Fall Consignment Season in Georgia Has Begun!

I honestly don't know if it's like this in other states, but here in Georgia there are two big children's consignment sale seasons (spring and fall) - for a few months in late winter and late summer, there are eleventy-thousand consignment sales. Big sales, small sales, sales at campgrounds, sales at churches, sales at schools. And the setup is usually the same as well - Friday (when the stay-at-home-moms swoop in) is full-price day with a better selection and higher prices; Saturday (when everyone's home from work) is half-price day, with bargains to be had but possibly a picked-over selection.

Yesterday I hit my first Georgia consignment sale of the season with a friend, while today I hit my second by myself. I was overwhelmed at how much was available for purchase at the first sale, but clothes and toys were mostly priced too high for what I'm willing to pay. Maybe I'm cheap (OK, I'm definitely cheap), but I won't pay more than $3-$4 for almost any item of used children's clothing. I'd pay more for a higher-end non-mall-store brand (like Tea Collection or Baby Lulu) but only in spotless, nearly new condition. It seems as the years have gone on that people are pricing their items higher, possibly to offset the second-day markdown. I buy lots of stuff for my daughter at thrift stores too, and so I try to compare prices in my head - would I find XYZ at Goodwill or Value Village for a better price? Would it be in better shape? If not, and if I love it, then I'll grab it.

More (including pictures) after the jump!

I have rules - I'll almost never buy Target, K-Mart, or Walmart brand clothes (including Circo, Just One Year, Faded Glory, and so on) at a consignment sale. I'll buy those new on occasion, but once they've been worn a few times, they're usually not in great shape, so I skip them. I will buy Carter's or OshKosh in some cases; those are the stores at which I buy most of my daughter's clothes new (hooray for coupons and discounts and sales), but, again, the cotton tops and pants often fade or pill after a few wearings, though the jeans hold up well.

I mostly focus on finding Gymboree, Children's Place, Hanna Andersson, Baby Gap, Janie and Jack, and even Old Navy. I know they'll last for a while, I know they have resale value (if I ever actually sell at a consignment sale or store myself...) and I also know what sizes my daughter fits into. I'm wary of brands I've never heard of, but I'll take a chance if something is really cute.

As a quick aside, I personally hate the way children's clothing is sized by age. My kid is three and she fits a 2T in a lot of brands. When she was younger she never matched her age to the sizes. At least some brands now put height/weight information on the tags, which is helpful, but mostly I have to guess. What child is average anyway?

So you've read this far, and now you'll be rewarded with pictures!

Here's what I got at the first consignment sale; I spent $10 total for all of the following:

A splurge at $4, but it's a Children's Place shirt with a snail on it! A snail!

Baby Gap sleeper with seahorses.

Hanna Andersson two-piece pajama set

Today was half-price day at a local church's consignment sale. Much better, bargain-wise, than yesterday. I spent $7 total for all of the following:

Carter's flare jeans - I know these will fit my kid perfectly, so I grabbed them. Love them!

Gymboree jeans with adorable flowers at the cuffs.

Old Navy fleece-lined jeans that we may have to take out a bit, length-wise.

Hanna Andersson bear sweater that causes me to make squishy silly voices.

Disappointing Old Navy shirt. It's hard to find toddler clothes in black, so I bought it, but it's stained. Currently trying to get the stain out...

Uniqua and Tyrone from the Backyardigans! These were met with much hugging at home. Score!