Now, like MOST financially conscious parents, I have tried the little chain re-sale stores, Once Upon a Child, Finders Keepers, and such, and I have always left a little put off because I felt like I was getting ripped off. Yes, they paid me cash on the spot, but in comparison to what I knew they were going to re-sell the items for I was extremely disappointed in the amount they paid me. Aside from that, they wouldn't take everything I brought because they had too many of those items already, BUT I could donate those items.........and then they would sell them anyway!
Seriously! I went in to sell, and donated all of my son's denim shorts (they all had his first name last initial for daycare), but they said that they already had too many of that particular size, would I like to donate them to a local charity, sure. I went back looking for the two sizes up, he had grown a lot that winter, and guess what I found in the wrong spot? Hmmmmm......denim shorts with my sons first name and last initial in my handwriting! When I confronted the lady at the register she looked at me like I was crazy, from that point on I was done with that garbage. For about six years I wouldn't even go into a re-sale store that bought on the spot because I felt like I was enabling the owners to rip off innocent parents. I had yard sales instead, what didn't sell I would donate to a real charity, either Goodwill or Salvation Army.....but I knew I was losing money! What could I do to put some of that money back into the budget to get new, correctly sized clothes?
Unfortunately the answer came to late for most of my boys clothes, but while I was pregnant with our last little nudger, finally a girl, I found Just Between Friends!!! While standing in line waiting to make my next appointment with my midwife I saw a post card with pictures of baby items, clothes, toys, etc. It said it was Texas' Largest Consignment Sale. When I got home I immediately did some research, checked everything out and got to work. I LOVED that I got to put my own prices on the items for sale and that if I volunteered I would get more of the profit. I was due in November so I started going through all of the girl clothes I had been collecting that would be seasonally incorrect and started tagging items. I ended up having over 125 items to consign, in combination with some of my younger sons outgrown winter clothes.
I signed up to volunteer 8 hours so I could get into the pre-sale, and waited. The sale was right after school started in August, not knowing what to expect I volunteered to set up, not a great idea for a pregnant lady, but they found jobs for me anyway. Everyone was so friendly and it was exciting to be a part of something so big and well organized. I came later that evening to do 'drop off', and again was amazed by how well organized the whole thing was. I could not believe how many things I saw. I wanted it all. At the time out boys were 14 and 10, so it had been a LONG time since I had any baby stuff, and we were starting all over. I saw bassinets, play pens, toys, clothes galore, high chairs, strollers, car seats (we had already gotten our stroller/car seat combo and high chair), bottle warmers, breast pumps, cloth diapers, disposable diapers, home decor, furniture and SO MUCH MORE!!! I couldn't wait too shop.........and boy did I shop! I bought a crib set, winter clothes in sizes from premie (we were told our baby girl has Intra-Uterine Growth Restriction and would be about 4-5 lbs at birth, boy were they wrong!) up to 6 Months. I bought shoes, hairbows, and so much more. I spent under $300.00, and earned over $400.00 on what I sold!!!! This is by far the BEST consignment sale EVER!
I have participated in every one of JBF Fort Worth's sales since, and we just completed my forth with awesome results again! I spent $270.00, and got my LadyBug (who is now 16 months old) a Cozy Coupe car, a Little Tykes Shopping Cart, a Fisher Price Farm with animals and accessories, 50 outfits in three different sizes (will get her through the summer and early fall), 4 dress up skirts, FOUR swim suits and two cover ups for LESS than one suit at Target, 6 pair of shoes, several books for all the kids, coat hooks for her room, a drying station for drink cups, and MORE! I also MADE $486.25!!!!! AND almost all of the clothes I purchased are Calvin Klein, Baby GAP, GYMBOREE, and other top brands!
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