Is there an admission fee? TOP

No! Our sale is absolutely free. There is also FREE PARKING in the rear of the building.

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 itemsthen 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-$4 for play shirts and shorts
$3-$7 for better shirts, pants, skirts and shorts
$6-$10 for 2 piece outfits
$4-$8 for jeans
$6-$15 for dresses
$10-$18 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
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 sapce 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.

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.

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 5:30pm to 7:30pm on Saturday March 27th or you can choose to donate your items. We will be donating to the United Methodist Free Store for the Spring 2010 Sale.

The United Methodist Free Store provides clothing and household items to low-income families in a hospitable atmosphere that affirms the self-worth of each individual. The hospitality area offers a safe space where shoppers and volunteers share conversation, life stories, and prayers with the result that lives are changed and community is formed. More than 30,000 families have become members of the Free Store since we opened our doors in January 1999. For every dollar donated to the Free Store nineteen dollars are returned to the community.

For more information visit their website at http://www.4allpeople.org/freestore.html