Why I Stopped Selling at Children’s Consignment Sales

62 Comments

1. Helen

   I’ve not done one of these large sales but it doesn’t interest me at all! We have a great local consignment shop and I’d rather support her. Plus it’s so easy to make a quick appointment to drop stuff off and be done. And then anything that doesn’t meet her standards I donate. I don’t have time to mess around!

   • Erin

     They used to be more beneficial to me, but the time investment is no longer worth it for my current life season. I do appreciate that we also have a local consignment shop that sounds similar to yours, Helen!

2. Cyndi

   Last summer two of my daughters and I had an impromptu garage sale. When the sale was over they put the ” high end” name brand clothes in baskets and they took them to a consignment store. Since this was their idea and they sorted the remaining sale items, folded everything neatly and volunteered to drive themselves, I said they could keep the money. The employee told my girls that it would take 45-60 minutes to go through the clothes; there were four laundry baskets full! The girls walked to their favorite sporting goods store to dream about what they were going to purchase with their proceeds. They sincerely thought they would make at leat $100.
   After the hour was up they walked back to the consignment store. The employee greeted them with four laundry baskets full of their clothes! They were told that their clothes were great brands, the brands that they look for but, unfortunately they only take clothes that are 1 year old and most of theirs were two years old or more. They walked out with four fullo laundry baskets and $5.00!

   • Erin

     Oh that is SO disappointing, Cyndi! We have a women’s shop that sounds similar to yours but I’ve never tried it because I always wear my clothes for WAY longer than a year, and I don’t wear upscale brands. LOL

3. Angel

   The consignment stores in my area only require the clothes be clean. No ironing, deciding on price. The shops here use steam to get the wrinkles out and they decide the price. Once I wash them I toss them in a tote and take them in later. I can understand why you quit. 🙂

   • Erin@The Humbled Homemaker

     That is awesome! That is how the one I occasionally use also does…it makes it so much easier! I get less of a cut than at the sales, but at this season in my life it’s just not worth the higher percentage anymore!

4. Gina

   I do consign at the huge consignment sales and I can relate to both sides. When I wasn’t working from home I loved it! I felt I was contributing to helping my family and it was exciting to make a couple hundred dollars on things I normally would have just given away because my kids outgrew it.

   I also love shopping there because I can get name brand clothing for my kids that I never would have been able to afford nor would want to spend that much on children’s clothes. Now that I work from home though, it is a little stressful going through the process. However I still do it 🙂 Mainly so I can shop earlier and receive money within 2 weeks from doing it. I normally use the money for my kids birthday parties.

   My boys are really into Thomas the train and I love shopping there for that. When normally they are $15-25 per train, I can find the ones they want for like $5 and they don’t care or notice it’s used! I have tried to do it a little at a time to make it less stressful but still end up finding myself struggling to get it all done in time. I now do mainly toys and stuff and less clothes to cut down on the stress. Each time a sale is coming up I go through their toys to see what they are not playing with and consign it.

   Although the process can be stressful, I am so thankful for it. I can get clothes much cheaper for my kids they are probably going to outgrow within 6 months, especially shoes! Also as a shopper I am glad they have all these protocols so when I shop I know I am not going through hundreds of clothes that are stained, with holes in them or very worn. Of course you come across some now and again at the sales but overall most things are in very good condition. And the best part is they donate it for me if I want them to if my stuff doesn’t sell and I get a receipt with my check.

   So overall- yes time consuming but for me worth it! 🙂

   • Erin

     Thanks for sharing your experience, Gina! You sound exactly where I was a few years ago. It was the most beneficial when I wasn’t working from home, then it was still beneficial for a while, but now we have crossed over that season. All that said, I still love shopping at them–for the same reasons you listed! I love a good deal! Unfortunately, now that my girls are older, it’s getting more difficult to find things that will work for them. I have to find things that have enough wear on them to last through three girls, and it’s proving more challenging now! Thanks for sharing!

5. Sara Dawson

   As a consignment sale owner I have admittedly have a biased view on this topic. That being said – consignment sale events aren’t for everyone…but they can be a great resource for families who need some extra cash, need a reason to clean out, are looking to connect with other families in the area or need a good donations outlet for those items that don’t sell. Many sales offer a VIP tagging service (similar to a traditional consignment sale where you simply drop off) for those who are overwhelmed easily which provides a way to sell your items and still get presale shopping perks. Not all sales are mega and not all sales are created equal. Here is an article I published…maybe with a little more insight some that have issues with consignment sale events might appreciate them a bit more. http://consignmentmommies.com/guest-post-ten-things-consignment-sale-owners-wish-knew/

   • Erin

     Such a great article, Sara! Thanks for sharing! It’s OK to be biased! I LOVE consignment sales, and they were hugely beneficial to our family for years. We just aged out and now the ROI is not the same for me. But we do still shop at them, and I even volunteered for another year after I stopped selling at them. If a new mom wants to know where to shop, they are the first place I mention. 🙂 Blessings on your business!

6. Kathleen P.

   I stopped doing consignment sales years ago for the very reasons you mentioned. I do need to look into consignment shops as my 14 year old son has recently outgrown a lot of clothes that he has hardly worn.

   • Erin

     I hear it gets harder and harder to sell and find used clothes as they enter the teen years. I hope you find a good shop!

7. Jackie

   We have an ‘upscale only’ consignment sale about an hour away. I try to do their sale at least once every year or two. I save up so that i will have lots to send. (I’m not fond of the hour drive, but my favorite restaurant is close by and it’s the closest one to us, so i can stop in there when i drop off and pick up.) with it being ‘upscale’ they only accept certain brands, and people expect to pay a little more. My best year, i made $1,200 after consignment fees. Considering that i buy used or clearance, I think i did very well!

   • Erin

     WOW! $1,200 is AMAZING! That sounds worth it for sure! I love that you make it a fun time by going to your favorite restaurant at the same time!

8. Erin

   When I had large ticket items, selling at the consignment sales were good. But i found my time and misc expenses associated (mainly gas as we lived a distance away) made it not worth it. For a while I used thred up until their prices lowered per piece. Now we give to ladies at church and donate to Goodwill for the tax write off. The value per piece on donating to Goodwill is pretty nice!

   • Erin

     I saw a different when we had big ticket items as well. My kids have aged out of that now. 🙁 We really racked up the year we sold most of our baby gear!

9. Lori

   I think there is one important benefit to consignment sales that you are overlooking and that is the benefit to the environment and community. At a consignment sale, you are literally buying from and giving to your neighbors and all of those items are reused and recycled locally in your own community. You may want to more closely at the issue of the life cycle of cheap clothing from Target and Kohls because they are generally manufactured in conditions that abuse and take advantage of workers. Our dollars are probably the most powerful vote that we have. I would rather put them in the pocket of my neighbor. There is a great book called called Overdressed -the High Cost of Cheap Clothing that sort of follows the life-cycle of a $5 target bargain and the high cost it produces for the workers that have to make it and where it eventually ends up. Just something else to consider.

   • Erin

     That is a really great point, Lori! We do still love to shop at consignment sales. I wish it were easier to find good used clothing with older kids. It was so easy when they were babies and toddlers! The main reason why I no longer sell at them is the stress it was putting me under, but I 100% support them and love to shop at them each season–but I just know that, unfortunately, I will not find a lot of clothes and will need to ultimately shop the clearance racks instead. Because I have three girls, I have to buy clothes that will last through all three children. Thanks for sharing!

10. Carol

    I enjoyed your point of view. However… 😉

    “If you can make more money for your family in less time doing something you would enjoy more, then it’s not worth the time you are spending to sell at consignment sale.”

    Not completely true, one COULD make more doing another task, but CAN one? Can a mom get a one week after hours job working from the house?

    There was no mention that consignors get the perks of shopping before the crowd to get even better prices on the upcoming season.

    Consigning adds us great value. I can work on our things while the kids play or sleep. It pays for their next size and season EVERY time. It’s also very green (recycling clothes) and helps my local economy (using my money that will stay inside my community in turn helping my neighbors and my friends financially).

    As kids age, it does get harder. But, it’s still worth it in my town!

    Lastly, your sale owner friend — ouch. 🙁 This post makes me sad for her.

    • Erin

      That’s a good point about the temp job, Carol. My point is that if a mom has other ways of making an income for her family that is less stressful, she needs to choose wisely and let go of things that might be stressing her out or zapping her joy.

      I did actually mention getting to shop early–and it’s one reason I continued to participate as a volunteer even after I stopped selling: “Volunteering was a great time for me to hang out with other moms who were also volunteering. Plus, volunteers got to shop early, and I would get a quick peek at some of the things I might want to buy my kids once the sale started.” 🙂

      I wish it were still worth it for me, but with three kids the same sex and the older almost 8, it’s just not anymore. If it is for you, GREAT! That’s awesome!!

      I fully support our friend who runs a sale. I have NO issues with her sale and continue to advertise her sale via word of mouth, on my personal FB page, and even with sales flyers b/c I LOVE supporting small businesses. I also still shop at it. 🙂 It’s my favorite sale in the area, and I always mark off my calendar for it, so I don’t miss it. I brought her up b/c I DO love supporting these ladies–not because I don’t. 🙂

      The point of the post was that I had to give something up that I actually loved because I realized it was not bringing me joy and was stressing me out. I want other ladies who are in the same boat to have the freedom to practice boundaries and walk away from things there were once good in their lives but no longer beneficial to them or their families.

      Thanks for sharing your experience! 🙂

11. K. Ann Guinn

    Great article (and scope)!

    I so agree that we need to figure out what is worth our time or not. I have never participated in this type of consignment shop selling, but can see the issue with the stress and time involved. You also made a great point about our individual, God-given gifts and personalities, and we need to decide what works for us.

    My favorite thing to do is to just bless someone I know with the clothes (only if you know they need or want them, of course). My younger sister gets first pick for her younger, smaller sons, while some specific “dress-code” items go to a friend whose sons attend the same charter school as mine. I’d rather bless a “stranger” (by donating in a bin), and immediately rid my home of the clutter, as well.

    I have only donated clothes to shops like Goodwill or Saint Vincent de Paul’s. Although I don’t earn money from the donations, I think these businesses do at least something to give back to the community. It is super-easy to drop a bag full into a bin. I often shop at them for deals as well, but I admit I enjoy it when I go with a friend, so it’s worthwhile. But it literally takes me hours to shop there, so you definitely have to take your time spent into account.

    One last thing that I’m working slowly towards is living in a more minimal way, so I need to be careful not to come home with too much “clutter” from used clothing stores. I often find a few items that are totally worth the time and money, but sometimes it’s more beneficial to chose one or two items I love from either clearance racks and sales (esp. at a store like Bob’s Stores around here, who give coupons and cash rewards), as well as using discounts on online stores like Lands’ End. I find we wear the few things we really like most of the time. so it’s better to have a few clothes we love, rather than stuffed closets of things we don’t enjoy or use.

    • Erin

      Thanks for sharing, K. Ann. I loved this sentence, especially: “You also made a great point about our individual, God-given gifts and personalities, and we need to decide what works for us.” <---I am a firm believer in knowing how God created us and focusing on our own individual gifts and passions in making decisions on how we spend our time. I hone in on that on the site a lot because it took me YEARS to finally realize it! There were some ladies who commented via FB that they keep organized with these sales by typing up spreadsheets, etc. I think that is GREAT for them, and obviously they are made for this type of thing...but spreadsheets make my eyes twitch, and I only use them when absolutely necessary! LOL About donating: I agree with you. My parents never sold their used belongings--although they did buy used. There were years where we needed every single extra penny we could bring in. Selling at consignment sales was a HUGE blessing to our family then. Now, we feel more called to donate most of our things instead of selling them. I think there is nothing wrong in selling, but this makes the most sense in our current life season, and it sounds like you are in the same boat. Your minimalism mindset is something I've definitely been working toward in recent years. Cutting down our wardrobes and focusing on buying less has relieved so much stress in my life! Thanks again for sharing!

12. Pam

    It sounds like you keep going back to the fact that you once did enjoy and benefit from Consignment Sales, but in this next season of your life you do not. I don’t think the negative tone of your blog post really was necessary just because you have aged out. For every person it’s a different experience based on their items and the event itself. I am not sure why you decided this was the time to blast a category of very successful businesses that you did once benefit from when your girls were younger. I think that perhaps your title should be My children are aging of consignment sales…not so much why you don’t do them any more b/c it really gives a negative spin on the concept of the sales. I am sure the sale owner you attempt to compliment might be sad you would post something that would dampen her spirits for the career she works very hard at and trusting she is contributing with her gifts in the community.

    • Erin

      I didn’t intend to be negative at all, Pam. Perhaps I could look at a way to rename the post. I am not sure what I would call it, but I have re-read this post many times today and don’t see how people can read “blasting” into it when I repeatedly said that I support consignment sales but that I no longer sell in them for the reasons listed.

      I said in the post: “All that said, I do still love browsing the racks at a couple of my local seasonal consignment sales (I am particularly partial to one my friend owns!). I enjoy supporting other moms this way.” and “Does that mean everyone should stop consigning stuff at consignment sales? Absolutely not!
      There are valid reasons why you should consider selling at children’s consignment sales.”

      I’m really not sure what else I could have said to better convey my support yet still encourage moms who might be experiencing stress, not making much money, and have children who have aged out that they can let this go and give someone else their spots. I was prompted to write this post after receiving messages from moms who were eaten up in stress over this, and they need freedom to walk away.

13. Keelie Reason

    I have never even been to a consignment sale. I have on occasion been in a consignment shop. In general, I buy everything at the thrift store here. We have an incredible thrift store in our area that benefits the school systems. Everything I wear comes from that thrift store, and just about everything my kids wear. I often can find things for my husband, but it takes a little more effort.

    I buy most shoes brand new, because no one is passing down kids shoes worth owning. On occasion, I have to buy my kids a pair of pants, if the thrift store is dry. They haven’t been dry in more than a year though. I also have to buy my husband jeans every few years. It is almost impossible to find his sizes at the thrift store. I buy myself a pair of jeans that are new once every other year, because I have a hard time finding pants that fit me at all…I don’t care where I go to shop.

    We don’t sell our stuff, because we feel that God has blessed us so much, that we want to give it back to others. I don’t think that should be what everyone does, but it is what we do. I benefit deeply from the thrift store, so I will give everything I can to the thrift store so others can benefit. Usually, before I take it to the thrift store, I try to find someone I can give it to outright. We have been given almost every piece of furniture in our home…decorations…all the clothes my kids wore for the first 7 years of their lives…food…sooooo much! I want to bless others, so I don’t sell my things. Once, we even tried to sell our stuff because we were severe financial need. Know what? God didn’t bless it. We basically ended up giving the few things away, because the items sold for so little. It was a lot of effort without any return. So, we took that as a word from God to quit it.

    Those that do consignment, I think it is great for them! I can imagine it is a lot of work though. Eventually, I had to give up couponing because I wasn’t able to make as good a deal on the coupons as I was working from home.

    I say, if you don’t find value in something…just stop! I’ve never had a yard sale in my life. I’ve helped out at some for fundraisers, but I’ve never done one in my life! Praise God for those that do, because I do benefit from it.

    • Erin

      That’s neat that you are able to find such awesome stuff at thrift stores, Keelie! I agree about the giving. We much prefer that route now. We recently got rid of some furniture and decided to give it away instead of the hassle or selling it. That is how my parents operated things, and God always provides!!

14. Teri

    I am a sale owner of a seasonal consignment sale. This will be our 34th sale in the community. Most seasonal sales go beyond “just making money “ We along with our consignors provide quality items at a very deep discount. My sale along with many other sales nationwide, also gives back to the community. Percentages of our sale go various ministries, and we provide care box items to single parent ministries. As a sale owner, I get great joy seeing so thousands of families benefiting from the commitment of our consignors.

    I agree, though, with Erin, it does take time and commitment to consign. As a consignor, it can be a great fit for some and not so great for others!

    BUT I disagree respectfully with some points Erin made because it could discourage hundreds of families from consigning

    Our sale averages around 60,000 items each sale season and 74% of those items sell. That is a significant turn-around of sold items. If you bring in the minimum of 30 items, don’t expect a BIG check. Most of our committed consignors make $400 to 4K each sale. If you wait until the last minute ( I wish I could BOLD that last minute detail) before drop-off to prepare your items, expect stress and lack of sleep. I give my consignors months to prepare, tag and be ready for our sale. Most sale owners provide tips each season to make the most of the consignment tagging and even having the best shopping experience.Treat your consignment experience as a business, and be ready!

    My responses to the blog post could go on and on! But I have a LONG list to do as a coordinator for my upcoming sale in 3 weeks!

    To all who consign or even shop at the sales, take the time to say thanks to the organizers of your local community sale. We put in countless hours, time away from our family, stress, lack of sleep, so we can provide financially for OUR family and others in our community. If I added the hours I put in my sale, my earnings would probably be considered minimum. The stress is all worth it, I consider all who is involved with our sale my consignment family!

    • Erin

      You are my FAVORITE consignment sale owner, Teri! Our family loves you so much, and I would never want to discourage someone who is in a good season to consign from doing it. It’s why I wrote very positively about consignment sales in general and also mentioned two reasons why people should still consider consigning (although I am thinking of writing a follow-up post with more reasons, because there are more!).

      You are right that you, and I would imagine most sale owners, give the consigners plenty of time to prepare. For some moms, that is great, but for others, who have lots of little ones underfoot or who are working moms, it is a lot of stress because they simply don’t have the time to even set aside ahead of time. I was prompted to write this after receiving emails from readers who told me they were beating themselves up and incredibly stressed out about consigning. I want them to know they can have the freedom to walk away from something that is a good thing but is now sapping their joy.

      As I said in the post, we will continue to support our local sales–at least one in particular that we love so much 😉 –just not in the same ways we were before. 🙂

      • Kate

        Point #1 where you mention the hours that you put in and how you barely made any money-you were honest, and that’s appreciated, but can you see how that would be discouraging to someone who is considering consigning? That’s just your truth and not necessarily the truth of a mom who consigns and is happy with the return, which there are many. The difference is that this “other mom” likely doesn’t have the same digital influence as you and thus can’t share her experience with the world in quite the way that you can. Teri, I feel for you, and this must be an uncomfortable position. A post like this hurts our business and the communities we work so hard to benefit. Who knows how many thousands of times this has been shared on Facebook and otherwise. Hugs, Teri, and best of luck with your sale.

        • Kate

          PS…you mentioned how your friend’s sell-through rate was horrible and how she “barely sold anything.” I am sorry to hear that, but can you also understand how this would be discouraging to someone brand new to consigning as well? Readers are only getting one side of the story in regards to selling at consignment events, and the pictures you are painting for them aren’t exactly glowing. I appreciate your honesty, but your post is very one-sided and doesn’t portray an accurate overall picture. You question if owners can interpret your post objectively, and yes, perhaps it is difficult, but respectfully I ask if YOU can interpret your own writing objectively as well and understand why this feels like a dig at our industry–as I said in a previous comment, we are small business owners trying to care for our own families-pay for groceries and mortgages, swim lessons, etc, and we are trying to help others do the same. None of us owners are getting rich off of these sales, and all of us do them with a servant’s heart and a commitment to our communities. An unintended consequence, I know, but think about how many eyes have seen this post now via social media and such. This hurts us when we already need to overcome so many challenges in a changing landscape, Humbled Homemaker. I have always felt like we were doing godly, faith-filled work, and I am disappointed that you are making it THAT much harder.

          • Erin

            Honestly, Kate, I don’t feel like this one post is going to hurt your industry at all. If anything, it will help it by putting consignment sales in the spotlight. I did not dog or attack this industry but shared my personal experience and also gave reasons why people would want to sell. I had no malicious intent and have received many messages from readers who were encouraged by the post. My readers come to me for encouragement to let go of things that are weighing them down and stressing them out, and that is what this post has done. I think people imagine my influence as bigger than it really is. Again, I don’t think one blog post from a mommy blogger will hurt the industry at all. Best wishes on your sale.

15. Jen W.

    As a new kids consignment sale owner (we will be having our 2nd sale next month), the title of this article disappoints me. I feel like it is putting a negative spin on a concept that is helpful, and sometimes financially necessary, to hundreds of families in my community. Just like anything else that can save you money – couponing, mystery shopping, making your own household cleaners, etc – it is not for everyone. Consigning takes time, a bit of upfront money for supplies and often a registration fee (which goes to the sale owner to help cover the cost of the building rental, insurance, marketing, supplies and so much more). However, to the multitude of families who rejoice in selling their items, staying local and using that money to buy next season items it is often something they look forward to each and every season! Consignment sales often give their consignors months of prep time. If any consignor waits until the last minute to tag & prep their items the stress level will be much higher than those who were more prepared and handled their items over a length of time. Consignment sales are also a much safer way to handle selling kids items than the recently popular Facebook buy, sell & trade groups. Many consignment sale owners are moms just like you who are trying to both provide for their families and create a positive, supportive and stable option for the moms and caregivers in their community. I, too, feel for the consignment sale owner in your area who you have become friends with. This has to be a tough read for her and I hope it doesn’t bring her down. Rather than putting down the consignment sale community as a whole, why not explain why you have “aged out”? Very disappointed in this article 🙁

    • Erin

      Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Jen. I have read and re-read the post many times today, and I am having a hard time seeing how it has been understood so negatively. I wrote repeatedly about how much I love consignment sales but I listed the three reasons why I am no longer selling at them (but I do support them in other ways). I think it might be hard for sale owners and those really close to this situation to look at it objectively. Yes, ageing out was one reason, but the other two reasons were also stated. I wrote this post because I have had women writing me saying they are beating themselves up and extremely stressed out about getting their consignment stuff ready, and I want them to know they have the freedom to let go and give someone else their spots. It doesn’t mean they (or I) are bashing consignment sales. In today’s FB thread, I talked about how they are my favorite place to shop for my kids, even to this day.

      Even when people have plenty of time to prep their items, there is still stress that comes with it for some people who don’t have a big margin in their lives–whether it be from having several little ones underfoot or because they are working moms.

      Again, this post was not meant to portray sales in a negative light but to encourage women to be intentional with how they spend their time.

16. Kara Griffin

    The clothes you choose to “toss out” because they are stained, torn or worn too much to donate, please consider donating to Planet Aid (Big Yellow Collection Bins in many grocery lots) or other collection bins that take clothes donations and textiles even if worn. Any shoes, purses or clothes that they cannot use at Planet Aid, go to textile recyclers and the funds go to build schools in poor communities in developing countries. Thanks!! Kara Griffin

    • Erin

      I have never heard about this, but it sounds like a great option, Kara! Thanks for sharing!

17. Aimee

    You make some great points! I don’t consign because I prefer to give our decent leftover clothes to our local pregnancy center. It is a very practical way to support moms who have chosen life but need assistance.

    • Erin

      I love giving to pregnancy resource centers! Our favorite consignment sale owner does the same thing. I love how she gives back.

18. Danielle Pierce

    Hi Erin! I usually love your blog and often share it with others. I completely understand you wanting to help others who struggle with balancing something they love with the stress it may bring. For all of us women, that struggle is real!
    However, I was sad to read what seems to be more of an attack on consignment sales than a post on how to balance stress in your life. I also am a sale owner and work with hundreds of moms a year. Yes, there are some moms that just don’t fit into the consignment world. We know this, we are ok with this. However, the majority of moms that participate love consignment events. Where else are women empowered to sell their items at the prices THEY want in a safe environment? I have several sellers who make over $1000 at each sale. I have to disagree with one of the TWO reasons you give for consigning. 1. You need the money…….You don’t have to need the money to make it worth your time. In fact, our consignors who consign higher quality items do very well. They actually do better than those that are consigning their bargain brands. If you NEED the money, our events are usually the perfect place for you to shop. Our moms that need the income usually consign so that they can shop earlier for the items they need at the best prices.

    I think there are far more than two reasons to consign. A few things to consider-

    Generally speaking you can find quality brands at consignment events for cheaper than the clearance rack at the bargain chains. These items hold up much better, so they may actually get you through the three girls before fading and falling apart.

    As mentioned above in other replies, consignors often have several weeks if not months to plan ahead. The consignors who breeze through preparation are those that stay organized and get a system down.

    Consignment stores usually pay far less than events. They are also much more selective in what they can take. While simply dropping your items at a store may save you time, stores often pay you (less than 50%) in store credit. At your local consignment event you will get cash (more than 50%) for your items!

    Want your items to go to a good cause after the sale? Many sales donate to local charities! We just give you the opportunity to sell it first 🙂

    Many of the consignors who work with us feel blessed not only because they GET money from the event, but because they can turn around and bless other families with items at fair prices. It’s important to remember that blessings come in many forms.

    Although consignment doesn’t fit into your life at this point, there are thousands of moms who love the world of consignment. You mentioned that you once were one of these moms. After I read all the negative things you had to say regarding events and the two (semi) positive things, I was surprised to find out that you had once found value in consignment events. I am disappointed that many moms may be discouraged to even try consigning based on this one sided post 🙁 I appreciate your honesty on this subject, but I think a lot of the positive things in respect to consignment events were left out completely or just mentioned as a side note.

    • Erin

      Hi Danielle, thanks for your thoughtful response to the post. I am having a hard time seeing how you and some of the other sale owners saw this post as attacking, though. I think it might be hard for a sale owner to read it objectively. I have had many comments on social media, this post, and in private messages from women who thanked me for writing the post and saw no negativity in it. I was writing about why this is not a good choice for me anymore, but I did give some reasons why people should still consider it (although, perhaps I should write a more lengthy post to include more reasons). I repeatedly praised consignment sales, and I wrote that I still enjoy supporting the women who sell at them and that it is still where I get my kids’ clothes. I am not sure how that can be understood as attaching or bashing.

19. Hilary Bernstein

    I love consignment shops. After trying to sell my kids’ clothes at garage sales for a few summers, the amount I was making just wasn’t worth the effort I put into it. Now, I take our outgrown/unwanted clothes to our local consignment shop. They do all of the work, and I make 50% of the sale in store credit … I use that store credit to buy our clothes, so it’s turned into a nice cycle of free clothing. 🙂

    • Erin

      That sounds just like our shop, Hilary! It is convenient!

20. Ashley

    I have to agree with some of the other commentators. I feel like this article could have been written in a more positive way in which to convey your same points. I’ve been a part of the consignment sale business in one way or another for about five years now and although it is getting tougher to find my kiddos gently-used clothing (mine are 5 and 7), I find that it is still an amazing service to our community.

    What I gather from your post is that you’ve discovered that consigning is no longer something that fits into your life. Unfortunately, the way you wrote your post conveys a “I stopped consigning and so should you” kind of feel…and for some families, this is a wonderful opportunity to bring in extra cash selling their unused/outgrown items! My husband and I were able to put a down payment on our home and then landscape our yard from our proceeds just the first two sales! (Yes, I realize, once your big baby gear is sold your earnings are smaller, but we still use those funds to pay for extracurricular activities for our kids or for special outings during school breaks – we’ve even been able to essentially clothe our children for “free” by buying like-new items at the sales, being conscientious of their wear and re-selling them the next season!)

    All that said, I’ve come up with a list of reasons these sales are the best way to recycle kids items and a wonderful service to local communities:

    1) SAFETY! Most, if not all, consignment sales check items over for flaws and turn away items that have been recalled. Second, consignors are given anonymity through a number and are generally not present during the transaction between consignor and shopper. The same is not true of CL or FB buy & sell groups where a transaction could lead to a dangerous situation.

    2) EASE! No more taking pictures of each item, listing it and going back and forth with several potential buyers only to have them no-show or back out. These sales happen over the course of just a few days and your items are seen by thousands of shoppers in one location.

    3) Most locally-owned sales will have higher percentages than consignment shops, especially if you volunteer, which leads me to my next point…

    4) Volunteering allows local and/or new moms to be a part of a loving, community event – they meet new moms, get welcomed by sale owners and make an impact on their local community…which leads me to point #5….

    5) A lot of consignment sales partner with local non-profit services and donate items at the end of the sale to families in need LOCALLY. Some sales also make a monetary donation to a local family, church, organization, fundraiser, or non-profit…which are also generally local. So, money is being spent with your neighbors instead of buying some CEO his/her next vacation home.

    6) Finally, consignment sales offer families an opportunity to bring in relatively quick cash selling items that are cluttering up their homes and storage spaces…during the recession, the consignment sale industry BOOMED. Why? Because families couldn’t afford to clothe their children in brand new clothing – and they wanted to bring in extra cash.

    You see, there are several benefits these types of sales have for families and the community as a whole – I would really hate to see an article like this one (probably unintentionally) hurt the industry just because it no longer works for your family…I would urge you to consider re-writing your post in a more positive way that makes the reader understand that these are the reasons YOU are no longer consigning and doesn’t give the industry as a whole a negative connotation. And your sale owner friend? I can only imagine how hurtful this could be to read after the hours, days, weeks, months, YEARS she poured into her sale. Friends support one another, not dog their entire industry.

    • Erin

      Thanks for your comment, Ashley, and I agree there are many wonderful things about consignment sales! I talked about them repeatedly in this post, but I am now thinking of a follow-up post.

      I didn’t dog the entire industry, and I have to say those who think so are not reading this objectively.

      I have received many emails from women who are stressed out and are needing the encouragement to give their spots to someone else. There are other ways to support consignment sales than feeling like you have to keep selling.

21. Erin Marie Sills

    I just went through this myself. I actually love the money I make from consignment sales and that helps off set what little we can afford to budget monthly. But it seriously takes a huge amount of time to get things ready. I recently launched my own web based business (www.healthhappensathome.com) and while I am not making a profit yet I am working hard to get my business going so I passed on selling in consignment sales this spring. So great to read your post and feel validated instead of guilty. Thanks for sharing.

    • Erin

      I’m so glad you feel released of any guilt, Erin! That was my intent in writing this post. Thanks for seeing my heart behind it. Many blessings to you on your new site!! That is awesome!

22. Becky

    I wear two hats. I consign at a local children’s consignment sales event. My son is 13. Each sale, I find blue jeans for him that range around $5-7 for a pair, tops $3-6, and shoes. I volunteer at the local kids consignment and have fun meeting other moms. Many consignment sales event have clothes that do go through the teen years. I think your blog is a bit misleading. I also own a women’s consignment event. We are helping women make extra money for their households. Consignment sales events do offer lots of options for busy moms such as tagging service.

    • Ashley

      Yes!! Especially for girls – I know our locally owned sale has sizes up to 18 and the girls’ racks are often BULGING with super cute stuff in the bigger sizes! And, yep, they offer a tagging service 🙂

      • Erin

        That’s nice, Ashley! What a blessing! 🙂

    • Erin

      The tagging service sounds great. I don’t mean to be misleading but to encourage women to be intentional with their time. Consignment selling is a GREAT option for some but not everyone. 🙂 Best wishes on your business endeavors as a sale owner! That’s great, and I am sure it blesses many women.

23. Kelly

    Really enjoyed this post and felt your tone/balance is perfect. 🙂

    I have also decided that selling at sales is one of those things I won’t do again, though I only have experience selling in one sale.

    My number one reason I won’t sell again is because my husband has (very kindly) said I can’t anymore! Haha. It was so stressful for me. I stayed up until 4:00 am one morning tagging, and had the hugest sores on my fingers from all that safety-pinning. I had a 6 month old baby who wasn’t sleeping through the night – I had no business staying up that late, but I wouldn’t have had the time to do it otherwise.

    I thought I was going to make around $400, based on how I had priced my items (very moderately, on the very low end of suggested prices), and then I ended up just making $160. One of my big ticket items (a stroller) never sold – I had opted to donate items after the sale because it was 30 minutes away, so I didn’t want to bother returning to pick up the items, so I’ve never been sure if it really didn’t sell or if it was stolen. I do think it is a well-run sale… I just happened to have a combination of factors that made it a crummy experience for me.

    The same sale is coming up in a few weeks and I’ve been so tempted to sign up anyways, hoping this year it will be different! But my husband has kindly shared that he would much, much rather I didn’t worry about bringing in that extra income. Your post is a good reminder that it’s the best decision for our family, even though I know for plenty of women it works well. 🙂

    By all means, I will be shopping at the sale!! But I’ve realized this kind of “job” isn’t for me. 🙂 Instead, like you, I will be getting rid of our clothes/gear by either passing on to friends, taking to a local consignment shop, or donating to a pregnancy care center. We have two girls and are expecting twin boys, so I figure we can get rid of our girl stuff and make room for some boy stuff. 🙂

    • Erin

      Congrats on the twins, Kelly! That is so exciting! My sister has twins but hers are a boy and a girl. They are 4 1/2 now.

      My husband was the same way at the end, although we both loved volunteering so much that we BOTH actually continued to volunteer at the sale for an extra year–without the pressure or work of selling.

      I agree that it’s a job that’s great for some but just not great for others. It depends on a lot of factors, with personality and life season being big ones.

      Congrats again! 🙂

24. Jo Ann

    One thing I learned from working at a Salvation Army Distribution center as a sorter when I was 19 (am 48 now), was how no clothing was actually wasted because the clothing that was too stained, torn, worn out etc. to sell would be bundled up into bales and sold by the pound to third world countries. It was a secondary market for unwanted clothing because many thrift stores do not have the expense to wash clothing (the price of water, gas or electric etc. paying someone to launder the clothing). This is why when you purchase clothing from a non-profit thrift store, it is a good idea to wash the clothing before using it. When the donations came in for us to sort, they usually were bundled in trash bags with other items, and you have no idea where they came from.

    A few years later I can’t remember the exact source, there was a article about large non profits selling bales of clothing for pennies per pound and they showed the clothing distributed to people who washed it by hand and resold it at small street markets for pocket money.

    This was a contrast to the more recent articles I have read about clothing retailers who mark up or cut up unsellable brand new clothing before sending it to the dumpster for trash pick up. I knew stores did this because my father worked at night driving a sweeper truck at our local mall parking lot, and when Montgomery Wards shut down, he brought home a bag of items to use for rags. I got a close look and they were brand new women’s blouses with the tags on them, name brands, that had been stained up with some kind of spray paint making them unwearable or perhaps not resellable on a secondary market. I am not sure if this practice of staining clothing to keep it from being resold is still happening, I thought it was a waste, someone could have gone to a job interview with some of these tossed out items they were that nice.

    If you are not sure about the charity you donate clothing to, you can look them up at Guidestar.org where nonprofits have their 990 tax returns available to the public and you can see how the money they raise in thrift selling or from donations has helped their mission’s purpose. They have to show on the return who benefitted from the money that came in, as in who in the organization earned the most money for their position, and how many people were helped with the donations received. Smaller organizations such as women’s shelters or sober living houses accept donations of clothing to give to women looking for work; in my city there was a program where if you participated in their job group you would get a voucher to go next door to a thrift store and pick out clothing for going to interviews.

    I did not see the article as a slam on consignment shops; rather I looked at it from a hobbyist perspective. I crochet and knit items for charity and once in awhile will sell something I made because someone sees me wear it and buys it off me right then (hats mostly). I know I am not a fast crocheter nor have I built up great knitting skills to actively have an Etsy shop, it takes time, and materials (expenses) to create an article of clothing or a stuffed toy in yarn. An experienced crocheter or knitter who is diciplined to crank orders out can make decent extra income; I know in my heart I am not at that skill level yet, my time would be longer if I was filling an order, and having the pressure of meeting deadlines, plus there is negotiating the price and your price might be way too much for what the customer wants to pay…whereas making things at my own pace to donate makes it more enjoyable a hobby for me. In other words, I read this article in terms of a person choosing how to spend their time earning extra income versus maybe using that time in a different way and not have all the stress and worry that comes with pressure and deadlines. Each person has to evaluate if their time is worth putting in the effort for the results they want. Also recognize when you are putting in so much time and effort, is there a better way to use the time you have that is more beneficial and less stressful in the long run. Enjoying the discussion here thanks!

    • Erin

      Thanks so much for sharing, Jo Ann! It is hard to know which charities are really reputable. We have a great Christian mission in our town for usable clothes, but I’ve had a hard time finding where to donate the badly stained and damaged clothing, but several ladies gave a good tip. We have traveled overseas on mission trips, and it does pain me to throw them away or use them as rags when I know there is someone, somewhere that could use them!

      Thanks for understanding my heart in this, and I LOVE your hobbyist analogy. You put that into words perfectly. I wholeheartedly agree! I couldn’t knit either, much to my chagrin. I’ve finally embraced that writing is about the only thing I can do! LOL! Thanks again for stopping by! 🙂

25. Suzy Lenander

    Hi! I read that you throw out clothes that are too worn. In our town, there are drop off recycling bins for textiles and shoes. This prevents more from going in the landfill. The textiles and shoes are then recycled into insulation. You might want to see if your city has a similar program.

    • Erin

      Another lady commented the same thing! I am excited to check these out because I hate waste! Thanks for sharing, Suzy!

26. Kate

    Hi, Erin. Like many of the commentors, I too am a sale owner. I am doing my best to read this through an objective lense. I understand your reasons for writing this, and yes, consigning isn’t for everyone. It does take effort unless you utilize a valet tagging program where the prep work and tagging are done for you. I am sorry that you didn’t make a great return consigning, and yes, that certainly happens. My concern is that someone reading this may assume that what was true for you will also be true for them and be discouraged to even try it without even knowing the alternative-money can and is being made, and it is done sale after sale. There are many, many families who earn hundreds (even thousands) of dollars each season, and sale owners usually will provide tips for maximizing your paychecks. I wish this was disclosed in your article.
    Now, with my owner hat back on–again, I understand your reasons for writing this, but just know that the unintentional consequence is that you are hurting our industry, which is made of families like yours. We are small businesses, and you are hitting us at a time when it is already very tough to exist in a world of e-commerce, Walmarts, Targets, and Buy/ Sell groups. We’re a greeen, environmentally industry that supports so many in our communities-our shoppers, consignors, and countless charities. This money goes back into the local community, not a CEO’s bank account. You are a popular blogger with quite a following, and you are hurting some of the very people you serve through your ministry of writing. Thanks for the ear, and blessings.

    • Erin

      Hi Kate, I had no intent to and do not believe this one post will hurt your industry. If anything, it will probably help bring it to the spotlight and help it grow more. I repeatedly praised consignment sales in the post and in the comments. I DO support small businesses and will continue to do so–including consignment sales. Women need to know they have the freedom to walk away from things–even good things–that are sapping their energy and their joy. That is not dogging or attacking something but just saying: “Hey, this is good but not for me anymore. It’s good for someone else.” I do not think consignment sales are going to go away anytime soon. I wish you the best. 🙂

      • Kate

        Yes, women absolutely do need to know this, but I also think it’s important to know both sides to a story is my point. I know you don’t think this will hurt us, but it does to a degree-what that degree is, I don’t know. Your sale owner friend even disagreed with points of your post and said it may discourage hundreds of families. It’s true, and it probably already has. This post has a lot of interaction on social media and is still being shared. It’s been shared thousands of times. You also mentioned that you didn’t think you were that influential in a previous post, but remember that over half a million people follow you on FB. I am not saying that consignment events are going away, but I am saying that stocking a sale is getting harder and harder because of ecommerce, large discounts stores, and buy/sell groups. You are not seeing what we are seeing, as you’re on the outside. The sales you love to shop at, sales that typically have such a positive impact in our communities, may not be the same in the years to come. Your post is just another thing moving us in that direction. I wish you would be open to seeing that, and as a Christian woman that says she supports small business, it’s frustrating to me that you can’t somehow acknowledge that–even just a little bit. Absolutely, women need to be empowered to simplify their lives, and again, I appreciate your honesty. I just wish this post wasn’t so one-sided.

        • Erin

          Kate, I don’t feel the need to argue with you. This is a personal post; it’s not a journalist report. I have a degree in journalism and worked at newspapers for years. If this were an article for a newspaper, then, yes, it would need to be more thorough and cover all “sides.” This is a personal blog where I share my own experiences. This is the nature of blogging.

27. Erin

    I was really considering selling at one of these sales this year, but when I thought about how much work it would be and how much I’d spend in ink or driving the stuff over to the sale and picking it up again, I decided it just wasn’t worth it either. I’ll still shop the sale for sure, but I too find it easier to donate our used clothing. I’m also finding like you mentioned that the older my kids get, the quicker my consignment store finds get damaged by my son primarily who tends to rip the knees of his pants.

    • Erin

      Same here, Erin. Hope you find some good things at the sale, though! 🙂