If you're like me, you ignored everyone's advice to shop consignment when you had your first baby. I scoffed at the idea of putting my precious first-born in USED clothing. Now I get mouth sweats looking at all the money I spent on brand new clothes that were barely worn. I am trying very hard not to make the same mistake with this baby--but it is even harder to resist GIRL clothes!
In order to make a decent return on the "investment" I made in those adorable clothes for Brax, I turned to Craigslist (instead of selling them for pennies on the dollar in a garage sale, or taking a fraction of the profits from selling them to a consignment store).
For this week's
Works For Me Wednesday post over at We Are THAT Family, I will share with you my step-by-step "secrets" for recouping some of your cost by using Craigslist to sell your child's outgrown clothing.
1. What You'll Need:
Buy several 20 gallon Rubbermaid totes--one for each size lot. (0-3 months, 3-6, 6-9, 12-18, 18-24, etc.) At about $8 a piece, this will cost you a bit up front, but it goes without saying that you can ALWAYS use Rubbermaid totes for storing
something later!
Buy a tagging gun, attachment tags, and price tags. I bought mine from
this website--they are out of KC, but will ship anywhere. This cost me about $25 total. Again, it's something you can use for years of reselling!
2. Organizing and Tagging:
Separate your child's clothing by size into each tote. If you have both boy and girl things, separate those as well. Take out clothes that are visibly worn (holes/tears) or stained. Donate them to charity! They are not worth your time in trying to sell them.
Using your fun new tagging gun, attach price tags to each item. Tedious, yes--but I promise, it pays off! After you have tagged everything, price each item. ***If you're lucky, you have a husband who is willing to help you with this project. Make him tag while you price.***
3. Pricing:
This one can be tough. If you sit and stew over how much you think something is worth, you will end up overpricing things. You have to be objective--price things at what YOU would be willing to pay for resale.
Well-known name brands like Gap, Gymboree, Children's Place, Ralph Lauren, Janie and Jack, etc. will draw more money than Wal-Mart's Garanimals or Target's Circo brands, but keep in mind that uber-expensive "boutique" brands may not. Most people who shop CL have never heard of Haute Baby, Za Za Couture or Kate Mack, and they don't care if you paid $30 for that t-shirt. (To be honest
, I had never heard of those brands either until I googled "designer baby clothes" just so I could put that tip in this post! I mean really, who spends that much on baby clothes?????)
Sample pricing for typical brands like Carter's, Old Navy, Koala Baby (from Babies R Us), Osh Kosh, Nike, Adidas, Puma:
***All items should be laundered, stain-free, and not overly worn!!!***
Jeans=$4-5
Sweats=$1-3
Shorts=$1-3
Long sleeved/short sleeved T's=$2-3
Sleeveless shirts=$1-2
2 piece outfits=$4-6
Footed jammies=$3
2 piece jammie sets=$2-3
Rompers=$2
Sweaters=$4-5
Button-up collared shirts=$3
Polo shirts=$2-3
Casual dresses=$4
Dressy dresses=$7-8
2 piece athletic track suits=$7-8
4. Taking Pictures:
***This is the most important step!! Don't skip it!***
First, go to Photobucket.com and create a free account. It's quick and painless, I promise.
Then it's time for a photo shoot. To keep this fairly simple, I recommend photographing and posting just one lot at a time, from start to finish. Otherwise you will get overwhelmed.
Lay things out on a flat, light, solid colored surface (I laid ours on our off-white carpet, but you could lay out a white sheet). Group items by type--jammies, long sleeved t's, jeans, sweats, rompers, etc. Fold things nicely, make them look appealing!
Take a picture of each group, then download to your computer. I make a folder in "My Pictures" called "For Sale" so I know exactly where to find them. I also make sub-folders titled by size.
Upload the pics to your Photobucket site. Organize them in folders by size lot. Once you have the pictures on Photobucket, they will be given URL links and HTML codes. This important to note for when it's time to make your CL posting.
5. Posting:
If you don't already have a Craigslist account, create one. Also free, quick and painless.
If you don't know how to use Craigslist yet, figure that one out on your own. Then come back here when you're ready to list!
Create a separate ad for each size lot. Always include the size, gender, and season in the title. An example title would be: "3-6 Month Boy Fall/Winter Clothing." I don't enter a price, since everything is marked individually. In the body of the ad, I say something like this:
"This lot includes:
(I list everything in each photo--for example: 9 pair of sweat pants, 12 long sleeved t-shirts, 3 pair of jeans, 4 button up collared shirts, 8 sets of jammies, etc.)
These items are in [fill in the blank] condition. They are from a smoke-free/pet-free home [if this is true!].
Search [your name here] in "baby/kid stuff" to see all my other listings!
[your name here again]"
I always include the part about searching my name within baby/kid stuff because you never know what else someone might want once they see everything. Obviously, don't put your FULL name here, I just use "Val." You could even use initials or some other code, it just needs to be part of all your ads so the search engine will find them.
6. Managing Emails/Setting Appointments:
Check emails daily, and create a folder in your email specifically for all CL related correspondence. Reply immediately, otherwise you will get bogged down. Many people will email you asking about a few items in particular--how much, do you still have it, etc. I do not go digging through bins every time I get a request for certain items--I let them know that everything is priced from $1-8 dollars (more for multiple pieced sets) and I simply suggest that people come and "shop" through everything. Of course, if I know something has sold I will let them know. If I have someone come and buy the majority of a lot, I will update the ad on CL. Once the entire lot is sold, don't forget to delete the ad!
As for setting appointments, please use your best judgement regarding safety! I never give out my address without speaking to the person on the phone (and keeping track of their phone #'s) first. In the beginning, I always made appointments for people to "shop" at our house when my husband would be home, but I have to admit that I have become a little lax when it comes to this. I have NEVER had anyone remotely "weird" or "scary" come shop--just normal moms like myself--but that's not to say that people like that aren't out there. So like I said, use your best judgement. If you live in a remote or "rough" neighborhood, you could always meet people in the parking lot of a Target or Wal-Mart.
Tips for "shopping" appointments:
Only get out one size lot a time for your shoppers to go through, so they don't get sizes mixed up.
Keep plenty of small bills on hand to make change for people.
Be prepared to entertain your shopper's small child should she bring them with! The less she has to chase her kid around your house, the more she can focus on buying your stuff. Fortunately, Brax loves when other kids come over, and he is more than eager to play with them while their moms shop!
All of this may sound daunting at first, but I promise, the payoff is worth it! To date, I have made approximately $600 dollars on Brax's clothes and nursery room decor, and I have about $350 worth of clothing left to sell.
Good luck!
He wanted to gather all his little cars inside Big Lightning.
He has loved looking at and listening to his musical birthday cards!
