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Consignment Shopping – A Bargain Bonanza!By Becky J. BeallRaising four children, I’ve learned much about saving money. Clipping coupons, kids-eat-free night at restaurants, and consignment shopping (and selling!) are all part of my bag of tricks being a seasoned mom in today’s world of Abercrombie & Fitch, Aeropostle and Silver Jeans.
When consigning your own items with a shop, it is a good idea to find out ahead of time what season they are taking, how they prefer to receive items (on hangers, folded, etc.), and whether or not you need an appointment. To get the most money out of your clothing, make sure it is clean, pressed and in good repair, nothing old or outdated. You’ll be surprised how quickly it sells when it is presented nicely. Whether you’re back-to-school shopping or looking for something special for a particular occasion, check out your local consignment shops. You’ll be amazed at the volume of clothing you can get for a lot less stress on your wallet. That extra savings can go for backpacks, school lunches or a manicure for mom! Resources: US Consumer Product Safety Commission Becky J. Beall is the editor of Tennessee Valley Christian Family™ magazine, as well as a freelance travel writer. She lives in Pelham, Alabama with her husband and four children. |
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Consignment shopping can yield a savings of 25% - 75%
off the regular price of children’s clothing. As fast as [they] outgrow
clothes, it makes perfect sense to shop consignment stores and to sell in
them as well. Also, some shops consign adult and maternity clothing in
addition to children’s. I have also found toys, household goods and
furniture at consignment shops – all at amazing prices!
Not only are consignment shops an awesome place to buy
designer and brand-name labels at a fraction of the cost, but most shops
will also have some accessories available to accentuate the wardrobe. And
aside from the already reduced prices, most offer a “clearance” or “bargain”
rack where clothing is displayed at an even cheaper price. A recent outing
to consignment shops landed me with a J.Crew sport shirt for $1.00 (on the
bargain rack), an Abercrombie rugged wear shirt ($5.00), an Abercrombie
sport shirt (another bargain at $6.98) and a Gap shirt for only a couple of
bucks. All of the above mentioned items were clean, hardly worn and
appreciated! Last year my teenage daughter needed a formal for a banquet and
we searched department stores high and low. She had it in her mind that she
wanted a short, hot pink dress because she had always worn black in the
past. We cruised into an upscale consignment shop and found the perfect
dress, a simple but elegant hot pink dress. It fit her to a T, had the
original tags on it and was an additional 20% off because it had been there
for over 30 days. We paid a whopping $16.00 for it!
As with anything, there are a few things to consider
when shopping consignment stores. While most reputable stores check the
merchandise for tears, missing buttons, broken zippers, stains, etc., it
certainly doesn’t hurt to double-check for those things. Better safe than
sorry due to the non-returnable nature of most consignment shopping. And
baby clothing, especially gowns, should be checked for drawstrings that are
no longer sold in regular department stores due to strangulation risks.
Another danger is outdated or recalled merchandise, i.e. car seats, baby
cribs -- slats should always meet current national safety standards (check
for a certification seal). If you think an item might be on a recall list,
have the store owner hold the item, check it out and then purchase it… if it
is safe. If it is not safe, notify the store owner to remove the product
from the store. Contact the US Consumer Product Safety Commission online at