Item Prep

Supplies

As Always: Wire hangers, tagging barbs, card stock, and safety pins are available from The Treasure Chest Sale AT COST.  We purchase these items in bulk and pass the savings on to our consignors. This is a convenience for the best consignors in NC!

• Tagging Gun. Tags should be attached to clothing with a tagging gun (preferred), or safety pins.  Tagging guns are available at your local office supply store (Office Max, Staples, etc.) and on websites such as Amazon.com and StoreSupply.com.
• White card stock.  Regular printer paper makes for flimsy tags that do not scan well and will not be accepted.  Please only use white 65lb. card stock when printing your tags. Card stock can be found at WalMart and your local office supply store.  No textured/glossy paper.
• Safety Pins.  It is good to have a variety of sizes.  ABSOLUTELY NO straight pins! Straight pins are dangerous to our shoppers and volunteers! Tip: look for heavier-weight pins; Walmart carries a good selection. I hate to say this as I LOVE The Dollar Tree, but their safety pins are no good!
• Hangers.  Shirt and pant hangers in appropriate sizes.  Many retailers throw away their plastic hangers.  Save them from the landfill!  Check out dry-cleaners and retail stores and ask if they have any hangers you can pick up.  Check Freecycle.com and Craigslist.   These are just a few sources of free hangers. Regular size wire hangers work for all but the smallest sizes (NB-3 months); you can secure pants with safety pins to the angled sides of wire hangers as well (children's only).  WalMart also sells shirt hangers for around 10 cents each.
• Packing Tape.  Little fingers will be in attendance at the sale and they love to take things apart!  Packing tape works wonders for securing toys, sealing DVD and game cases, and of course, attaching your tags.  Do not be stingy with the tape; we cannot sell an item without a tag, so secure the tags with as much tape as you need! However, do not tape over the barcode.
• Rubber Bands.  When selling sets and outfits you’ll want to rubber band hangers together.
• Zipper Bags.  Essential for toys with loose pieces, and easy to seal with packing tape. Check Dollar Tree for large zipper bags.
• Yarn/Zip Ties/String/Ribbon. Perfect for attaching tags to non-textile items or items that would be damaged by tape, a tagging gun, or a safety pin (purses, shoes, decorative pieces, etc.).

 

Prepping Your Items

• Clean up: Dirty items will not pass inspection. Clothes that are laundered and wrinkle-free sell best. Get a magic eraser and clean up those toys! Hose down the outdoor toys. Shine up the shoes.
• Test It Out: Customers want to test out the toys before they buy. Since all sales are final, buyers are reluctant to buy toys that do not have batteries or that are not working. Non-working toys will not be accepted. Buy inexpensive batteries from the dollar store as all electronic toys must be in working order. If a toy arrives that has dead batteries and we must put in new batteries, consignors will be charged $1 per battery (will be taken out of check). If an item is purchased and returned due to defect or missing part, consignor will be charged a $20 fee.
• Clothing:
  • Hang clothes on hangers so that the hangers face left (like a question mark “?”).
  • NO SAFETY PINS ON ADULT CLOTHES for hanging (safety pins for tagging only). Please use appropriately-sized hanger. We have free "Foamies" for hangers that help clothes stay on.
  • Children's pants and smaller items can be safety-pinned onto hangers on the angled sides(be sure not to damage the item with the pins, though!). If the shirt or loose item seems to have trouble staying on the hanger, you can use safety pins to secure those items.
  • Pin children's skirts, shorts & pants to the angled top part of the hanger so that they hang neatly; if pinned to the bottom, they will inevitably bunch up and be easily overlooked. Do not hang pants over the bottom part of the hanger – the size will be too difficult to see when hands are full and they tend to fall of the hangers easily. Please use a pants hanger or pin to the angled part of a wire hanger.
  • If using a tagging gun (recommended), be sure to place the fastener and needle through the manufacturers tag or through a seam. There are a variety for sale online at sites such as Amazon.com, and at stores such as Staples and Office Max.
  • When selling sets that use 2 hangers, please rubber band or zip-tie the hangers together.
  • Tags should be fastened to the right side of the garment in a seam OR through the manufacturers tag. NO EXCEPTIONS.
  • Be sure all zippers are zipped and buttons are buttoned.
• Shoes:
  • Please secure children’s shoes together using a zip-tie or ribbon/twine/yarn.
  • If the shoes are unable to be secured together, they may be rubber-banded together sole-to-sole
  • Please DO NOT use zipper bags if shoes are unable to be secured together; zipper bags take up more space on the table, and shoppers like to be able to touch and inspect shoes before purchasing.
  • To attach the tag, use a hole punch to make a hole in the tag, then secure it to the shoes with a zip-tie or length of twine. If there is no place to attach a zip-tie/twine, SECURELY tape the tag to the bottom of the shoe
• Accessories: Hats, bags, belts, tights, socks etc. – Avoid using zipper bags if at all possible, though several items together may be bagged. Again, customers like to feel and inspect the things they are considering purchasing; if they are removed from the bag, chances are they won’t be returned to the bag.
• Bedding and other Textiles:
  • Place all items in a set together in a large transparent bag. The large clear zipper bags (Ziplock brand or from Dollar Tree) work well.
  • It is helpful to include a list on the outside of the bag of what is included in the set. Individual items do not need to be bagged.
  • Blankets, curtains, rugs, shower curtains, and other textiles must be hung on a hanger, as we will have racks dedicated to textiles.
• Books, Video Games:
  • Use packing tape or scotch tape to secure the tag to the front or back cover.
  • Use scotch tape to secure the tag to the front or back cover of your book. Many books can be damaged by heavy-duty tape.
  • Inspect your books to be sure all pages are intact and free from markings (little ones like to mark in their books at our house!). Books with markings and/or torn pages will not be accepted.
  • Make sure discs are not scratched up.
  • Consider selling books in sets by using twine or a large zipper bag to secure them all together (Fun Fact: we consistantly sell around 90% of books that are grouped together this way!)
• Toys:
  • Place smaller groups of toys in zipper bags and tape the tag to the bag; be sure to tape the “zipper” top closed, as curious little ones like to play with the toys and may take them out unless they are securely closed.
  • If a larger toys has many pieces (example, a pirate ship with 15 smaller pieces), place the smaller pieces in a zipper bag, and tape/secure it to the larger piece.
  • For toys that have multiple pieces or moving parts, use tape to secure them.
• Puzzles/Board Games:
  • For toddler puzzles (the wooden/board type), I find that wrapping them in plastic wrap or a zipper bag and then taping it shut works best.
  • Please be sure all pieces are included with all puzzles and board games before bringing them in. Incomplete puzzles/games are frustrating for buyers.
• Furniture/equipment: Must be set up at the sale. Customers want to see the “finished product” of what they are considering purchasing. Check Government Recall List for recalls.

 

Item Entry:

• We use  My Sale Manager for our tagging. Click here for your mysalemanager page to enter tags.VERY IMPORTANT: be sure to choose correct size in the drop-down menu; if there is no size (a coffee mug or a necklace), choose "Leave Blank". DESCRIPTIONS are very important.  Please do not just type "Pants". Example of a good description: first line - "Carters" - 2nd line - "Green striped shirt".
• To enter items, log on to mysalemanager.com. Follow the directions for adding items to your inventory. There are drop-down menus for you to choose the size and category; there are also  boxes for brand, description and price. Please be sure to either check or uncheck the “Discount” and “Donate” boxes. A checked Discount box indicates that you would like for your item to be discounted on the last day by 50%. A checked Donate box indicates that you would like your unsold item to be donated to the charity of our choice. Some computers may auto-check these boxes; please double-check before you print your tags, as during the sale, we must go by what the tag says.
• If the tag is printed, and then changes are made within the system, a NEW tag must be printed.  Example: you mark something to be discounted, print the tag, then decide you do not want to discount it; you MUST print a new tag or the item will not ring up correctly, and will cause confusion for the shopper and the volunteers.
• No hand-written tags will be accepted, nor will tags that have been marked through and hand-written over. Correct the tag in the system then print a new tag.
• Please choose the appropriate category and size for each item. This is very important for our records.

Pricing:

Many factors go into determining the price of a gently used item. Age, condition, size, brand, etc. all are factors in deciding what the appropriate price for your item will be. Generally, the lower the price, the faster it will sell. But that doesn’t mean you need to GIVE your things away! Many consignors have memories or emotions attached to their items and price them too high, then are disappointed when they do not sell.  Here are some thoughts on pricing:

• Minimum Price is $2.
• Consider Bundling! Have 18 size 12 Month bodysuits? Split them up into groups of 3 or 6, fold them together so you can see each of them, and put them in a ziplock bag. Safety pin 3 pair of socks together, or put 8 pair together in a ziplock bag.
• Newborn clothes do not sell as well as 18 month and up. Think about it: when a new baby arrives, they are showered with gifts of adorable outfits. This slows down by the end of the first year. Therefore, demand is low but supply is high at consignment sales for these tiniest sizes. Consider that when pricing your smaller sizes.
• Check out this Pricing Guide; according to this reputable consignment website, you should expect to receive $2-4 for Target/Carters type brands, $3-8 for Childrens Place/Old Navy/Gap type brands, $4-8 for Gymboree and better brands, and about 25% of the original price for Boutique brands. If it is New With Tag, higher prices would be in order. Remember that these are just guidelines though!
• Consideration should be given to the condition and age of the item when pricing (a very good condition Cherokee girls shirt could go for $4, while a worn Gap shirt may go for $3).
• Most importantly, price your items to sell!! You do not want to take your items back home with you after you’ve prepared everything for this sale. Consider marking “Discount” for the last day 1/2 price sale.

Tag Printing:

• After your items are entered, you can print your tags. You will need to print your tags on WHITE 65 lb. CARD STOCK. Regular paper tags will not be accepted, as they tear easily. Please do not use glossy paper/card stock, as it is not able to be scanned.
• Color of the card stock: You must usewhite card stock. Tags of any other color will not be accepted unless authorized by The Treasure Chest Sale.  There are 2 reasons behind this: first, our Power Consignors have been assigned specific colors to use in order to make pick-up at the end of the sale go more smoothly for everyone.   There is a very good chance that if 2 consignors use the same color that one of the consignors will not get any of their items back.  Also, many shades of colored card stock are not scannable, resulting in having to manually enter the tag information which slows down check-out.  WalMart and office supplies store carries card stock.
• Again, TAGS OF ANY COLOR OTHER THAN WHITE/OFF-WHITE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

Hanging Clothes:

• All clothes must be hung with the hook facing LEFT like a QUESTION MARK.  No exceptions.  That way everything faces the same direction on the rack.  Consignors will pass right by an item if it is facing the wrong direction.
• NO SAFETY PINS ON ADULT CLOTHES for hanging (safety pins for tagging only). Please use appropriately-sized hanger. We have free "Foamies" for hangers that help clothes stay on.
• With the exception of very tiny clothes (3 months and under), most items will fit on a regular size wire shirt hanger.  If the hanger is too small, the shirts will fall off.  A shirt on the floor is a shirt that will not sell!
• Children: Pants may be on clip-style pants hangers or pinned on the slant to shirt hangers; pinning on the bottom means the item will bunch up on one side and no one will look at them, the racks will be messy, and they will ultimately not sell; therefore, we will not accept pants/shorts/capris/skirts that have been pinned to the bottom of the hanger.  DO NOT fold the pants over the bottom of the hanger.  THEY WILL NOT SELL and we will NOT put them on the rack.
• 2-piece sets: you may either hang on 2 hangers and rubber band/zip-tie them together, or hang both pieces on one hanger using safety pins (hang the shirt first, then pin the pants to the hanger behind the shirt).  Be very careful when putting safety pins in the shirts as the holes can damage the fabric.

Tagging:

• There are two options for attaching tags to clothing: a Tagging Gun or safety pins. Tagging guns may be purchased at Office Max/Office Depot, or online at retailers such as Amazon. The tagging gun is the easiest way to attach tags to clothing.  Please be sure to put the needle through the manufacturers tag at the back of the neck, or through a seam on the RIGHT SIDE only.  Do NOT poke a hole in the front of the garment, as some holes can damage a fabric beyond repair.
• Safety Pins: tag must be secured to the tag at back of the neck of the garment, or through a seam on the RIGHT SIDE. Do NOT poke a hole in the front of the garment, as some holes can damage a fabric beyond repair. If there is not a tag or seam you can use for the safety pin, please punch a hole in the tag and use a piece of ribbon or string to attach to a button.
• The most important part of tagging is to be sure to not poke holes in the fabric.  Holes in the fabric from tagging guns or safety pins are the most common reason an item is removed from the sales floor due to damage.
• All other textiles (curtains, bedding, blankets, etc.) may be tagged with a tagging gun or safety pins.  The same guidelines apply regarding not damaging the textile (see above). Also, hanging textiles from hangers seems to increase their sell-thru rate, so we do require that all textiles be on hangers. We have designated racks for textiles by category.
• For most non-textile items (books, games, toys, etc.), tape will work well for attaching the tags.  Please do not tape over the barcode of the tag.
• For other items (shoes, purses/wallets, jewelry, decor, etc.), use zip-ties or ribbon.
• General rule of thumb: attach as effectively as possible without damaging the item.
• Tags and items are separated from time to time; we do everything in our power to reunite them.

Dropping Off:

• Organize clothes by gender and size, then bundle together with rubber bands.  Since you will be placing your items on the sales floor, this will make drop-off much more efficient and FAST for you!
• Carts and rolling racks will be available to bring your things inside.
• Please set aside 30 minutes for drop-off time so that you may have plenty of time to check in and then place items on the sales floor.

Picking Up:

• All consignors who choose not to donate their unsold items will pick up (time TBA).   Consignors will have the option to receive a print-out of unsold, undonated items and then they can retrieve their items.
• All items not picked up by (time TBA) will be donated to local charity organizations that benefit local recipients in need.