Rhea Lana's Northwest Arkansas Consignment Sale

Today was pick-up day for Rhea Lana's consignment sale. I made $54! I didn't break even with my purchases, though. I purchased $85 worth of items. However, I got 19 items for $85 for an average purchase price of $4.47 per item.

NOW, let's add back in the money I made. If I made $54, or say $55 to make the math super easy, and spent $85, then the net amount I spent was $30. So I essentially got 19 items for $30 which is an average purchase price of $1.58 per item. Whohoo! That's the way, un huh un huh, I like it!

Sorry. Needed a song break there....

I have had limited success at consignment sales in Northwest Arkansas. The Duck Duck Goose sale in Little Rock is MUCH better. I don't know how that lady does it, but her sales are bigger and have more items sold than any I've been to up here.

Anyway, to honor my successful sale, I thought I'd post "Tips on Selling at Consignment Sales". These are strictly OTJ tips. As in, I've probably learned all of these the hard way....

Tips on Selling at Consignment Sales in Northwest Arkansas

1. Bring your BEST! This time, if any item looked a little too worn, like it had been washed 1000 times, I immediately sent it to Goodwill or Salvation Army. Those items will sell in Little Rock, but not here in NW Arkansas.

2. Newer clothing sells better. I sold a lot of outfits that were purchased new just one year ago. Yes, it hurt to see the shirt I bought for $9.99 8 months ago sell for $3. But seeing it NOT sell is even worse.

3. Don't combine jeans and shirts to make outfits. This is a tip from Duck Duck Goose as to how to make your items hit their $2 minimum price. I did this in all the past sales up here and didn't sell a one of them. This time, I sold jeans separately and shirts separately, and they just flew off the racks!

4. Original "outfits" sell better than separates. If you went to Gymboree and bought a cute shirt, and the pants to go with it, and the headband, and a hair bow, etc, THAT stuff will sell like hotcakes. Unless you price it too high, but more on that later. If you just buy shirts, and pants, and then match them up at home, they don't seem to sell as well.

5. Toddler clothing sells better than infant clothing. There is SO MUCH infant clothing. So, it's hard for a new mom to sort through it all. Plus, most of the 0-3 month sizes aren't going to be purchased by moms-to-be who are expecting to have showers. It's the larger sizes, the ones where family and friends quit buying clothes for you, that will have you scouring consignment sales like crazy!

6. Price your items low. Yes, it hurts. You know you paid $15 for the entire outfit, she wore it twice, and now you want $12 from a consignment sale. Sorry. Ain't gonna happen! I learned this mistake the first time I sold at Duck Duck Goose. $5 and under seems to work best. Occasionally, higher priced items will sell, if they have lots of extras attached (hats, hair bow, matching shoes, etc.). Most of the time, though, items over about $6 will be left hanging. I overheard these two ladies shopping and saying that one doesn't buy items over $5. The other one didn't buy items over $10. Just like all "sales", you must ask yourself if the item in question is worth the price. It doesn't matter what it's original price was or how much "off" it is.

7. Let your items go for half-price. Yes, this hurts even more. However, I have had many items sold on half-price day that had NOT sold during the regular sale days. If I had not let them go half-price, I would have gotten $0 for a $3 item instead of $1.50.

Well, that's the gist of it. I could come up with a few others, but these are some good, general guidelines to help you maximize your consignment sales. Next up: BUYING at consignment sales!