Avoiding Pick-up Paranoia
* Avoiding Pick Up Paranoia *
by DeAnn N.
Deciding if you should pick up your items after a recent consignment sale?
Here are a few things to consider!
Why did you try to sell it? Was it too small, not needed or taking up coveted space in your house?
Why didn’t it sell? Was it priced too high? Was it not in the best of condition? Was it outdated? Was the box, toy, etc missing pieces?
What are you going to do with the items you’re picking up? Change the prices? Give to a friend? Sell it at a garage sale? Stick it in a bin to deal with later? Knowing what you’re going to do with the item may help you determine if it is worth your energy and time to pick the item up.
Almost all consignment events have reputable children’s charities that receive all of the donated items (items not sold and not picked up). Check with your local children’s consignment event regarding the charities they support. (See “Giving Back”)
Support the same causes? Don’t want to deal with the time & energy of picking up your unsold items or finding somewhere to put them back into your house? (Wasn’t the goal to clean out?) Then donate it! Leave it and they will donate it for you. At the close of the sale you can print a “Donation Report” for use on your tax return.
That said – every mom values her items differently. If picking up all of your unsold items is important to you, no problem! Here are some tried and true steps to help you pick up your unsold items with ease, avoiding “Pick up Paranoia”:
1. Be Prepared! Before arriving at pick-up, review your sold items list. Determine which item(s) are important to pick up (and which aren’t). The more items you plan on picking up, the longer it will take.
Plan accordingly. When possible, leave small children at home or with a friend. Arrive on time, allowing yourself the full timeframe allowed for pickup. Bring a bag ,tote or wagon with you. DON’T arrive 15 minutes before pick up ends thinking it’ll be easier to find your items. You will be rushed and items will be missed!
2. Be Methodical! Pick a starting point. Your goal is NOT to find xxx number of items. Your goal is to quickly look at EACH ITEM in the building, and see if it is your consignor number. If you hunt for a “blue turtleneck” chances are you won’t see the forest because of all the trees. If you marked it “girl” be sure to look in the boys too. Shoppers move things around – and maybe that blue turtleneck ended up in the boy department. Start with one rack, quickly flipping each hanger looking at the consignor number on the tag. Touch each item on tables, checking to see if your number is on the tag.
While reviewing your list of sold items ahead of time is helpful, bringing the list and marking off items is often a hindrance and can cause you stress. If you quickly touch each item, checking the consignor number, you won’t miss anything!
3. Be Patient! 99.9% of the time the item you are looking for IS in the building. Did you look at EACH item? Did you check ALL racks? Don’t limit yourself to just the gender/sizes you brought. Perhaps that dress you brought ended up in the maternity section. Check ALL racks, ALL items in the building.
Following these steps will help you avoid having a frazzled & frustrated pick-up! The system works very well when the steps are followed. Mom’s frantically hunting for their items, marking off their lists as they go, are the moms missing things! Take your time, quickly flipping through each hanger and you will locate your few unsold items with ease. Avoid the “Pick-up Paranoia” and calmly, slowly, follow these steps for a wonderful finish to your consignment sale.
And remember! That check for all those SOLD items will be coming soon!
Instead of clutter in your house, you’ll have some CA$H!
