By Jennifer Parker, Charlotte Mothers of Multiples:
Walk into any retail establishment these days and it is there – evidence of Spring and Summer. Winter merchandise is being marked down like crazy and while there are good deals to be found, I cannot bear to think about buying a dull gray sweater when my eyes are drawn to all of the cheerful and bright colors of the new clothing showing up on the racks and shelves!
Although the actual season change isn’t for a few months yet, the retail industry is gearing up quickly. And so begins my absolute favorite time of year – consignment sale season! While the thought of retail sticker prices makes my face cringe with dread, the thought of saving, saving, saving makes me giggle with delight!
Luckily there is a thrifty option to finding all the kids clothes and gear you could possibly imagine! The Charlotte Mothers of Multiples (CMOMS for short) will be hosting their Spring Consignment Sale on Saturday, February 26th. The sale is held each year in the spring and fall at the Charlotte Metrolina Expo Trade Center (Bldg B) on Statesville Road. This is seriously the mother of all consignment sales, since almost all the sellers have multiples! This means that generally every seller has two of everything to unload – onesies, khakis, dresses, toys, sippy cups. You name it, they have it for sale in duplicate, sometimes triplicate or quadruplicate!
The Charlotte Mothers of Multiples organization has over 500 members, and many members participate in the sale, since it is such a fantastic way to shop for twins without breaking the bank. This makes for a tremendous amount of baby and children’s stuff – it FILLS a warehouse-sized building at the Expo from end to end. But you do not have to have twins to shop! The Early Bird sale begins at 7:30 a.m. on Feb. 26th and costs $2 to enter. Entry is free at 8:30a.m. They will also mark items down for a half price sale from 12:30-2:30pm.
Here are a few Smarty tips to keep in mind when shopping:
1. Bring your own bin or bag to carry purchases. NO ROLLING CARTS or STROLLERS are allowed. A great way to keep your hands free for shopping but get all your stuff around is to bring a laundry basket with a belt attached so you can drag it along behind you (feels a little silly, I know, but all the cool kids will be doing it).
2. There is a High End Boutique section for swankier clothes. Smocked dresses, john johns and more can be found in this section. You’ll have to pay for these items separately at the High End register, but you can score some excellent deals on higher end children’s duds.
3. The sale is CASH-ONLY! So make sure you bring more than you think you’ll need! There is an ATM nearby should you need more dough for all your purchases, but who wants to pay a surcharge?
4. Be sure to check out the awesome vendor area located just outside the sale building. This is usually chock full of vendors with more cute kids stuff, Pampered Chef, Storybooks, Tupperware, and more!
5. There will also be a raffle to win a two-night stay at Dayton House Resort in Myrtle Beach or a $50 restaurant coupon to an area restaurant.
If you need any more information about the sale you can visit www.charlottemultiples.com. There you’ll find directions to the sale, as well as more info about sale sponsors, and a sale timeline. Happy shopping, Smarties!
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