How to pick a consignment sale

Dec 13, 2022 | Blog, Consignor

child donating toys for Christmas

Consignment Sales are gaining in popularity and we put together a list of reasons that explains WHY in our previous blog. Check that out here:

I can tell you are ready to run and register to consign at a sale right now! Now comes the second part of your daily dose of helpful information – How do I pick a sale?

Honestly, this won’t be a hard process. There are a few things to consider when choosing a sale – I’ll list them here and you should be ready to move forward after some comparison.

First – do a Google search on Consignment events/sales in your area. These sales are typically held twice per year in the spring and fall. They are held at sports arenas, churches, and large rental halls. Talk to your friends about ones they have shopped at or sold at and get feedback. You probably have two or three to choose from in any given area.

From there – you will want to go to each specific sale’s website and read their information. You may want to make a short list of comparisons here on a few factors.

  • Percent Selling Commission – This is how much money you earn on each item you sell.
  • Cost to register – covers overhead of the sale.
  • Percent selling commission increases with each shift you work – this can dramatically increase your seller paycheck.
  • Length of sale – how many selling hours will the sale be open – more hours equals more shoppers equals more money is pretty obvious.
  • Reputation of consignment sale – have they won awards i.e. the “best of the best”, have you heard your friends rave about how great one is?
  • Security – does website information address the security of items in their general information. Are there cameras on-site to help prevent theft?
  • Support for questions – does the sale website address how to get your questions answered? Do they have a Facebook group for sellers to share information and helpful hints?
  • Is the sale kid-friendly? This may seem odd, but some sales do not allow kids and strollers inside, and heck, that is counter-intuitive to the whole concept and can be a deterrent to shoppers.
  • Sell Thru Rate of the sale – sometimes this is posted for public use, and sometimes it’s not. A good sale will sell over 50% of what comes in during the sale. A great sale will sell over 65% of what comes in. An exceptional sale will sell over 70%.
  • Charities the sale partners with – each sale will partner with chosen local or national charities that you can choose to donate your unsold items to at the end of the sale. Some sales make sure to partner with local organizations so that items stay in the community.

I hope this has given you helpful information and made you excited to try the consignment process. Once you start, I warn you that it can become an obsession! My kids used to say – we better play with that game or mom will “Sale it”! Happy start of the yellow brick road to consignment selling to you!

About the Author

 

Jennifer Hill

Jennifer Hill

Jennifer Hill is a former consignment sale owner in Western Pennsylvania. She is a mom to three kids who are now in high school and college. She has a Business/Communications degree from Grove City College and resides in Volant, PA with her husband, kids and a barn full of animals. She enjoys being outdoors, reading, hanging with her tribe of fierce moms and the occasional glass of whiskey…or wine….

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