The best way to have success (success = selling all your items & earning as much money as possible) when selling at a children’s consignment sale is to price your items right. Children’s consignment sale pricing can be tricky, especially if you’re new to consignment sales in general.
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I love children’s consignment sales and was hooked when I shopped my first sale about 6 years ago! Kids outgrow their clothes so fast and buying used has saved me a bundle over the years.
Related: 10 Tips for Children’s Consignment Sale Success
Once I was comfortable shopping the sales, I decided to sign up to sell as a consignor. I’ve done pretty well selling over the years, typically making enough to pay for the clothes that I end up buying.
Related: Consignor Secrets
My main goal when selling is to get rid of everything! Once the items leave my house, I don’t want them back. Sure, donating them after the sale is an option, but my main goal is to make some money and never see my items again…at the same time!
Since consignment sale pricing is so important to good sales, here are some things to consider when pricing your own items.
1. Clothing Size
Consider the sizes you are selling when you price. Baby clothes will not sell for as much. People get a ton of baby clothes as shower gifts, so they aren’t usually as in demand. Many sales also limit the number of baby clothes that you can list, so select your very best items.
On the other hand, it’s harder to find kids’ sizes in good condition, so you can probably price them for a little more.
2. Brand
Think about brand when you are pricing your items. I tend to think of brands in three buckets: value brand, better, best. Your prices should reflect those categories as well. Most people will pay a little more for brands like Gymboree, but less for store brands such as George. (I have nothing against store value brands, but people realize you can buy them brand new for pretty cheap already).
Related: Favorite Children’s Clothing Brands
3. Condition of the items
Make sure to list your very best items. Items that are new with tags can be priced higher than items that are more worn. Do not list items that have visible stains (try THIS stain remover first!) or that are so worn you wouldn’t consider buying it yourself. It’s a waste of your time, so choose your items wisely!
Related: My Favorite Homemade Laundry Stain Remover
4. Demand for the item
Specialty items will likely sell for more. You can ask a little more for holiday themed shirts or outfits. I will ask considerably more for smocked items that are highly sought after in my area.
5. Location of the sale
Consider the location of the sale. The area where the sale is held could affect the prices of the sale and might be something to consider. It might not change the prices drastically, but it could help you decide what items and brands to list.
6. Length of the sale
Price your items to sell regardless, but knowing the length of your sale could make a difference too. If you are participating in a one day sale, you only have one chance to get your items sold! Even if your sale has discount hours or days, don’t rely on those. Price your items right from the start and you will have better results.
At the end of the day, ask yourself this question. What would I pay for this item?
Forget what you paid when it was brand new or how adorable your children were when they wore the item. Stay objective and be realistic. I promise that you’ll sell a lot more that way!
Need help getting started? I’ve created a printable price sheet for you to use when you are ready to price. I list the most common clothing items, but left it blank so that you can decide what will work for your situation and your area. Fill in the prices ahead of time and then reference it as you enter your items. A price list will help the tagging process go so much quicker!!
Click here to download the FREE children’s consignment sale price guide
Some people hesitate to sell at children’s consignment sales because of the work involved. I won’t lie – it takes time to tag and hang everything and then transport the items to the location of the sale, but this is why a price guide is so crucial.
Using a price guide will help you price your items much more quickly. Pre-determine your prices and it takes the guesswork out of pricing every single item. Just use your list as a guide and you will have your items priced in no time. Consignment sale pricing doesn’t have to be overwhelming!
I love shopping consignment sales but have never actually consigned any of my kids clothes! Thanks for the tips!
You’re welcome!! I hope it helps if you decide to jump into selling at some point. Have a great day! –Sarah 🙂