Despite the name Mom-2-Mom Sale,
Friday was "Daddy's Night" as us guys were all trotted out to help
set-up for the next day's event moving heavy boxes, setting up tables, and
carting a variety of things around the elementary school where the sale was
taking place. I stayed home the next day
as my wife worked our table selling our items and buying a few new treasures to
bring back to our home for our children.
Essentially, the premise is pretty clear cut from the name
"Mom-2-Mom Sale" which is like a large garage sale at a central
location with mommies selling items their kids no longer need to other families
who are in need of those items. Instead
of spending a weekend trolling various garage sales looking for kiddie stuff or
paying markup at resale shops, someone can go to one of these sales knowing the
focus will be on children's items and most items will likely be sold at bargain
prices.
- Know What Sells: People want NEW things for BABIES so best sellers are toddler clothes 2T - 4T and children's sizes. Make sure you don't sell stained or worn out items at your table, if a shopper sees one item that looks dirty they aren't going to go through the rest of your stuff! Also people look for things that are needed by their children NOW not for later in the year so don't sell snow suits in March or or swim suits in November. You may want to participate in two or three Mom-2-Mom Sales throughout the year if you have a lot of stuff to get rid of so you can get rid of seasonal items.
- Check Out Sales: go to websites like MOM2MOMSALESMICHIGAN, MOM2MOMLIST & METROPARENT (most areas will have local sites promoting local sales - google your city or state followed by "Mom to Mom"), look for information on blogs like THE NEST or THE BUMP, or by asking other moms around town. Look for sales that have been conducted for multiple years and inquire who is running them? Check to see that sales are run by reputable businesses or community groups. Ask how many tables they are selling...the more tables normally the larger the crowds who attend because people want to go to shows that have the most to offer. Look for sales that have 50 to 100 tables.
- Price it Right: Remember this stuff is used and people are shopping for a bargain so don't overprice. A lot of stuff we sell is marked at .50 cents to $5 dollars. If you overcharge it is likely that you are going to be hauling stuff home. On the other hand, don't let people haggle you so that you are giving your stuff away for free...set a price and stick with it. A good way to price items is to go to some Mom-2-Mom sales as a shopper before becoming a seller to get a feel for what other people are asking.
- Layout Matters: How you have your items layed out makes a big difference. Having everything marked with stickers clearly identifying prices, signs that clearly steer people to different categories of items (clothes, shoes, toys, bath accessories, etc.), clear bins people can see through and clothes racks are great items at Mom-2-Mom Sales. Anything you can do so that people don't have to dig around to see what you have and that keeps your items and space looking clean will help you get extra sales!
- Keep Dads @ Home: It's great to have husbands help with setting up before hand and clearing out afterward but like the name implies most of the shoppers are moms and having a mom work your table makes them feel more comfortable stopping by your table to chat and hopefully make a purchase. Marketing is important and mommies just are better at closing the sale at these events.
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