Consignment sales never cease to amaze me – especially the ones put on by area churches or other houses of worship for local charities. I get tired just thinking about organizing and sorting all of those items at a consignment sale. I’ve never been the committee chair of something that large or that overwhelming, and I can’t even imagine all the hard work, hours, and love that go in to each one of those sales.
What amazes me the most is that church consignment sales are all produced by volunteers (many of them moms) – incredible!
I have a couple of friends who are super involved in the upcoming St. Gabriel Christian Mothers’ Group 13th Annual Consignment Sale on October 20. I’ve heard a little from them about all the work that goes into these types of sales, but I wanted to know more. Most of these church consignment sales are chaired by fellow moms who have 24 hours in the day just like the rest of us – I will forever bow down to them.
Kristen Bailey, mother-of-three and chair of the St. Gabriel consignment sale, was nice enough to explain a little about what goes into a charity consignment sale. Thanks, Kristen!
How far in advance does the planning start for a charity consignment sale this size? About 12 months. We start with our post sale meeting about two weeks after our sale. There we set the date for the next year’s sale, review policies and go over any feedback from consignors, volunteers and shoppers. About 6 months before the sale we start putting together committee task lists, planning our budget and putting together a marketing timeline. About 3 months ahead we are in full swing with marketing and we are beginning to target our consignors and volunteers.
What are the big pieces to the consignment sale puzzle? There are so many components, but everything starts with our volunteer committee. They put in so many hours prior to the sale and are really the life blood to the sale. The marketing chairs and volunteer coordinators take on a large amount of work prior to the sale drumming up consignors, volunteers and shoppers. The week of the sale merchandise receiving and floor organizing are key. And then on the big day it is all about volunteers and shoppers.
What are the typical percentages consignors can expect to make off their items that are sold? Our sale is 60/40. So consignors take 60% of their sales. However this year we have added incentives to help consignors boost their sale percentage through volunteering in the sale. It seems to be a win-win!
What do you do with unsold items? Our unsold items are donated to about 15 different local charities. Typically the day after the sale, we set up another “sale” for our charities to come and “shop”. Some of these charities provide baby layettes to needy infants, others are stocking their clothing closets at local Title1 elementary schools and homeless shelters. These charities are so grateful for these donated items. For some of them it literally stocks their shelves for the entire year! Our charities this year are: Baby Bundles, Crisis Assistance Ministry, Project Gabriel, Room at the Inn, Pinewood Elementary, Assistance League of Charlotte, SHIP, St. Gabriel Cradle, St. Gabriel Book Exchange, St. Pat’s Christmas Collection, CUP Ministry, CareRing, Love INC, Hope Haven and Fr. Andre’s (a St. Gabriel priest) Congo Mission.
How many volunteers are needed for a sale this size? At least 150 adult volunteers. We also have a number of youth volunteers from elementary age scouts to high school students.
About how many hours do you and other committee chairs put into the event? I don’t really know how many hours I have put in at this point. My husband says it is my other job, so it must be a lot! We have monthly committee meeting for about 6 months prior, and from there I am sure the committee is putting in anywhere from 4 – 8 hours in a week. The week of the sale, the committee usually goes into overdrive, with most committee members volunteering a good portion of their time everyday. It is a lot of work, but it benefits so many in need that it is worth it in the end.
About how many items are you expecting at this year’s sale? We are hoping to have about 10,000 items.
Describe the energy when the doors first open to the public. It is very exciting…people are lined up and ready to shop! Last year, people began lining up around 45 minutes before the doors even opened! This year we have “Early Bird” shopping and we are giving away reusable shopping totes to the first 100 shoppers…so we hope to generate even more excitement about the sale!
What types of items are the best sellers? I would say children’s clothing overall, however bikes, pack n plays, boutique clothing, cribs, exer-saucers and swings are normally the first things to sell out.
Thanks again, Kristen, and best of luck to you and your team!
St. Gabriel’s Christian Mothers’ Group 13th Annual Consignment Sale:
St. Gabriel’s Catholic Church Ministry Center
2016 Providence Road
Charlotte, NC 28211
Sat., Oct. 20 8 am-2 pm
Half price sale at noon
Early Bird at 7:30 am, admission is $2
A great web site to search for other upcoming consignment sales – charity and for-profit – is consignmentmommies.com. And if you know of a consignment sale that is coming up, please post a comment below! Happy consigning, Smarties!
1 comment
What a great event!
And this is the smartiest mom I know! You guys must revisit her to find out more about:
-a part-time gig at Painting with a Twist
-an Etsy site with the most adorable kid’s things
(http://www.etsy.com/shop/pinkybeez?ref=search_shop_redirect)
– a monogramming business
– and she’s an amazing cook… she makes THE.BEST. cinnamon rolls!
I’m so grateful to have such a smarty friend!