The Charlotte Mothers of Multiples consignment sale, which is already one of the best places in town to buy quality gently used children’s clothing, toys and gear, just got better.
CMOMs has just expanded the inventory to include women’s on-trend clothing, shoes, and handbags, adult books, PG 13 movies, and children’s teen and ‘tween sizes, including prom dresses and formalwear. The sale is this Saturday, February 8 at the Park Expo and Conference Center.
CMOMs has continued to look for ways to evolve and keep the sale relevant in the face of online competition.
“The trend in the industry is that consignment selling and shopping is declining because Facebook has become such a formidable competitor just in the last five years,” said CMOMs president Amanda Bailey said. “But we still have 130-plus members, who continue to consign. And we’ve been steadily increasing our number of non-member consigners. You don’t have to be a member to consign with us.”
Bailey said CMOMs inventory levels have been up since they expanded to include all seasons for clothing in August. It used to be spring and summer items only at the February sale and fall and winter gear in August.
“It was really well received last sale because Carolina weather is so unpredictable, and you (almost) need something for every season at all times,” Bailey said.
“Here we are, the very beginning of February, and my daughter needs a pair of snow boots because she’s outgrown the ones I got six months ago.”
The bonus is you don’t have to pay full price for something you might need for only a month or two.
As a twin mom – and a member of CMOMs too – I love the sale. And I’m one of those buyers who is glad to have in-season clothes to purchase at a discount now. I always end up needing a few more things that I didn’t think about when the season started, or didn’t have enough of in the hand-me-down bin.
Some other things I love to buy on consignment – Halloween costumes. Christmas outfits. Rain boots. Bathing suits. Little potties. Christmas toys. Riding toys.
And the list goes on.
Among the other changes afoot for this upcoming sale is the location. A scheduling conflict with the Park Expo and Conference Center meant the CMOMs sale had to be moved from its usual Freedom Hall location within the conference center to Liberty Hall, which is three times bigger. The move is only for this particular sale.
The conflict also means the CMOMs sale will be held the same weekend as the TTB Kidz Spring and Summer sale, which is held in Independence Hall at the Park Expo Center this weekend too.
Both organizations are hopeful they’ll drive each other’s traffic up. The sales’ hours overlap on Saturday (CMOMs is open to the public from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and TTB Kidz runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.) CMOMs holds a pre-sale event on Friday night that opens to ticket holders at 8 p.m. TTB Kidz closes at 7 p.m. Friday, so shoppers could conceivably hang around and shop CMOMs too.
Passes to the CMOMs pre-sale event Friday night are $10. (Charlotte Smarty Pants is giving away a pair of passes too. For information, go to our Instagram @charlottesmartypants! )
For pre-sale tickets click here.
For more information on the sale, go to the CMOMs Facebook page here or the CMOMs website: www.charlottemultiples.com/thesale.
Saturday, February 8, Dates/Times
Early bird hour: 7:30-8:30 a.m. for $2 cash entry.
Free entry starting at 8:30 a.m.
Full price sale goes until 12:15 p.m.
Sale reopens at 12:45 p.m. with selected items available for half price.
5 Tips to Shopping CMOMs Consignment:
1) Prep ahead. Go through your children’s clothes and come in with a plan for what you need and in what sizes. Don’t forget shoe sizes too!
2) Get to the big items at the sale first. They go the fastest. Strollers. High chairs. Bikes. Push toys. CMOMs has a large item checkout space where you can tag an item and set it aside while you keep shopping.
3) Prioritize your clothing needs and get to the hot-ticket items first. Boutique clothing, Halloween costumes, coats, etc.
4) Bring something to carry items in that isn’t going to be selling on the floor like a wagon or stroller. Some suggestions: laundry baskets with a belt attached, utility wagons, or you can purchase reusable IKEA bags for $2.
5) Make a budget and stick to it, so you’ll walk away happy with both all the savings and all the great buys you found. CMOMs accepts cash, VISA, MasterCard and Discover.
