough about advertising. Signs, emails, fliers: GET THE WORD OUT so you have the TRAFFIC to support all your efforts!!

Yesterday, by far, had more traffic. Surprisingly though. What I thought WOULD sell, did not. What I thought I would be donating, actually SOLD! So taking these observation into consideration (call it your "hits and misses"), I re-evaluated my strategy and presentations today. I utilized one of the 3 condensed banquet tables to display a colorline of all the window coverings I had for sale. By removing them out of the packages, and displaying them with new lower prices, I sold 6x's as much today then I did yesterday (with LESS traffic!!). On another table I price pointed all the goods (at 12pm) to $1 and SIGNED it large enough to see from the street (sold 1/2 the table!!)

A girlfriend joined me today. She brought over several clothing and shoe items. The 3rd table I had sold down, I was able to turn over to her for all her shoes. Many of the shoes were brand named with their boxes. I used the boxes as risers, and it also called out the brand. We price pointed the table at $5, and she sold 5 pairs off the table. The clothing, we lowered the price as an incentive to a customer who bought 1/2 our inventory!!!

Several customers commented, they "felt" like they were in a store, NOT at a garage sale. They LIKED the fact it was easy to find items, they didn't hesitate to ask if we had something, and even the neighbors REFEREED customers to this sale because they saw the inventory... and visa versa. I even managed to to prospect 4 potential future "customers" for their home "re-design".

When it was time to pack up, my friend and I collected all the clothing and shoes: she's sending them to donations in Haiti. All the chachquis and left over home goods, got piled into the car, to be donated at the Salvation Army, with an inventoried list. This list is itemized and used when filing tax returns, so some $'s are still recouped.

So, with a little FOCUS of your efforts (and merchandising trickery), you too can PURGE your closets, let go of what adds no value to your life, profit from it (to make a car and student loan payment), and add some REAL value to your life: Get to know your neighbors, as well as spend time LAUGHING with your friend or with your mom. Some efforts can even come back to you in the form of a gift:

I had commented on how beautiful this table was to my neighbor. When they packed up Saturday, she came and GAVE me the table!! AND helped me carry it into the house!!

Happy Garage Selling!!