"The Consignment Sale Queen", Steph Seibert, has been selling, shopping, volunteering
and helping run Metro-
Below is her personal pricing strategy. I've found it very thorough, insightful and sure to help you get the most money out of your tagging effort. Please note that these are only guidelines. You are free to price your items any way you wish. Our goal in providing this information is to help you understand the purchasing mindset of shoppers of this sort of event. We want you to be successful and walk away from this experience with a much fatter wallet!
Just Kids Resale comments are printed in BLUE ink below. (Used with Permission)
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Steph Seibert:
I have constantly sold 80-
1. I’m not brand loyal. My kids don’t have to have Gap, Gymboree, or Banana Republic. If I find these in my price range, GREAT! But if not, I don’t mind dressing them in Cherokee or even Geranimals.
2. My kids don’t shop with me. Until they have jobs of their own and are making their
own money they don’t get to be picky with their clothes. Don’t get me wrong: My kids
really dress pretty stylish with the times and are not in rags. But more of that
later. This is a general guide to help you price your items. Please understand you
may want to take in account your location and the type of children's consignment
sale you're selling with. Also this guide does not apply to boutique items.
- Birth – 12 mo: These can be some of the hardest sizes to sell. (If for no other reason than they are in such high quantity! Infant clothing only gets worn a few times before the child grows out of it and most parents have TONS of new clothes for their little ones. Supply vs. Demand naturally lends itself to lower prices on these smaller items.) Most of this size should sell for $1 per complete outfit (that’s a one piece outfit or a top and bottom). Add $1 if it’s name brand, maybe add $1 if it’s in really nice condition, new with out tag (See below for new WITH tag), a very dressy outfit, or has accessories. Sleepers should sell for about $0.50 each. Swim suits should be $1. Light jackets should be $1 and Coats should be $2.
- 18mo – 2T: This size is a little easier to sell, but not much. Most of this size should sell for $2 per complete outfit (that’s a one piece outfit or a top and bottom). Add $1 if it’s name brand or a popular character (Disney Princess, Spiderman, etc.), add $1 if it’s in really nice condition, new with out tag (See below for new WITH tag), a very dressy outfit, or has accessories. Swimsuits should be $2. Light jackets should be $2 and Coats should be $3.
- 3T – 10: These are the easiest sizes to sell. A good rule of thumbs is a complete outfit (Top and bottom, or a dress) should be priced the same as the size. IE: a complete 3T outfit should be priced at $3. A Complete size 6 outfit should be priced at $6. Therefore half an outfit (Just the shirt or just the pants) should be half the price. IE: a 4T shirt should be $2, a 6x pair of pants should be $3. Once you have your base price you can then adjust it: Add $1 if it’s name brand or a popular character (Disney Princess, Spiderman, etc.), add $1 if it’s in really nice condition, new with out tag (See below for new WITH tag), a very dressy outfit, or has accessories, Subtract $1 for PJs or swim suit, Add $1 for a heavy coat.
- Examples:
- Dressy Gap shirt size 6 = $5 ($3 base price + $1 for name brand + $1 for dressy = $5)
- Gap tee shirt size 6 = $4 ($3 base price + $1 for name brand = $4)
- Cherokee tee shirt size 6 = $3 (It’s not name brand, dressy, or exceptionally nice so it’s just the base price of $3)
- Cherokee tee shirt with matching hat size 6= $4 ($3 base price + $1 for accessory= $4)
- Dressy Gap shirt size 5 = $4 ($2.50 base price + $0.50 rounded UP since it’s gap + $1 for dressy = $4)
- 1 piece or 2 piece swim suit size 4 = $3 ($4 base price -
$1 swim suit = $3) - Size 3T PJs = $2 ($3 base price -
$1 PJs = $2) - Size 3T Heavy Coat = $4 ($3 base price + $1 coat = $4)
- Gap Tee and Old Navy pants size 6 = $7 ($6 base price + $1 for name brand = $7)
- Gap tee size 6 = $4 ($3 base price + $1 for name brand = $4)
- Old Navy Pants size 6 = $4 ($3 base price + $1 for name brand = $4)
- Note the last 3 examples: Putting the pants and shirt together they only sold for $7, but separated they sold for a total of $8. Please don’t separate an actual outfit just because you think you’ll make more money.
- 12 – 20 and Junior: These sizes are harder to sell than 3T-
10, but a little easier than infant. Use the same rules as 3T- 10, but all Sizes start with a base price of $10 for a complete outfit and $5 for pieces. Add $1 if it’s in really nice condition, new with out tag (See below for new WITH tag), a very dressy outfit, or has accessories, Subtract $1 for PJs or swim suit, Add $1 for a heavy coat.
- Examples:
- Dressy Gap shirt size 14 = $6 ($5 base price + $1 for dressy = $6)
- Gap tee shirt size 16 = $5 ($5 base price)
- Cherokee tee shirt size Jr. 0 = $5 (It’s not dressy, or exceptionally nice so it’s just the base price of $5)
- Cherokee tee shirt with matching hat size 12= $6 ($5 base price + $1 for accessory= $6)
- 1 piece or 2 piece swim suit size Jr. 3/4 = $4 ($5 base price -
$1 swim suit = $4)
- Maternity: Maternity is pretty much the same no matter the size. Here are my suggested prices based on several years of selling and shopping:
- Tee shirt $1-
2 - Casual Top $3-
4 - Dress Top $5
- Jeans $5
- Jean Shorts $2-
5 - Shorts $1-
4 - Pants $1-
4 - Dress pants $3-
6 - Casual Dress $3-
5 - Dress $5-
8 - Suit $10-
$15 - Swim Suit $5-
10
- New WITH tag: New items that still have the tag attached kind of have their own pricing
guidelines. (If the tag is not attached then you would follow normal guidelines)
First make sure to remove any sales/clearance stickers. No one needs to know what
you really spent on it. If the original retail price is on the tag then you should
price the item at 60-
75% of that price. (60-75% may still be a little high for the typical traffic we see coming through the Just Kids Resale event, but brand, color and whether the item is a current/desired style or not all play a role in its attractiveness and worth to buyers. Ultimately, always ask yourself "Would I pay $xx.xx for this item?") If the original retail price is NOT on the tag (This happens a lot if you received the item as a gift) then estimate or find out the original price. Price your item for 30-50% of the original retail price and list the original retail price on the CCS tag.
- Socks: Socks should run $.25 per pair for infant size and $.50 per pair for youth. (Of course, since Just Kids Resale has a minimum price of $0.50, you would need to group infant socks in packages and price accordingly.)