Q&A: Is consigning worth my time?

I don’t know about your kids but mine go through clothes faster than Kleenex!  We outgrow them long before we could ever wear them out.  So at the end of each season we deal with a decision – what to do with all this stuff we no longer need?  To say I’m sentimental is an understatement; I cry each time I’m faced with the task of cleaning out the too small clothes and outgrown toys. As I sort, I save a bit; a favorite dress my daughter wore for bluebonnet photos, the fire truck pajamas my son wore Christmas morning, the princess figurines I hope my grandkids will cherish someday. But at the end of memory lane, I’m still left with a mountain of stuff to get out of the house.  As a mom and business owner, the path I choose simply must be worth my time!

I first started shopping consignment sales when my oldest was an infant.  I loved the bargains I found and was amazed at how much I saved on a new wardrobe every few months! Then I was let in on what seemed like the best kept secret of all – if you sell your outgrown clothes and equipment you shop early! For me this was a game changer.

I started out small, selling a handful of items…just enough to get me in the door early.  Consigning was my ticket to fewer crowds and shorter checkout lines. This golden ticket of consigning meant I spent less time in crowded aisles and more time doing what I came to do – SHOP! Plus I was making a little money along the way!

I quickly realized with just a little more effort I could effectively shop for my kids’ next season of clothing for free – by selling not just a handful of items from last season, but everything all at once. Yes, I spend more time pinning and pricing and organizing my items but the end-of-sale consignment check almost always covers the amount I spent buying up next season’s must haves for my two little ones. The consignment sale for us becomes more of a clothing swap.  It’s like I’m trading in last season’s stuff for what is coming around the bend. And as I stand in line to check out, I realize I’m getting pretty good at guessing which items will bring me to tears in just a few short months.

Andrea Mills is a devoted Divine Consign shopper and consignor. She is the mother of two and the owner of the popular Design & Wine custom craft party service.