I don't know about you, but the thought of a garage sale totally overwhelms me. Going through closets, tagging items, getting tables or clothing racks set up, trying to make our garage look decent ... blerg. I'm sure I'll probably have one at some point, but not while I have a toddler and an infant. However, I love the feeling of getting rid of stuff I don't use. I am more than happy to donate most of things we don't have a good use for to the Samaritan Shop, a local thrift store that supports a wonderful ministry. However, with little kids who grow like weeds and need new clothing pretty often, it is nice to be able to make a little money on the barely used outfits that are too small for them - without going to all the trouble of setting up a garage sale.
Enter, Rhea Lana's. The first time a friend told me about this massive consignment sale was when I was pregnant with Liam, 3 years ago (it's been that long already? tear!). Shopping is not one of my favorite things in the world, so I was a little overwhelmed that first time, and REALLY glad I brought my mom with me. However, finding bargains IS one of my favorite things, so nearly every sale since then I have braved the crowds and the intensity of other bargain-hunting mamas to shop for my kiddos. It is totally worth it. Clothes, toys, baby gear, shoes, maternity clothes ... you name it, I've bought it at a Rhea Lana's sale.
Last spring I decided to try my hand at consigning for the first time. I wasn't trying to get rid of massive amounts of stuff, since we don't know how many little ones God has in store for our family and I'd hate to sell clothes and then have to buy the same things again a few years later. We did have some things that I wanted to get rid of (like Liam's diaper bag - I wanted a girly one for Cora, at least my non-ruffly version of girly) and clothes that he just didn't use very much because we had too many of certain shirts or onesies when he was little. Anyway, getting everything ready to consign was a bit of work, but I actually really enjoyed the process.
The point of all of this rambling is to say that, if you live in NWA and haven't consigned before, I'd really encourage you to give it a shot. I won't be doing it for this sale, just because we have a TON going on this month and it wasn't feasible, but I will definitely do it again in the future. The drop-off days are this coming Tuesday-Thursday, but you have to finish entering your items online by this Wednesday night, so if you're interested in doing it you'll have to get busy! You can click on this link to sign up to be a consignor and to see detailed instructions on how to prepare your items and get them entered into the database. Once the sale starts, you'll be able to access your account online and watch as your items sell and your earnings climb. That part is super fun.
If you do decide to consign, I'd encourage you to really take the extra time to iron any clothing before your hang and tag it. I don't even look at wrinkly looking stuff when I'm shopping consignment - it just seems too dirty and used, even if it's clean. Also, you are required to use specific string tags so that your price labels will fit. When I consigned last spring, I ended up driving all over Rogers late at night trying to find the tags I needed. It was really frustrating because I didn't realize that everyone would be sold out, due to the sale. At this point I'd assume that most stores are out again, but you can purchase them pretty cheaply from Rhea Lana's. Just trying to save you some time and gas :) Another benefit of consigning is that you get a pass to shop earlier than everyone except for the worker's which is wonderful, especially if you have bigger items that you are looking for. One more great thing is that at the end of the sale you can specify whether you want to pick up your items that don't sell or have them donated. Since that is what I would have done with anything that didn't sell anyway, it was great to have them take care of it for me!
Here is another link to the dates of the sale and other info, if you are interested!
(Note: I am receiving a worker's pass so I can shop early for letting you know about consigning, but the opinions are my own. I wouldn't want an early pass if I didn't think Rhea Lana's was great!)
1 comment:
There were four or five pieces of clothes I bought for Josiah before he was born, the rest were given to us as gifts or bought second hand.. I honestly think it's the only way to go - saves money obviously.. but the best part is that the clothes aren't precious to me.. save a few outfits that I put away for sentimental reasons, the rest are easily thrown away if they get dirty.. I lOVE THAT.... I still haven't navigated the other side of it (selling our stuff), but we do try to keep our stuff down to a bare minimum.. I'm a minimalist, and apartment living certainly helps.
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