The Best Lil' Consignment Sale in Knoxville

You guys know I love consignment sales. They are the ultimate in "going green and saving green." But sometimes it can be overwhelming with the consignment sale options out there to determine which are worth my time.

There's one I'd like you to consider shopping and consigning for in a few weeks.

Host: MOMS Club of Northwest Knoxville

Dates: July 22 (pre-sale for consigners) and July 23 (open to the public)

Where: Erin Presbyterian Church, just off Kingston Pike in the Bearden area.

Accepted items: all seasons of clothing, toys, baby items, maternity, etc.

What you'll earn: 70-80% of your sales (depending on the shifts you work)

How to Consign: Please send an email to momsclubconsignmentsale@yahoo.com for information on registering.

So why this sale? Full Disclosure: It's the one sale for which I consign personally. I've been a member of MOMS Club for 6 years and it's a great support group for moms. This sale is our chief fund-raising tool for the year. All the proceeds that do not go to the consignors are donated directly back to the community through a variety of organizations.

I also like this sale because it's not too big and it's not too small. Every year we get delighted customers saying, "You guys have so much stuff but I didn't have to wait in line to view it or buy it. What a concept!" You are more likely to see a short line during half-price sale in the afternoon, but I've never heard anyone waiting more than 20 minutes at check-out.

I'm sure this year will be another success, but we could use more consignors. So please consider joining us by emailing to the address above. Thanks!

Couponing for Charity: Donation #3

My apologies for the delay in this post. I have been focusing on family and holiday memories the past few weeks. I will get back to the weekly suggestions for charity ASAP. But first, I want to share my experience with our third set of donations to Knoxville's Ronald McDonald House.

This from their website: The Ronald McDonald House of Knoxville provides a "home away from home" for families of seriously ill children receiving treatment at nearby hospitals. The House provides a comfortable, supportive, temporary residence near the medical facility where family members can sleep, eat, relax and find support from other families in similar situations.

In early December, Devin and Brooke joined me in delivering two huge boxes of goods to this gorgeous home located near the East TN Children's Hospital. Trying to educate my four-year-old about giving to others, I told him we were going to "play Santa" for less fortunate kids. He was a bit puzzled about where Santa and the kids were, but hopefully the concept that it feels good to give is being planted early.

You may recall that I tried to donate goods to them for our second round of donations. At the time, I was told they didn't need what I had. When I called this time, they said they could use our items and were very appreciative. Looking at their wish list, I added a few items from my personal stock pile that I didn't get for free but they were bargains. At the last minute, fellow Northwest Knoxville MOMS Club member Kelley Neal dropped off her box of goods (not pictured). They were thrilled to get items they could use to stuff stockings for all the residents.

Here are the items we donated:

• 1 big box Cheerios
• 4 boxes pasta
• 5 boxes granola bars
• 1 box instant oatmeal
• 4 cans soup
• 3 jars peanut butter
• 1 box hot chocolate
• 2 packs tuna
• 2 air fresheners
• 1 all natural multi-purpose cleaner
• 3 first aid kits
• 9 tubes toothpaste
• 1 toothbrush
• 1 dental floss
• 20 pens
• 4 lip balm
• 1 body wash
• 2 razors
• 2 shaving creams
• 1 lotion
• 3 deodorants
• 5 Clinique samples
• 1 bottle hand soap
• home baked cookies from our club cookie swap

I can't really give an accurate account for the value of the items and the money spent since half of it wasn't mine, I set aside some items for the next charity, and I had previously donated some items from this batch to Iva's Place. At last count, my totals since September were:

TOTAL VALUE OF PRODUCTS: $175.14

TOTAL SPENT: -$7.79 (that's negative nearly 8 bucks)

It's been nine months since I began Couponing for Charity, and I am looking forward to lots more giving in 2011!

The "Don't Miss" Consignment Sale: 9/11

I'll admit Knoxville has a lot of consignment sales. I look at it as a way for everyone to spread out and choose the sale that's right for them. In my humble and somewhat biased opinion, I think the best consignment sale is sponsored by MOMS Club. Full disclaimer: I'm a member of MOMS Club and will be consigning at this sale.

That aside, I do have my Top 5 reasons for why this is the BEST consignment sale in Knoxville:

1. The goods are largely from stay-at-home-moms of young children. They know what toys and clothes that are desirable and worth the effort to sell. We're all savvy shoppers and price our goods to sell. We don't want to lug all that stuff back home!
2. We attract a lot of sellers because the take-home percentage is the highest I've seen.
3. Though we are a non-profit, a strong element of the club is charitable giving. This is our largest fund-raiser of the year, and a portion of our sales will be donated primarily to local charities.
4. The regular sale is busy but not a mad-house. I can't stress how this is the biggest draw for me because I've sworn off certain sales (which shall remain nameless) because they are sheer chaos. I work the morning shift and rarely see more than 4 people waiting in the check-out line.
5. The half-price sale is VERY popular. Ok, the half-price sale does draw the true bargain hunters in by the swarms. So if you want the BEST deals, start lining up before noon and be prepared for slightly longer lines. And remember if it has a red dot on the tag, it does NOT sale for half price.

Here are all the details you need:

When: Saturday, September 11

Who: MOMS Club (Farragut and Northwest Knoxville chapters)

Where: Farragut United Methodist Church

12733 Kingston Pike, Farragut (closest to Watt Rd.)

Times: Regular sale: 8-11am; half-price sale: noon - 2:30pm

Directions: Unless you're in Farragut, I'd suggest taking 40 West, exit Watt Road, turn left and then another left onto Kingston Pike. The church is less than a minute down on your left.

I'll post pictures from the pre-sale later tonight. Hope to see you there.

Let the Donating Begin!

Note: My computer is doing funky things; sorry for the weird formatting: If you've been following my Couponing for Charity weekly posts, you know I've been gathering FREE deals (mainly hygiene products) to donate to deserving organizations. Our MOMS Club chapter has chosen four local organizations over the course of a year to be recipients of our crafty couponing skills. Every three months, a different one will benefit. I've felt a bit like a squirrel--hunting, gathering, and storing my precious finds--but it was finally time to relinquish my gems to our first deserving group: a non-profit, interfaith agency serving the poor and homeless of Knoxville called the Volunteer Ministry Center.

This from their website: "The Volunteer Ministry Center helps people find their way out of homelessness by offering “tough love” programs that work. It’s not enough to meet the basic needs of food and shelter. Real progress means that people face their problems and overcome them. It means that they set goals and achieve them – and in a timely manner. It means that they are held accountable. The work of The Volunteer Ministry Center has one purpose – to help our clients achieve housing and a higher level of self-sufficiency so that they are no longer homeless."

I actually got involved with the VMC through my church, The Church of the Good Samarita, an Episcopal church in the Cedar Bluff region.There's a group of 10-15 female parishioners who attend a monthly "ladies night in" at the VMC. It's a chance to share some life skills, but more importantly, an opportunity to build relationships with women struggling to overcome homelessness. They seek to give them a comfortable bridge to the community.

So when I began my Couponing for Charity mission, this group was the first to come to mind. I was excited that not only was this a chance to "give them fish" but to "teach them to fish." Over the weekend, I began pouring out some of the knowledge I'd gained the past nine months and tips for how to get the great deals at Walgreen's and CVS in a hand-out. I quickly filled 4 1/2 pages. Would they be overwhelmed? Will they be able to stockpile? Would they call me Crazy Coupon Lady when I walked out the door?

When I put all the goods I had in a box, along with several donations from another member of MOMS Club, I could barely carry the box. In total, we had at least $250 of products and we broke even with paying tax. Here's what we gave:

9 tubes toothpaste, 7 toothbrushes, 2 dental floss,

14 body wash, 7 shampoo, 2 conditioner,

1 hand soap, 2 dish soap,

9 deodorants,

9 feminine care,

1 sinus spray, 1 multi-purpose eye solution, 1 heat wrap, 2 lip balm, 1 barrette, 1 box of tissues, 1 box of vitamins, 2 boxes of cereal, 1 box of crackers

Seeing it all on a table was very gratifying. When I said I got it all for free, some women looked astonished and a bit wary, as if I were about to pull a rabbit out of hat. Surely it isn't possible to get all that for FREE in three months! What's the catch? was reading on some of their faces.

Unfortunately only 2 of the 11 expected VMC clients showed up. Periodically KARM (where many of them live temporarily) has a lock-down and they will not let you come back in after 6:30pm if you leave. So I think most of them were trapped. However, there were about 10 women from our church, and they were all eager to figure this out for themselves. Though some of them were new to using coupons and many had never shopped at drugstores with this strategy, they soaked in the knowledge. I think I inspired several of them to give it a try and begin bringing to the VMC each month some of the deals they pick up.

Probably the most important person I educated tonight was Lisa Wells, a caseworker who plans to work with their clients one-on-one to help them get these deals themselves. Since you can't use food stamps on hygiene or cleaning products, this is a huge way to stretch their dollars. The VMC also have three computers clients can use to print coupons and access the weekly blogs detailing the deals like Southern Savers, Coupon Katie, and Coupon Mommie. Finally I have to give a big thanks to the one who educated and inspired me to start this couponing mission for others: Gabrielle at Couponing in Critical Times.

Though I didn't get to see the excited expressions of the recipients, Lisa was thrilled to now have items that she can put in "welcome home baskets." Four of their clients signed leases this week, and she's giving them each a basket full of goodies to get them started. She expects any extra products will be quickly snatched up.

As I walked out the door and glanced back at the stockpile, it was a little hard to leave it behind. After all my hard work, I now start with a clean slate for the next organization. Will I be just as successful? What will the next box look like? One thing I do know: it sure feels good to give.

Consign on!

I just returned from the MOMS Club consignment pre-sale, and I can honestly report there is something for everyone. Clothes racks are full but not so tight you can't sift through them quickly. There are plenty of items for new moms: strollers, bouncers, exersaucers, swings, gymini mats, etc. There are lots of ride-ons, bedding items, shoes of all sizes, and baby carriers. If you're looking for a costume or swimsuit for a child under three, there are numerous choices. Though I didn't peruse the maternity clothes, there was lots to choose from. What seemed most plentiful to me were the long line of toys. We had so many this year that another row was set up. From infant to preschool, from computer games to books, from Thomas to Tinkerbell, it's there.

I spent $43, with each piece averaging just over $2. Good stuff!

So check it out:

Saturday, April 10

8am - noon; half price: 1-3pm

Knoxville Christian Center

818 Cedar Bluff Road

Goldilocks of Consignment Sales-now with video!

It's almost here. The sale you've been waiting for. The one that's not too big and not too small--the Goldilocks of Consignment Sales! This Saturday, April 10 is the children's consignment sale sponsored by the Farragut and Northwest Knoxville chapters of MOMS Club, a supportive network for stay-at-home and part-time working mothers. Why am I so passionate about this one? Full disclaimer: I'm a member of MOMS Club and I'll be consigning a car full.

I've been an avid buyer at consignment sales since we moved here five years ago. I was enamored by the organization, the presentation, and most of all the deals. This was way better than garage sales. I've since learned there is a wide gamut of consignment sales: some so big, you can't find the end of the line and some more like boutiques with pricey goods.

I'm pleased MOMS Club is comfortably in the middle. More than 50 consignors are expected to bring over 10,000 items to sell, and the space is large enough to accommodate all the shoppers. It will be busy, but it shouldn't be crazy. And since we're all savvy, sensible moms who know a good deal when we see it, we don't want to waste our time selling anything else.

You know my favorite aspect of consignment sales is the "everybody wins" component. Sellers get to clear out clothes and toys they no longer need and make some dough. Buyers typically get items for 70-80% off retail and get good quality stuff--the clothes and toys that really hold up. Sales in churches are usually donating a portion of the proceeds to good causes--15% of ours will benefit local charities. What doesn't sell is donated--Catholic Ministries in our case. And the environment is probably the biggest winner of all since all of these items are getting a second chance. What's not to love?!

I've been looking forward to this since I reorganized the playroom in January. However, I'm just now learning firsthand that consignment sales are a LOT of work: sorting, cleaning, finding batteries. There are strict guidelines for how to fill out the tags, what type of hangers to use and which direction clothes must be hung. Then there's the decisions of how to price each item. I think about what I'd be willing to pay and how badly I want it out of Brooke's closet. Do I really want to haul that exersaucer back home? Please, someone buy my exersaucer!!

Well I guess I should stop procrastinating and get back to tagging. I'd love to meet you Saturday morning if you're an early bird. Hopefully I'll get to run the calculator at check-out. FYI: For the first 100 shoppers to check out, we have special coupons from many of our home based businesses, including my video services.

The regular sale is 8am to noon and the half price sale is 1-3pm. The location is the Knoxville Christian Center, 818 Cedar Bluff Road. Here is the website for the Northwest chapter. For more info: momsclubconsignmentsale@yahoo.com. Happy shopping!

Halloween

It's October 31, the house is quiet, and I can finally drink in the conclusion of Halloween. To me, it's almost as sad as saying good-bye to Christmas. What's not to love about Halloween?! You get to don a costume, slither your fingers in pumpkin goop, and gather as much candy as you can!

And Halloween isn't just about the evening of Oct. 31. That's just the finale of a host of activities leading up to it. My husband doesn't understand all the hoopla but I''m hoping we're creating wonderful memories and traditions for our children. There's the visit to the Fruit & Berry Patch in Halls. You get to ride a tractor, feed sheep and goats, pick out a pumpkin, run through the corn maze, drink apple cider, and get a coloring book.

Then there are the parties: this year we made it to six events! We celebrated with our playgroup, MOMS Club, the neighborhood, our church, their school, and Earthfare. (I'll write more about Earthfare in a future post).

All these festivities may seem like a lot, but they were our way of connecting and celebrating with the people who make up our community. And when your family lives hundreds of miles away, community is so important. Enjoy a few snapshots from our Halloween fun.