Once upon a time there were two friends who had kids about the same ages. The first mom spent a lot of time, money and energy to make sure that her kids looked cute, had fabulous toys, and read lots of fun books. 

The other mom? Her kids had all the same nice things, but she got them at 50% off, 75% off, or more from retail.

Which mom would you rather be? 

Come to the Just Between Friends kids consignment sale to get the goods. The Western Mainline sale is happening at the Oaks Convention Center September 17-24 (see this page for location and date information for #JBFPhilly).

You probably know that I am a professional organizer, so I love this sale for so, so many reasons. What a great way to keep stuff rotating through your house, instead of getting stuck and cluttering up your closets. I actually started shopping this sale the very first year that it started in our area, and now I am sponsored to get the word out each spring and fall. I don’t pair up with too many brands, but this is one that I’ve seen make a difference in people’s lives. 

If you want to clear out your closets, basement and garage, you still have time to do that, believe it or not. The consignment process is very easy and professional, and you can tag a lot of your stuff in the next week and still make money. I talked about how to declutter and consign in this post. 

But today I want to mention again what you should definitely buy at this sale, and some tips for shopping any consignment sale. 

First off, come with high expectations. When I say consignment sale, you might be thinking thrift shop, and that is not what you are going to find. The clothes are generally name brand, and they have to pass quality checks to be allowed in the sale. Kids grow so fast that something might have only been worn once, or might even have new tags on! So many cute things!

But you’ll get more than clothes at this sale.

Winter gear, like snowsuits, that can cost an arm and a leg in the catalogs

Sports gear that some other kid used for two and a half minutes…

Musical gear and electronics, often brand new and in the box. My daughter still loves this little keyboard that I got at JBF three years ago. 

Car seats, strollers, bikes, and all the safety gear that goes with traveling. Not sold on second hand safety gear? All of these items have to be checked against government recall lists. The sale actually has an employee on hand to just check on safety items and issues. 

All the plastic toys. Do you want to pay full price for these play kitchens, or do you want to save some dough? 

Basically, anything you need for your kids will probably be at the sale. 

If you are ready to shop, check out my best tips for making this a breeze. First, do not even THINK of taking your kids with you. They are, in fact, allowed in during some of the days (check times), but honestly, why would you????  Here’s how you get away with a little “me” time. Take a foam print of their feet, and write their shoe and clothing size on it, one for each kid. I also take one ribbon that I’ve knotted at the inseam length of each kid, to hold up to pants to ensure they will be long enough. Worst case, I occasionally bring home something a little big, and they’ll grow into it next season. (Pro tip: Write your cell phone on each of these footprints, because you might drop them on the sale floor.)

Bring a list. Obvious, yes, but necessary. Also, put your phone number on it. You’re going to have your hands full, and it’s totally likely that you will drop the list. 

Speaking of having your hands full, bring your own wheels, something to act as your shopping cart. I’ve seen little red wagons, beach carts, laundry baskets on a string. I have even taken my own clothing rack right inside the sale. Whatever you bring will be marked with a ribbon on the way in, and then you just sail through the checkout line.

Pro tip: Bring a water and snack for the checkout line. You might be waiting a while, and a little cookie might be just the thing to keep you happy while you chat with new friends in line and compare goodies. I love this shot of the lady behind me in line buying the little pants that I consigned. It really is a small world!

You are probably SUPER EXCITED to shop this sale now that you know how wonderful it is. Mark your calendars for the week of September 17, and click through to get all the info you need. See you there!