A Quick Note About Preparing and Tagging Items

I just remembered a comment someone made last weekend and Timonium which reminded me that I meant to blog about it...

Here are some helpful hints for preparing and tagging your items...

1) Tape is your friend, but use it wisely. Don't use packing tape on things that will tear (books, games, toys with labels, etc.). Do use packing tape on plastic bags to keep them shut. Kids know how to (and will) open ziploc bags. If you don't want small parts to go missing, tape the bag shut. Don't tape over every corner of your tag -- the tags are removed at check out so the "detaggers" need a corner to pull the tag off. Use painter's tape on books and other items that might tear with packing tape.

2) Ziploc bags are your friend...use them liberally! If a toy has a part that can come off, go ahead and remove it, put it in a plastic bag and attach it to your toy (see information about tape above). Put shoes in bags and tape your tag to the bag. Use bags for multiple items (socks, cups, bottles, bibs, etc.). Please DO NOT put your tag inside a plastic bag and then tape the bag shut. The tags are removed from your items at check out and they are difficult to get to inside a sealed bag.

3) Hang thing that can hang. Onesies, bathing suits, and other clothing items sell MUCH better if they are on a hanger in the appropriate size rack rather than in a plastic bag on the table.

4) If it can be assembled, assemble it. Things sell better when you can see the form and function. If you want the box to go with it, attach is somehow.

5) If you have something that is stored in a container, say a bucket of Legos, put the Legos inside a bag, inside the bucket, and then use tape to make sure your bag stays in the bucket and the lid is attached, but not covering the Legos (taped to the bottom or side). Folks want to see what they are buying and they want to see that it is there.

6) Put game pieces that are inside the game box, inside a plastic bag. If someone opens the box they can see what is in there and not loose anything.

7) When ever I'm selling a "higher end" item (say over $20) :-) I will put the retail comparison in the description. At Gaithersburg I sold a tricycle for $60 but it was probably because either the buyer knew what they were buying, or because my description included that it retails for $130.

8) Use your tags to let folks know about your item -- retail comparison (sells for...), subjective comment (my daughter LOVED this), detailed description (custom made for 5th birthday), etc. Buyers like to know about what they are buying. Evenflo Highchair $75 vs. Evenflo Highchair, folds compact, lightweight, retails for $200. More information is often better.

Good luck!

Two Down, One to Go!

Well, I finally found a moment to deposit my check from the Gaithersburg sale and now I've got to find time to take my Timonium one to the bank too! I love having some "fun" money :-)

KUDOS to all the AMAZING volunteers at the Timonium sale last weekend! There were some awesome ladies and gentlemen that pitched in before, and after, their shifts. From this consignor's perspective, the volunteers are there helping me sell my stuff. If it wasn't for them, and their hard work, folks would walk out without purchasing anything...and none of us want that! So thanks folks! :-)

Speaking of selling things, I am AMAZED at how much sold at both the Gaithersburg and Timonium sales! By Sunday afternoon, the tables and racks were bare! It was a wonderful thing to see!

Between Gaithersburg and Timonium, I've sold over 1000 items! After Gaithersburg I managed to pull together another 200 items that were new to my "inventory" and I still brought home less than I took up there. I hardly have anything left for Columbia next weekend! I guess that means that this weekend, aside from holiday festivities, I'm going to be going through the house looking for more toys, books, clothes and other things to clear out! Hopefully I'll find time to do a room by room search for things. :-)

Now that the Timonium sale is closed, I'm going to go in tonight or tomorrow and transfer my items over from Timonium to Howard County. That will let me spend the weekend searching and get things entered and tagged on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday next week before I drop things off on Thursday. This is a new location so it should be fun to see how this sale goes...