Tis the Season for Consignment...

Today was the day. I had it marked on my calendar for over two months. No, it wasn't the release of the newest movie. No, it wasn't some amazing concert coming to town.

It was the WEE-CYCLED WARDROBE CONSIGNMENT SALE - consignor's shopping day!

What?!!? You haven't heard? You didn't know it was the biggest shopping day of the year? Pish-posh on Black Friday! Today was Shopper's Sunday!!

Well only if you are a consign-freak like my sister and I. That is why we are all smiles!


Let me introduce you to the wonderful world of consignment...


Ever since I was younger, I loved to shop. My mom's manic moments allowed for numerous get-out-of-school free shopping days, which were absolutely fantastic as a teenager! The fury and fever to shop has never left my core and it was only magnified when I started popping out kids.


Before Genavieve was born, she had a closet full of little pink and purple dresses and hats. And we aren't talking your typical after-baby-shower stash. We are talking about filling up an ENTIRE closet of miniature little outfits, most of which she probably never even wore.

As she grew older, I reveled in her fashion sense and it fed my addiction even more. One of my proudest Mommy Moments was when my two year old daughter refused to leave the house because she couldn't find a hair bow to match her outfit. I had to fight back the tears of pride! My little fashion diva.


I was a single Mommy in those days. And I certainly was in no position to go out and shop willy-nilly (and yes, that is a very technical term) at department stores to dress my little fashionista. I had to get creative.


That is when I discovered thrift stores... I would case them out on my lunch hour. Thumbing through racks of clothes to find just the perfect thing that some other Mommy was crazy enough to get rid of.


You wouldn't believe some of the treasures I found. But it was a lot of work! That is when I discovered the consignments sales.


Did you know there is a place where you can buy Children's Place, Gymboree, Carter's and all the other fabulous name-brand clothes for less than half price? A consignment sale usually runs anywhere from a couple of days to three weeks. Mommies take their children's outgrown clothing and "consigns" it at the sale. It is like a giant yard sale, but instead of having to weed through all the junk most people sell, it is strictly clothing and other children-related items.


Before my son was born, he had two seasons worth of clothes ready and waiting for him. I kid you not, 80% of my kids wardrobe comes from consignment sales.


The first time I walked into the Wee-cycled Wardrobe consignment sale in Fredericksburg, it was like an oasis. I think I heard angels singing as I walked through the doors and was faced with rack upon rack of kids clothes.


I have not turned back since. I hit every local consignment sale in the area and I am on every consignor's mailing list there is. This is the season for consignment. Most sales only run twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. Fall and back-to-school season is upon us.


For the last two years, not only do I shop, but I am a consignor. I go through all of my kids clothes and sell them (mostly to pay my tab for shopping). So being a consignor gives you special rights and privileges. You get to shop an entire day before the public is invited.



Laugh now, but you can't begin to imagine how important it is to get into the sale early. You might just miss the perfect outfit if you don't get there first. So that is where my sister and I find ourselves. Waiting in line, with our laundry baskets in hand, ready to be filled.

The line this year curved around the building. Anxious mommies awaited the seasons best find. My sister and I were prepared this year. We had plans to tag-team and had our route all mapped out. We even somehow managed to be kid-less this year... a first for both of us! You just can't concentrate while a kid is screaming in the stroller.

** Bonus points to the hubby for staying home with the terradactyl and girls all day!

Promptly at 3:00 they opened the doors for shoppers, with strict instructions to shop calmly. Yes, these people have to be warned, because things can get out of hand!

Again, cue the angels. Here is the sale this year.

The sale is held at the Field House in Fredericksburg, so it literally was a football field of stuff - a consign-a-holics dream. Over 33,000 items, ranging from clothes, to shoes, to toys, to every baby amenity you could imagine.

Quick thinking allowed me to snatch a cart from the Field House concession stand before anyone noticed. This apparatus proved to be critical in the game plan and many-a fellow consignor oohed and ahhed at our towering cart as the day went on.

They were jealous.

Back up Barbie, my cart!

So we hit the big item section first, as my sister Kim was after a bike for her daughter.

DAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN!

No such luck, a lady before us snatched the said bike up before we got to it. My sister debated following her around for a bit to see if she left it unattended, but quickly decided against the unconsignor-like conduct.

To the shoes... there is a whole method to the madness. Shoes go quickly, especially the ones that don't look like they've gone through a mud puddle and back.

SUCCESS! I snagged at least five pairs of shoes for various kids, some brand new. Kim got quite a few as well. After looking at shoes, Kim begins to wander over to the toy section.... not the next step in our game-plan, but I allow it.

The cart is already getting full, and we haven't even gotten to clothes yet. We have to constantly reposition stuff as to not lose any of our valuable loot.

Lots of ladies are walking around with some of Kim's custom wipe cases... aren't they cute?!?! Check out www.diapersanddenim.com for other adorable creations! (shameless plug!)

Finally it is to the clothes. We start out in 3T Girls, and tag team the search. I take top racks and she takes bottom racks, looking for only the cutest things for her daughter Brylee. After about 20 outfits are piled onto the cart, we move onto 18 Months boys and use the same method.

Tag Team Shopping At Its Best!

In the midst of our frenzied search, a little girl snatches a Dora doll off our cart while her mother wasn't paying attention. Damn Moms bringing their kids - amateurs! Taking another shoppers item is something you just don't do in this shopping world! Four year old or not - give back my Dora Brat! (ok, so I didn't really say that, but the little girl did cry when her Mom returned it to our cart!)

Then there is another woman that is causing quite a ruckus on the toddler aisle. We will call her Hoarder Whore for her privacy... she had pile upon pile of clothes laid out all over the floor making it difficult for anyone to get around her. She was one of "those"... that pulled stuff off the rack, with no intention of buying it all, just piling it up to go through later. These types aren't looked upon too kindly, you take what you want and leave the rest on the rack.

My sister stalked Hoarder Whore for a long time, waiting for her to return her 3T leftovers to the rack. She was like a Mama tiger stalking prey for her young... but instead of antelope it was an orange and brown Gymboree outfit.

As we moved through the various sizes, our cart reached a ridiculous height. We were, after all shopping for the SEVEN children we had between us.

Here is the result of our frenzied shopping...

We arrived at the sale at 2:30... we left at 6:40. We were one of the last five shoppers out of the door. I won the grand prize for the day because I didn't spend as much... but the check I got from sales barely covered my tab. At least I broke even.

After an exhausting day, I brought my stash home to a bunch of ungrateful kids, that had no idea of the drama I had to go through to get those cute Abercrombie jeans!

The next sale is in a couple weeks... and then I have to wait until next season. I bide the time by still occasionally searching local thrift stores. My kid's closets are constantly growing and my addiction takes on a life of its own.

I think every kid needs at least 15 pairs of jeans and every toddler needs at least 6 pairs of tennis shoes.

Doesn't everyone?