Smarty Guide to the CMOM’s Sale-Sat. Feb. 28

By Guest Blogger, Claire Bingham

With everyone talking about the economic crisis our country is facing, it’s hard to think about being a good consumer and shopping with reckless abandon. If ever there were a time for practicing frugality and being thrifty, it is now. But my kids are growing like weeds (the bricks I put on their heads at night are not working) so we’re going to need to buy whole new spring wardrobes for our toddlers pretty soon. I am sure many of you are in the same boat. So, I am here to tell you about the greatest consignment sale in Charlotte. This is where you can scoop up a ton of bargains for your little ones and not break the bank.

The Charlotte Mothers of Multiples (CMOMs) Twins consignment sale is held twice a year at the Metrolina Expo. Whether you have multiples or not, you NEED to get to this consignment sale! They fill a warehouse from end to end with baby and kids clothing, gear, toys, strollers, cribs…you name it, they got it. Best of all they have it in duplicate! You can generally find two or more of everything since the sellers are all members of the CMOMs club. The sale has been evolving over the years and the club has really thought of everything to make this consignment sale a thoroughly enjoyable experience. The items are grouped in categories and the clothing is grouped by size so everything is very easy to find. They also have a “High End Boutique” area where you can find beautiful clothing from swanky places like Strasburg, Kelly’s Kids, Zutano, and more. The club also has pretty high quality control on the items that are being sold, so the clothing is in near-new condition, without holes, stains, or tears. Same goes for the toys, books, and games. I have never purchased an item that didn’t look like it was brand new.

CMOMs strives to keep the shopping area easy to navigate and well-organized, so you almost feel as though you’re shopping at a department store. All outdoor toys, bikes, strollers, and large baby furniture is housed in a special outdoor section, so you have plenty of room to browse and don’t have to carry a large item through the sale with you. They organize the traffic flow through the sale by creating wide aisles for shopping and a definite entrance and checkout section. There are also special shopping hours for Early Birds ($2 admission to shop from 7:30-8:30am, a full hour before the sale opens to the public) and a half price sale at 12:30pm until the end of the sale. So sale prices can get even better!

Also at the sale you’ll find dozens of awesome vendors, selling everything from hair bows to books to Tupperware. These are fun tables to browse after you’ve gotten your deals on the sale floor. A lot of the vendors are CMOMs members with home based businesses, so I like to give them my patronage instead of buying things through a Wal-mart or Target.

A few things you need to know: CMOMs does not allow rolling carts or strollers of any kind in the sale. They do provide plastic shopping bags, but you may want to bring a few of your own. My favorite is to take a laundry basket and loop a belt or rope through the handle, so you can drag it along with you and have plenty of room to put your stuff while you shop. The CMOMs sale is also CASH ONLY, so be sure to hit up an ATM before you get to the Metrolina Expo. Shopping is from 8:30am to 2:30pm this Saturday, with the Early Bird sale at 7:30am and the half price sale beginning at 12:30pm. If you need directions to the sale or have any other questions, you can check out the CMOMs website at http://www.cmoms.net

Happy Shopping!
The lowdown on the hours for this Saturday, 2/28:
7:30am-8:30am: Early Bird Admission $2
8:30am-2:30pm: Free Admission
(12pm doors close for 30 minutes in preparation for Half-Price Sale)
12:30pm-2:30pm: Half-Price Sale (most items marked down 50%)

Don’t forget our newest giveaway, from our friends at Asana, an outfit by Ion Actif. Click here to register for the giveaway! Giveaway is valued at $125. Register by Monday, 2/23 at 11pm. Good luck!