Is there an admission fee? TOP
No! Our sale is absolutely free. There is also FREE PARKING! Why Shop With Polka Dot Tots? TOP
We have a very unique shopping experience! You will find adorable clothing, great toys, baby gear and more at unbelievable prices! We want to help families and the community! Wear it. Love it. Pass it on..... What types of payment do you accept? TOP
Our preferred method of payment is cash but we do accept Visa, Mastercard and Discover. Please no checks. What is consignment? TOP
Consignment means that we will sell your children’s items for you in exchange for a percentage of your sales. We think you’ll find our Consignment Sale a much easier place to sell your things — much less work than eBay, Craigslist, or garage sales! You can also find great deals on items for your growing little one. Do I need to be present for the sale? TOP
Although we hope you stop by the sale for great bargains, you do not need to be there! That’s why consigning is so much easier than say, a garage sale. All you have to do is prepare/tag your items and drop them off. We’ll do the rest! If you elect to donate your items you don’t need to return for them at the end of the sale. If you choose to not donate your items then you will be expected to pick up your items after the sale. If there are not picked up at the designated pick-up days then they will be donated. How should I price my items? TOP
We recommend 25% to 30% of retail. Keep in mind what you would find these items for on clearance and think what people would actually want to pay at these types of sales. More will go on full price days if you price them reasonably.
- $1-$2 for play shirts and shorts
- $3-$5 for better shirts, pants, skirts and shorts
- $5-$7 for 2 piece outfits
- $2-$5 for jeans
- $3-$10 for dresses
- $5-$10 for 3 or 4 piece outfits
Boutique and European brands should be priced a bit higher.This is just a guide, pricing is completely up to you.
If you picture your kids cute little faces in your items you will always want to price them higher. Just put that aside and price your items to sell.
- Let your items go for 1/2 price....it's better to sell them and get something rather than put them all back in the closet you just cleaned out!
- Make your items look like they are worth more. Fluff them! Pin them so they won't shift on the hanger. Put outfits together and make sure they are freshly washed and they don't smell musty or smokey.
- Most shoppers look for very current styles. Consignors that sell the most current styles make the most money. Period. These clothes are generally worth more and tend to sell on full price days.
- ATTENTION: We cannot sell carseats that are over 6 years old. A used carseat checklist can be found at http://www.cpsafety.com/articles/usedseat.aspx For the safety of our children please be sure you go through the checklist to make sure your seat complies.
- Toys sell better than anything! If it is cleaned up, it works and is reasonably priced it will sell. Most toys sell on full price days!
- Plan to assemble your furniture.
- If you have owners manuals include those, may help your item sell better if people know how to put the item together.
- Double check that your larger items have not been recalled at http://cpsc.gov/
Tagging Items TOP
Here are some tips for tagging your items:
- Group Clothing by Size and Gender for quicker drop-off
- All items must be on hangers which will not be returned to you.
- Enter a "D" if you would like the item to be donated, the size, and a brief yet catchy description of the item.
- Call out Name Brands, if they were hardly worn, never worn, new with tags! This helps items sell better!
- Leave space at the bottom of the tag for the barcode. Barcodes are required on all tags.
- Please only use safety pins or a tagging gun for clothing items. This prevents tags from falling off and so little fingers do not get pricked.
- Use STRONG tape, zip ties, or string to attach cards to plastic toys.
- Please make sure there are working batteries in each toy (this helps them sell better so shoppers know they work)
- Smaller items work great in Ziploc bags. Just place the price card with the barcode inside the bag. Works great for onsies, shoes, socks, etc.
- Fisher Price Little People work great in Ziploc bags as well.
How will I know if my items have been sold? TOP
Easy! The My Sale Manager system will allow you to track your sales each day. Just log in every evening (allow a few hours to pass after the sale closes) and check how you are doing! We will be uploading inventory reports each night for our consignors. What if I change my mind on a purchase I've made? TOP
Sorry, due to the nature of the sale we do not accept returns or exchanges. All sales are final. Should I let my items go half price? TOP
Yes!! Let your items go 1/2 price...it's better to sell them and get something than have to put them back in the closet you just cleaned out! A little money is better than no money! Which Items Sell the Best? TOP
Toys sell better than most anything! If it works, is reasonably priced and is cleaned up, it will sell. Most sell on full price days. We will not accept toys without batteries.
Large items such as swings, pack and plays, strollers, bouncers, and highchairs sell quickly as well. Most of these sell the first day if they are in great condition and reasonably priced.
Clothing sells quickly if it is priced fairly. Here's what I had to do: I went through my items the first time and priced them visualizing my daughters precious little face still in them. Then I had to go back, get real and lower all the prices! If items are priced $1-$5 it will most likely sell on full price day.
Take the time to clean your items up, especially if they have been stored or recently used. A few clorox wipes go a long way. If the items are clean and look well taken care of they will be snatched up very quickly.
Stain Removal Tips TOP
Yellow Stains
- Mix about a 1/2 cup dishwashing detergent (such as Cascade) with a 1/2 cup of Clorox 2 (the pink liquid) in about 1-2 gallons of water. Soak the stained items in the mixture for several hours, then wash as usual. Works for other types of stains as well.
Grease Stains
- For dark stains on dark clothes, which are usually a grease stain, use Dawn Dishwashing Liquid. Rub into the stain and wash as normal. Almost always work great, even if the item has been dryed in the dryer. Sometimes it will need to be treated twice.
Will I Get My Hangers Back? TOP
All clothing needs to be on hangers. We will not remove items from hangers at check-out, so they will not be returned to you. However, if you purchase some items at the sale it is a good way to get hangers back! Hangers can be purchased at Walmart, Target, Meijer, etc. and they are very inexpensive.
What do I do with my unsold items? TOP
You have 2 choices: You can either pick them up the last day of the sale from 4-6pm on Sunday April 15th . Or you can choose to donate your items. Any Items left past 6pm on Sunday will be donated.We will be donating to the GRACE Fellowship Chruch Maternity Resource Center for the Spring 2012 Sale.
The Maternity Resource Center offers support to women and families who have maternity and child-care needs in the Columbus/Westerville area.
For more information visit their website at http://www.gracebaptist-westerville.org/103905
Why am I charged a consignor fee? TOP
A consignor fee is charged to help us cover the cost of advertising, postage, labels, price cards rental fee of the space and other costs to run the sale. That is why we can pay a higher commission rate to you! How does consignment with Polka Dot Tots work? TOP
It's as easy as A-B-C...1-2-3
A. Register to consign
B. Clean out your closets
C. Order your barcodes/price tags and sign up for a drop-off appt
1. Prepare, hang, & tag your items
2. Drop your items at your designated time
3. Sit back and wait for your check to come in the mail |