Wee-cycle Mart Children's Consignment Sales Blog

Welcome!

If this is your first time to learn about Wee-cycle Mart Children's Consignment Sales in Maryland, we invite you to check out our official website with everything you need to know about our semi-annual sales!

The purpose of this blog is to answer questions not covered on our website, give additional information about lessons we have learned, and keep you up-to-date on what's happening. It is NOT a replacement for reading the pages about how to consign etc found on our official website but instead to compliment it!

It is probably a good idea to sign up for Email Updates (located at the top right of this blog), so that you will be notified each time we post. That way you don't have to keep checking back!

Feel free to email us at info@wee-cyclemart.com with questions you have and we will post them with the answers as someone else may be having the same questions!

Massive Maclaren Stroller Recall - yes, ALL strollers from 1999

RECALL: Massive Maclaren stroller recall.
Breaking news: Maclaren is recalling 1 million strollers---all its production between 1999 and 2009---after receiving 12 reports of hinges on the stroller that amputated children's fingertips. The company will send out a cover for the hinges to all owners.

The CPSC and Maclaren will issue a press release in the recall this Tuesday; Maclaren began notifying its dealers of the recall in the past couple of days.

Here is what to do if you have a Maclaren stroller:

• Stop using all Maclaren strollers---yes, every model made since 1999.
• Order a hinge cover from Maclaren's web site or phone line.
• Wait until you install the hinge cover before using the stroller again.

Be sure you are checking RECALL LISTS!

At Wee-cycle Mart Children's Consignment Sale, we ask our consignors take responsibility when it comes checking their items against the recall list! It is utterly impossible for us to check 25,000+ items in just 2 days to see if they have been recalled; therefore, we ask each consignor to check their items BEFORE tagging them. This is VERY important!

There are several ways to do that:

1. Go to http://www.cpsc.gov/ directly and look for your items.
2. You can also go to websites that list recalls like http://www.consumeraffairs.com/recalls04/aaarecalls_child.htm or http://babyproducts.about.com/od/recallsandsafety/a/prodrecalls.htm
3. you can google your items and if it's been recalled usually the post will come up about it.

We understand that this could be a pain to do and you may be tempted to skip this step in the consigning process, however, we all are moms and understand that our kids safety is our top priority!

If an item was recalled, you probably don't want YOUR kid at risk and you sure would not want a new moms to put her baby or child at risk either! Do YOUR part and check the recall list often! It's also for your own safety! Several sites offer sign ups to receive recalls notices to your inbox to make it even easier to stay up on recalls for you and your family!

Many items that have been recalled have "fixes" free from the manufacturer or offer refunds.

Thank you for understanding and as a shopper should you ever see something on the floor at any Wee-cycle Mart Children's Consignment Sales that has been recalled, PLEASE bring it to a volunteer's attention and we will pull it from the floor til we can verify that it is OK to sell!

Disney Offers 'Baby Einstein' Refund

No Einstein in your crib? One of my vendors at the Wee-cycle Mart Consignment Sale in Ft. Meade this weekend was nice enough to bring this to my attention. As a mom myself and knowing that most of my followers are moms too, I thought you might like to know about this just in case you are interested!

Updated: Disney Offers 'Baby Einstein' Refund.

New Moms Passes are SOLD OUT for this Thursday Pre-Sale!

New Moms Passes are sold out for the Anne Arundel County Wee-cycle Mart Sale at Ft. Meade this Thursday! However, you can shop BEFORE the new moms when you volunteer or consign with us!

• All 2 shift volunteers (a shift consists of 4 hours) get to shop and 5pm
• All 1 shift volunteers get to shop at 6pm
• All consignors get to shop at 6:30pm (this is the first time ever we are letting the consignors in before 7pm)

To volunteer, you need to create an account with us. Then you can log-in and select your shifts(s).

Volunteering is fun and you can a sneak peak of what will be at the sale!!!!

Myths about Kids Consignment Sales uncovered....

It seems some moms still have questions about kids consignment sales! And some wouldn't dare be caught shopping there! Yes, it's hard to believe!  Of course, once you shop a kids consignment sale, you will never want to shop retail again!

Here are the top 3 myths I hear over and over:

1) Consignment sales are just for babies and infants.Well, you'd be surprised at what you'll find at a kids consignment sale these days. Not all sales have all sizes for boys and girls but the Wee-cycle Mart Children's Consignment Salesoffers girls AND boys sizes from baby TO pre-teens and teens! Yes, there are sizes 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 and even a few 20's! You will also find Junior sizes for girls and young men! Junior brands include Hollister, American Eagle, Aeropostale, Abacrombie, Gap and more! You may be lucky enough to find many of larger items that still have the tags on them!

2) Consignment sales are just glorified yard sales.  A consignment sale is NOT a yard sale, garage sale or flea market for several reasons.

1. There is NO negotiating at a consignment sale.
2. The consignor sets the price and decided if they want to participate in 50% off day.
3. You can see ALL the choices before making a purchase and pay for all purchases at one time like in a store.
4. There is usually a bottom price accepted - the Wee-cycle Mart Sale only accepts items worth $2 or more! Consignors can group items to get a $2 value.
5. Items are usually in inspected at drop-off for stains, rips, tears etc. Although some stained items do get into the sale, the goal is to not have any on the floor - again this differs sale to sale. The Wee-cycle Mart salehas a zero tolerance for stains of any size! Should it get through the initial inspection, we ask that any shopper who finds a stained items give it to a volunteer so it can be removed from the floor immediately.

3) Consignment Sales only have used items.  Well, if you've had kids, you know that they grow so fast! Many consignors have items still with the tags on! We also have some super shoppers & Ebay sellers who offer brand new clothing and toys at 50-70%% off the retail price at the sales! You'd be surprised at how many Christmas presents, shower gifts, birthday presents you can buy at Wee-cycle Mart Children's Consignment sales!

I guess that's it for now, I just know how amazed moms are once they've experienced a kids consignment sale! You will find over 25,000 items from maternity teens at all Wee-cycle Mart sales! New consignors are always welcome! For more info: www.wee-cyclemart.com

Volunteer & Shop first @ Wee-cycle Mart Carroll County

If you ever shopped any of our sales, you know what great deals can be found! By volunteering at our sale, you are sure to not miss any bargains and also avoid the long check out lines!

You do not need to be a consignor to volunteer! Volunteers are needed Monday Oct 5th through Sunday Oct 11th at the Carroll County AG Center! All you do is set up a volunteer account on-line then log-in to choose your shift! Please read our volunteer guidelines before you sign-up! Then get your account!

Volunteer is FUN! You'll make new friends and find amazing savings!

Questions call: 410-458-9082

Shoppers Wish List has been updated! Do you have these to sell?

Please take a look at our shoppers wish list and see if you have any of these items to sell! New consignors always welcome! www.wee-cyclemart.com

You'd be crazy to miss this KIDS SALE!

The Harford/Cecil County Wee-cycle Mart sale is shaping up to be our BIGGEST EVER! Over 200 consignors from Baltimore, Harford, Ceci, & PA will be bringing over 20,000 new and like new items!

Sale starts Friday Sept 18th and runs through Sunday Sept 20th!

• Fall/Winter clothing
• Toys, books, games
• Baby Equipment (strollers, cribs, swings etc)
• Halloween costumes
• Winter coats
• Outdoor toys
• Baby & Kids room decor
• Arts' n Craft including scrapbookin
• and more!

Admission is $2 or $1 and a bag of non-perishable food to benefit the local food bank. Kids FREE! Admission good all weekend and includes a chance to win a $50 shopping spree to future sale!

Visa/Mastercard & Discover accepted at checkout!

Be sure to enter our FREE BABY PHOTO contest FRIDAY & SATURDAY 9am - 3pm! Winner gets a free photo shoot with Shawn Grimes Photography valued at $150!  Way FUN!

And come back on Saturday for MOMSFEST! It's going to be a blast! 20 vendors inside all offering a free activity or giveaway! FREE CHILD CARE for 3+ potty trained! Outside, bring your old gold jewelry and visit the GoldLadies and get some cash! There will be a live band 1-4pm and crafters as well!

Hope to see you at the sale! For directions and hours go to www.wee-cyclemart.com/shoppers.html

Last minute tips for Consignors for Harford/Cecil County Wee-cycle Mart Sale!

Ok just a few days left to prepare for Harford/Cecil County Wee-cycle Mart Sale Sept 18-20th! There still is time to consign even if you have't started yet!

LAST DAY TO REGISTER AND PAY $5 REGISTRATION FEE IS TUESDAY Sept. 15th AT MIDNIGHT!

Last day to enter all your items in our on-line tagging systems is Wednesday night Sept. 16th at midnight! You may print tags after the system locks down but not edit or add to them!

We are excepting drop-off on Tuesday 5-8, Wed 10-8 and Thursday 10-2! You must sign up for a drop-off time after your register!

Here are some last minute tips for tagging!

• Be sure to check all your items for recalls!  www.cpsc.gov  This very important! Please take the time to check your items against the list! Many items that have been recalled have "fixes" for them that you can send away for.   Then you can sell them at a future sale!
• Please make sure you have used WHITE CARDSTOCK(available at Walmart, Office Depot/Staples) not copy paper for your tags as it will NOT hold up! You can easily reprint your tags if necessary.
• Absolutely NO hand-writing on tags - the system reads the bar-code only.
• Please make sure your bar-code is NOT blurry or wiggly as the scanner will not be able to read It. Please reprint if necessary!
• Please make sure that you do not bringing OUT-DATED clothing or too worn or washed, (it doesn't sell) as well as absolutely no stains, rips and tears! My favorite tip is Oxiclean - gets almost all stains out! LOVE IT!
• Books are best if grouped with rubber bands or put in zip-lock baggies- please be careful with the tape on books - you want to use blue painters tape instead as to not ruin the books.
• Shoes - tie shoestrings together or put in zip lock and tape shut.
• Remember to check your car seat write the expiration date on the front in description.
• If you are going to "mark" your tags/hangers so that you can find them at the end of the sale easier, pleases do not put any RED or otherwise on the right bottom where the 1/2 price DOT would be as shoppers will think your items is 50% off even if it's not! This is very frustrating to the shopper as well as the cashier. Please, do not tie anything on hangers that might fall off- at the  last sale someone put glitter pipe-cleaners on their hangers which fell off everywhere and we spent hours cleaning up! They will be rejected!
• Remember NO METAL hangers - hooks may be metal but hanger must be plastic.
• and Lastly, please make sure that all things that require batteries have them and you know how to turn it on for us!

More info at www.wee-cyclemart.com

See you at the sale!

The Wee-cycle Mart Team

Harford/Cecil County Press Release - please share!

Press Release: Harford/Cecil County Wee-cycle Mart Kids Consignment Sale - Shop & Save!

Harford/Cecil County Wee-cycle Mart Sale is Sept 18-20th!!

Please help us spread the word! There was a misprint with the Harford Tourism and they sent out an email that the Harford/Cecil Sale is this weekend @ Havre de Grace where we held it in the spring but that is not correct!!!! Please post this information everywhere you can  (facebook, blog, twitter, email it etc) so that the CORRECT info is out there! Based on the over 150 consignors signed up, I don't think it will be a big deal, but I just want to make sure everyone has the correct information. Thanks in advance for your help with this!

Harford/Cecil County Wee-cycle Mart Children's Consignment Sale - over 20,000 items from Maternity to Teens!

Sept 18-20th @ the Perryville Outlets (old LL Bean Store)

More info at www.wee-cyclemart.com

Barter for a Pre-Sale Pass to Harford/Cecil County Wee-cycle Mart event!

We have several bartering opporutnites if you want to shop our Harford/Cecil County Wee-cycle Mart sale early!!!

1) Put our 6 signs for us this upcoming weekend and next week - you need to be able to pick up signs AFTER the sale as well - you will get 1 pre-sale pass

2) Find us a place to put a 3x4 A-Frame sign on a busy road in Harford or Cecil County - this would be great if you lived on a busy road or had a business on a busy road or knew someone that did- we have 2 of them - must have permission - YOU will get 2 Pre-Sales Passes for this!

3) Help us stuff goodie bags this Sunday Sept 14th 1-5pm - you will get a pre-sale pass for this (mostly won't take 4 hours) looking for 3 helpers

Please email me at info@wee-cyclemart.com  or call me 410-428-6199 if you want to barter!

See you at the next sale Sept 18-20th! It's going to bigger and better than the spring event!!!!!

www.wee-cyclemart.com for consignor/shopper details!

Testimonial Contest! Enter to Win!

Thanks to all the great consignors, volunteers and shoppers at the Baltimore County Wee-cycle Mart ug. 21-23rd in Timonium!  Share your experience with us as a consignor, volunteer and/or shopper and be entered to receive a $10 Gift Certificate to one of our future sales! Just COMMENT to this post! and then watch our E-Newsletter for the winners! We will be randomly selecting a few winners based on the number of testimonials we get (the more testimonials, the more winners!)

Here's an unsolicided email we received right after the sale to get your started!

Hi!  My name is Jennifer, and I'm a 32 year old expecting mom :)  I visited your show on saturday in timonium, and truly I've been blown away.  I can't get the word out fast enough to all of my friends.  This is an amazing event. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help for the next event. What an amazing event for moms :)  and moms to be.  I think of all the money I could of saved and then re-earned with my two other children.  Saturday when I visited I spent about $180 so you can imagine all of the outfits (and even a swing) that I got. 

 

Please let me know if there is anything I can help with.  Otherwise I will see you in Harford County.

Thanks again!

Jenn:)

Volunteer guidelines for Wee-cycle Mart events

Volunteering is fun!  You will make new friends and best of all you will get a better understanding of how the sale works! You do not need to be a consignor to volunteer! We need moms, grandmoms and dads too!

Volunteers shop the Pre-Sale First at 5 or 6pm and It is sooooo worth it! The bargains you will find!

Check out the guidelines for volunteering at Wee-cycle Mart!

Volunteer Shifts & Drop-off time for Harford/Cecil Wee-cycle Mart Sale now up!

It's time to sign up for volunteering for Wee-cycle Mart Harford/Cecil County!

All volunteers get a PRE-SALE Pass to shop 1 hour earlier than the consignors and new moms! 2 shift volunteers get to shop 2 hours earlier and avold the long lines! (which by the way move fast even with moms buying 25-50 items!) on Thursday Sept 17th! 2 shift volunteer also get to shop Sunday 50% off day 1 hour early as well! All consignors earn 5% extra commission and the $5 registration fee refunded when they volunteer!

Please register as a volunteer only to view and choose your shift(s)!

More info on being a consignor at www.wee-cyclemart.com

50% off day tomorrow (Sunday) at Wee-cycle Mart

Come and shop 50% off day atthe Baltimore County Wee-cycle Mart sale in Timonium! Tons of great buys still left! Even a Kolcraft Vermont Crib that will be only $40 tomorrow!

• baby, maternity & back to school clothes
• toys
• book
• strollers
• and so much more!

Admission $2 or $1 and a bag of food for Harvest for the Hungry - Kids Free!

1830 York Road Timonium, MD 21093 (old Scan Store)

10am - 2pm

www.wee-cyclemart.com

See Wee-cycle Mart on TV!

ABC NEWS Segmenet on us!

Print Codes no longer needed - find out how...

Just a quick reminder that you do not need print codes anymore. However, you must LOG-IN to My Consignment Manager from our website under consignors. OR you can go directly to our webpage at www.myconsignmentmanager.com/weecycles to avoid Print Codes. Hope that helps clean up any confusion when trying to print your tags!

Why did we move the Harford County sale?

I got an email today from a previous shopper telling me how disappointed she was that we moved the Harford County sale to the Perryville Outlets! I hate to hear that as It's just 4 minutes further up the road than the Havre de Grace venue (our best sale EVER!) So I thought I would share our reasoning with you!

First let me say that we already have MORE consignors then our first Bel Air sale at that dark, small Moose Lodge! What does that mean to you as a shopper? Well, better selection of course and that means bigger and better savings! And since the venue is larger and we bought MORE racks it means a more pleasant shopping experience!

I personally would not care where the sale is held would be as long as I knew I can save tons! The Perryville Outlets are VERY easy to each from many directions - from the time I get in my car from Middle River I can be at the Outlets in under 30 minutes! That's less time then it took to get to the Moose Lodge with all the lights on 24! 

Yes, there is a toll depending on how you get there! But from Forest Hill/Jarrettsville area you can go over the Conowingo Dam and avoid the toll. If you have the EASY PASS/MTAG, you can use that on 95 and 40 for the commuter discount - no more expensive then going to Baltimore City and back from Harford County! If you have to pay the toll, we are offering a 5% discount on your consignmentt purchase up to $5 with your paid toll receipt! We don't want the toll to be the deciding factor in you attending the BEST Harford/Cecil County Wee-cycle Mart ever!

Of course, We'd had like to stay in Harford County but there is not a hall over 15,000 sq ft there anywhere! We are calling it the Harford/Cecil County sale soif we find a hall we will gladly move it back. Actually, if the Perryville Outlets rent the LL BEAN store we will be moving it anyway- just not sure where!

I guess I am just shocked to hear that a $5 toll or a few extra minutes drive time could stop a mom from shopping and saving at Wee-cycle Mart. Of course, we have added a Timonium sale for those of you that would rather drive in that direction. The sale is next week Aug 21-23rd at the Old SCAN store at 1830 York Road, Timonium, MD 21093. Maybe that would be the answer for some of you!

Happy Shopping & Saving! See you a Wee-cycle Mart event soon!

Blaney

Wee-cycle Mart Press Release - please share!

Check out our Press Release for the Baltimore sale - should you see this in a paper,please let us know as we don't get all the papers we sent it to! I will do a drawing for a $10 gift certificate if you see it in the paper and let us know!

Press Release: Wee-cycle Mart Children's Consignment Sale comes to Baltimore

Barter for a Pre-Sale Pass for Baltimore Wee-cyle Mart

We are looking for a few good moms to help us put out road/yard signs on Aug 14th and pick up after sale and return to us at the sale or my home.

We are looking to have signs put up THIS FRIDAY in

Towson, Hunt Valley, Cockeysville, Sparks, Glen Arm, Parkton,Timonium, White Marsh, Perry Hall, Parkville, etc.

You will need to pick them up either at my house in Middle River this Wednesday or Thursday or I can meet a group of you at the White Marsh Park'n Ride on Wed or Thursday morning.

For putting out a few signs for us, (and picking them up after the sale as we do get fined) you will get 1 Pre-Sale pass to shop Thursday Aug 20th from 7-9pm, If you want to shop with a friend, they will have to help out too or consign or volunteer with us!!

Please email us right away as we always get more help then we have signs! info@wee-cyclemart.com

Thanks! The Wee-cycle Mart Team

Pricing reminder!

When tagging your items, you get to decide what you want the item to sell for. Sometimes this can be tricky.....we are not a yard sale - the lowest price is $2 - so make sure it's worth at least $2 or group like things together to get a $2 value!

If you price it too low, it will sell quickly but you will not make a lot on the item and neither will Wee-cycle Mart....

If you price it too high, it will not sell and no one makes any money!

So how do you decided what to sell it for?

My general rule of thumb is based on 2 things:

1) the magic number seems to be 1/3 of retail with some exceptions for New with Tags, and larger toys like Little Tikes, etc.

2) ask yourself, "what would I pay for that at a consignment store?" What would make me pick it up and buy it without hesitation?  If you would buy it at that price, so would another mom!

In conclusion, be fair...to YOU and the SHOPPER! It will be a WIN/WIN for all. You will have it out of the house, make a little money and the shopper will have found a good deal!  If it is priced right, it WILL sell! Guaranteed! Things that are left on Sunday as usually either over priced or not marked 1/2 off or were just not acceptable to begin with and slipped through inspections -it does happen :)

Our shoppers do want bargains but they are also willing to pay a reasonable price for items as well!

Happy Tagging!

New Moms Passes for Baltimore Sale going FAST!

If you are expecting, or have a child under the age of 1 and have NEVER been to ANY of our Wee-cyle Mart Pre-Sales as a NEW MOM, then you are invited to join us Thursday Aug 20th at the old SCAN store in Timonium for our New Mom Presale nite event!

The cost is $5 AT THE DOOR (even though the registration says free),  We do not collect fees in advance. Please bring your PASS and a $5 cash admission fee! You may bring ONE guest for no extra cost to help you shop!   More info www.wee-cyclemart.com/newmoms.html

Please register as we can only have 100 moms and their guest due to space! PASSES ARE REQUIRED no exceptions! If you do not qualify, you can volunteer and/or consign with us to also shop the pre-sale! www.wee-cyclemart.com/volunteer.html or www.wee-cyclemart.com/consignors.html 

More evening drop off times for consignors for Fall Wee-cycle Mart sales!

We are excited to announce that we will offer MORE evening drop-off times for the fall sales!

At all the sales, we will be offering Tuesday drop-off from 5-8pm, Wednesday from 10am - 8pm and Thursday 10am - 2:30pm. We hope that the consignors will find this more accommodating for drop-off! We also recommend that you do not bring children to drop-off as it will be lots of tempting things for them to get into! Babies are ok if they are in strollers, car seat etc. As always, use your best judgment as you know your kids best!

Remember to allow enough time for us to check your items for stains etc. About30-40 minutes should do it unless you have TONS of stuff then please allow more time! Also, we suggest that you assemble all furniture and equipment like pack'n plays etc as they do not sell well unless the shopper can see that all the parts are there etc!

See you in about 3 weeks in Timonium at Wee-cycle Mart Baltimore County! www.wee-cyclemart.com

How to transfer from another sale that uses MYCM to Wee-cycle Mart

Transferring items to Wee-cycle Mart from another sale that uses MYCM

First REGISTER for the Wee-cycle Mart sale of your choice or the FIRST of our sales that you will doing with us this season!

1) go to http://www.myconsignmentmanager.com/consignmentMgr/seller/sellerHomePage.do
2) login with your same passwords
3) DO NOT CLICK on sale but go top bar and click manage inventory
4) pull up the old sale(s) (Teen Traders, etc)  and generate the items list - with the UNSOLD
items search criteria circle checked. Then select individual items you want to transfer or all.
5) go to the transfer item button (found in the middle right) and select Wee-cycle Mart and then click
on the transfer item button.

It's that easy! Let me know if you have any questions!

1) go to http://www.myconsignmentmanager.com/consignmentMgr/seller/sellerHomePage.do
2) login with your same passwords
3) DO NOT CLICK on sale but go top bar and click manage inventory
4) pull up the old sale(s) (Teen Traders, etc)  and generate the items list - with the UNSOLD
items search criteria circle checked. Then select individual items you want to transfer or all.
5) go to the transfer item button (found in the middle right) and select Wee-cycle Mart and then click
on the transfer item button.

It's that easy! Let me know if you have any questions!

New this season - receipts will be offered at checkout!

Starting at our Fall sales, we will be offering itemized receipts upon request! Our cashiers will be asking you if you want a receipt at checkout. We will not give you one unless you want one as we are conscious of not killing more trees then we need to. But we understand that sometimes our shoppers are shopping for friends and need to know how much they spent for each item! We have purchased a laser printer in hopes that the printing of receipts will not slow down the line but should this be more a hassle then it's worth we reserve the right to discontinue receipts at any time! Thanks for your feedback which led us to this decision - we do try and improve our sales each season!

Baltimore Location Confirmed!

We are excited to announce that the Wee-cycle Mart Baltimore Location for Fall/Winter 2009 will be held Aug 21-23rd at the Yorkridge Center South (the old Scan Store) located at 1830 York Road in Timonium. It's conveniently located off York Road from 695 or 83 With TONS of drive-by traffic! Between Chipolte & Quizno's. There is also plenty of overflow parking. Of course, since its a vacant store we will probably not be here in the spring so we are already looking at larger venues for the Spring 2010 sale! Like the Harford County sale, we will move Baltimore County sale around based on availability - staying on the East/North side of 695!

Thank you for your patience and thanks to the 36 of you that signed up for Baltimore County not even knowing where it was going to be! We have already over 5200 items entered into our tagging system but we need more! With the Back to School opportunity as well as the New Moms Pre-Sale passes already being scarfed up, we need everything from baby equipment, toys and clothing as well as clothing for older children to TEEN sizes!

We invite you to consign wih us!  We offer up to 100% commission - more than any other consignement sale or shop! With over 1000 moms shopping in just 3 days, individual consignor sales are usually much higher as well!  Many of our consignors earn between 70-80% and receive checks from $500-$1200! It's up to you, what do you want to earn on your stuff?

We will be advertising in the Towson Times, Pennysaver, free Daily B, direct mail  postcards to over 3000 homes with kids, email blasts to over 6000 moms, as well as we are in the Baltimore Child, Maryland Child and Chesapeake Family magazines and so much more!  Not to mention road signs and signs in the store window starting next week! Hope to see you as a consignor, volunteer and/or shopper at the Batlimore County location!

 

Check-in & Volunteer Sign Up for Baltimore Sale Now On-line!

We are excited to now accept consignor drop-offs earlier than ever for the Baltimore Sale!

We are now accepting drop-off's on Tuesday evening 5-8pm, Wed 10am - 8pm and Thur 10-2pm!

We are asking that if you sign up for a shift and then find that you don't get it all tagged that you please keep your original date/ time and then you can make special arrangements to bring the rest! We need to keep the drop-off times spaced out and can not have any drop-offs after 2pm on THURSDAY - no exceptions!  Thank you in advance!

You can choose your date/time for drop off now by logging into your account! We will lock down the DROP-OFFs so you can not remove or add yourself at Noon on Tuesday Aug 19th as we will already be at show setting up! So please choose your time carefully! and do it now to get the time that works best for you!

How to prepare for Drop-Off time at Wee-cycle Mart Events...

I received this question by email today and thought that everyone might benefit from the answer so I am posting it here!

QUESTION:  I am a first time consignor for the Harford County sale coming up in Sept. I am in the process of prepping my items for sale and was wondering what best practice was for organizing the items for drop off. Do you need them clearly separated by category (i.e. toys, feeding, clothes, coats, costumes)? Any other helpful hints?

ANSWER:  When dropping off, please keep in mind that the more organized your are the faster drop -off will go. Please allow at least 30 Minutes for about 100 items - more if you have more items!

Upon arrival at your chosen date/time, you will be asked to hang all clothes on one of our rolling racks for inspection.  This is to insure that we offer only the best items for sale to our shoppers (we are looking for stains, holes, missing buttons, too old items, etc). We recommend sorting your items PRIOR to arrival into BOY & GIRLS by SIZE! That way once you are inspected you can take the rolling rack out on the floor to put your items in designated areas. We will have volunteers available but usually they are busy inspecting incoming items and can not always assist you with putting things out. We also recommend that you try not to bring kids with you as there will be many tempting items on the floor for sale that they will want. :)

You should also separate Coats, Costumes, and Maternity as they will go on separate racks in different areas.

As for Toys sort toys with batteries required together as we will need you to turn them on for us to make sure they work.

Equipment, etc there really is no need to sort them unless you have alot of one thing!

Please be sure that all your equipment is CLEAN - especially Pack' N Plays, Bassinets, Strollers & High Chairs. Most of these items have fabric that can come off and be washed or use Oxi Clean and spot without removing. Check the straps - Oxi Clean works wonders! Cleanliness does make a difference on whether or not it sell!

Please be patient during drop-off as it is important that we inspect your items for quality. Please DO NOT take it personally if we find stains etc - we all have them! Lighting in your home makes it difficult to see sometimes! See you at the sale!

Do Consignment Sales Work?

Of course, consignment sales work! Children's Consignment Sales give moms the opportunity to sell new and gently used clothing, toys, books, baby & sports equipment, furniture and more at a fair price and make some extra cash! We are talking big cash sometimes - some consignors earn checks in excess of $1000 in just a weekend! It all depends on how many items a moms brings, the quality of the items and the price the mom wants for the item.

The Consignment Sale Organizers find the venue, the volunteers and consignors, advertise and market the event to shoppers! If done correctly, the sale will be a HUGE success and everyone wins! Moms sell their items while other moms find amazing bargains that they just can't pass up! A consignment sale is better than a store for the main fact that they get tons of shoppers over a weekend instead of dribbles all month long! There is also a sense of urgency at these consignment sales as there may be only 20 strollers for sale but 1000 shoppers! That is good for business of course!

Consignment sales are run like a store where all items are sorted by size and gender with other like things together. Shoppers can look over all strollers for example and choose the best one for them - best condition, best price etc. Checkout occurs at one time for all items and most sales accept Visa/Mastercard/Discover these days to make buying even easier!

In these days where business are failing, consignment sales are growing! Why give away your like new items when you can get some easy cash for them! Who couldn't use a few extra dollars these days? Plus, you will be helping moms save on things they really need for their kids. You'd even be surprised at how many items you will find at these sales that are NEW with tags!

For more info about Chldren's Consignment Sales in Maryland visit www.wee-cyclemart.com for a location near you!

Wish List now Available for Wee-cycle Mart Shoppers

They say one mans trash is another man's treasure! You may have what someone really needs hiding in your attic or garage!

We have started a Wish List for shoppers on our BLOG! Check it out!

I've added a permanent link on the left top side of this blog under FUN STUFF to click to the Wish List at anytime!

If you have something you are really looking for and would love to buy it from another MOM at Wee-cycle Mart just send us your Name (will not be posted) along with the item(s) description & photo (optional) and which sales you will be shopping and hopefully we can help you find what you really need or WANT! 

Meet Andrea...another one of our TOP Consignors from Spring 2009 Sales!

Name: Andrea Strunkstein

City: Bel Air, MD

Family Info: (# of kids etc) 2 Kids (Boy - 4 & Girl – 2)

Do you work (ft/pt/home-based etc): FT + school

How many times have you consigned with us? 1

 

 

 

Here are some questions that will help you be a top consignor too!

1) Approx. How many items did you bring to the sale? 259

2) How many items did you sell? 163

3) What is your favorite thing about consigning with Wee-cycle Mart?  It was fun to get in early and shop of course! Plus it’s just a great idea; I wish I had thought of it. I get a lot more than I ever would at a yard sale.

4) What is your best tip for a BRAND NEW Consignor with us?  Make sure you follow the instructions to the dot! You can’t halfway do it or you risk things not selling or you make things a lot harder on the girls running this project. If you don’t use the right paper, ink, etc they will have to take the time to type in your numbers for you to get credit. That may not bother you giving someone more work, but who’s to say their typing accuracy is great. If you want to get credit for everything and help the sale run smoother, do it right THE FIRST TIME !!

6) What would you do differently next time if anything?  I have thought about letting them tag, hang and store the items. I would say it depends on each person and the hours they work and the time they have to put into it.

Anything else you would like to share?  They need a lot of volunteer to help and even a little time will go a long way, plus again- you get to shop first!

Baltimore County Sale - exceptions to Fall/Winter clothing policy - please read!

We have decided since we are going to have such a huge location (should be confirmed tomorrow!) and that this sale is occurring before school starts that we will allow SOME school appropriate shorts/shirts/dresses that normally would not be allowed at our Fall/Winter Sales!

Please ONLY bring summer clothing that would be appropriate for school wear - like short sleeve tops, shirt, and nice longer shorts/crops.  Also, that means larger kids sizes - from Kindergarten to High School. Please bring only your best stuff! If we run out of room on the racks, the summer stuff will be pulled and NOT offered for sale! So please bring only your best school looking summer clothing!

Remember, NO baby, infant or toddler summer will be accepted at this sale! (ei bathing suits, shorts, tanks, sundresses etc)

We are planning to market the sale to Back to School moms as well!

Meet Lisa...one of our TOP consignors from Spring 2009

Name: Lisa M. Fore

City: Hampstead

Family Info: (# of kids etc) 4 Children

Do you work (ft/pt/home-based etc): Work Full-time

How many times have you consigned with us? I have consigned with Wee-cycle Mart 2 times Westminster  & A.A. County spring 09.

Here are some questions we asked Lisa to help you get some insight into what makesa successful consignor!

1) Appox. How many items did you bring to the sale? I brought approximately 300 items to the sale.

2) How many items did you sell? I sold a little over 200 items

3) What is your favorite thing about consigning with Wee-cycle Mart? My favorite thing about Wee-cycle Mart is you have a more of a variety of people looking at your items than a consignment store or yard sale. Also, the organizers advertising is incredible and they are strongly committed to selling your items.

4) If you previously consigned, what do you think made the difference in your high sales this time? My high sales this time was because I had more of a variety of clothes, I had cleaned out closets of all of my children and the first time I only had infant little girl clothes.

5) What is your best tip for a BRAND NEW Consignor with us? The best tip I can give for a NEW CONSIGNOR is clean out all of your kids closets and get rid of the stuff they have not used in the last 60 days because it is very likely they will never use it again and needless to say they will never miss it either.

6) What would you do differently next time if anything? I don’t think I would do much different from last time to this time but I have told all my friends about it and I also tell them if they don’t want to do it give me the clothes and I will do it.

7) Anything else you would like to share? I would like to share that you need to talk to you Friends, Associates, Co-Workers to Consign and encourage them to come to the sale for the first time and see what it is about and while there pickup clothes for there Children, Nieces, Nephews or even Grandchildren at a great savings. It is so much fun volunteering and seeing and talking with people to see whether was they was their first time or if they are a loyal shopper and consignor.

Update on Baltimore Location

Hi there, just wanted to let you all know that we are still working on the Baltimore Location! We are excited to have already over 30 consignors taking advantage of the Baltimore Sale! With it being right before Back to School, we think it will be a WIN/WIN for everyone.  We also have over 12 New Mom Passes gone as of this morning!

Please note, the locations we are looking at are going to be somewhere off the EAST/NORTH SIDE of 695. It will NOT be a the TImonium Fairground at this time as so many of you has suggested....we are currently looking at vacent stores in the area! If you know of a vacant store that you would like us to consider we are taking suggestions. However, do a little foot work first, find out is it over 10,000 sq ft. and get a contact number/name for us!

As soon as we have a contract signed and sealed we will release the location!

As many of you know it really DOES NOT matter where the sale is held! Our first sale was held in Pasadena ALL THE WAY down Mountain Road to th end of the penninsula at a church.  Took forever to get there! But we did awesome! Our first Bel Air sale was held at the Moose Lodge also in very hidden location but we had our biggest first time sale ever there! I guess my point is no matter where we end up in Baltimore County, shoppers and consignors will come from all over just like they do for our other 3 sales! Some travel over an an hour to consign and/or shop with us!

We'd like to thank you all for your support! And look forward to a successful Baltimore County Sale with lots of Back to School savings for all!

Meet Eva...one of our TOP consignors from Spring 2009!

 

Name: Eva Pennington

City: Bel Air

Family Info: (# of kids etc) 2

Do you work (ft/pt/home-based etc): stay home

How many times have you consigned with us? 3

Here are some questions we asked her to give you some insight on what it takes to be top consignor!

1) Appox. How many items did you bring to the sale? 431

2) How many items did you sell? 329

3) What is your favorite thing about consigning with Wee-cycle Mart? The ease of the whole process. Most of the work can be done from home. I enjoy volunteering and earning extra commission. And it’s fun to get my family involved.

4) If you previously consigned, what do you think made the difference in your high sales this time? Fair pricing and ensuring items are in like new condition (clean and ironed if necessary).

5)What is your best tip for a BRAND NEW Consignor with us? Be fair in your pricing and don’t procrastinate in prepping items for the sale so you don’t feel rushed before drop off. The first sale is the hardest for prepping, but it’s so much easier for preceding sales because there is no need to retag unless you change the price of the item.

6) Anything else you would like to share? Be sure to take advantage of early shopping passes…there are lots of great items to shop. Also, the 50% off sale is wonderful if you really want to sell your items and not have as much to bring home.

Check your inbox - our newsletter just went out!

If you are on our mailing you should have recieved our newsletter from Wee-cycle Mart Children's Consignment Sales. If not, you can view it here.

You can go to www.wee-cyclemart.com and subscribe to our newsletter to get updates in your inbox!

And WOW you moms are signing up in droves to consign! I guess we all can use to make some extra cash right now and I am sure there are tons of mom who could use a good bargain right now too! Why not you! We'd love to have you consign and shop with us! Moms helping Moms!

Tagging System for Baltimore Sale now open!

Although we have not finalized our location in Baltimore (east/north side off 695), we are moving forward and the tagging system is now open! Reigster here!

If you already have registered for a later sale, you can register for Baltimore and transfer your items! Same goes if you did a past sale, you can transfer your unsold items to this sale!

There is just 6 weeks til our first sale of the season! Be sure to tell your friends!

Why wait to consign, when you can get a nice fat check the first week of September! Great to help that back to school budget! And of course, you can come shop for great bargains for back to school as well.

Happy Tagging!

Coming soon! Addition of a Baltimore Sale Location

Yes, we are nuts! We are adding a 4th Wee-cycle Mart sale for this fall!This one will be in our Baltimore County Sale to be held August 21- 23, 2009! We are still working on the contract for our new location so we can't share the location just yet with you! But be sure to mark the dates! This does not change any of our other sales!

Now you can clean out and cash in even sooner by consigning with us at our Baltimore County Sale!

If you've already signed up for one of the other fall sales and have started tagging, YOU CAN REGISTER for Baltimore Sale (in a few days) and TRANSFER the stuff you've already tagged, add more and then transfer back when Baltimore sale is over! Email me if you need help with this!

We hope you will join us as I am sure there will be lots of back to school shoppers!!!!

Vendor Forms Fall/Winter 2009 Wee-cycle Mart/MomsFest events

Vendor forms for Harford/Cecil County event are now on-line for Fall/Winter 09 event.  Vendor forms for Carroll & Anne Arundel County Fall/Winter 09 event will not be available til after July 7th. We will be giving first right of refusal to our past vendors, then the wait list. If you would like to get on the WAIT LIST, please email us info@wee-cyclemart.com your

• NAME
• BUSINESS NAME
• Type of Business
• Email
• Phone number
• Address
• Which location(s) would you be interested in?

If there is not a wait for business type, we will let you know and you may send in your application and choose your location right away! You can see which busines have already sent in applications at www.momsfest.com then click on the location of your choice.

Do you or your kids drink energy drinks?

My husband has just started his own business selling a HEALTHY all natural line of energy drinks! If you are looking to get a healthy body and make an healthy income, visit his website! He's the no pressure kind of guy so if you have questions, please call him! www.energizeefusjon.com

2 More MomsFest Vendors...

We want to welcome back  Hickory Child Development Center

and new vendor Brenda Roark with Partylite.

Our vendor spots are going fast, if you know of anyone who'd like to meet 1000+ moms/grandmoms, feel free to send them to our website! See you in about 90 days for our 1st sale of the fall/winter season!

Happy Tagging!

Welcome our first 2 Vendors for MOMSFEST!

Applcations for MomsFest at Wee-cycle Mart are now on-line.

Welcome!

Stampin' Up! Demonstrator- Blaney Spinelli offering rubber stamping & scrapbooking supplies, classes, clubs, in-home parties & Classes in the Mail!

Gorgeous and Green - Christina Larkin offering cloth diapers and accessories!

This year our vendors get to choose their space! If you have or know someone who owns their own business that supports moms, please take a look at our sponsorship page.   Even if you can't be at the event, you can be a sponsor!

 

OOPS! Rt. 40 Decals now cost $10!

Just learned today as I went up Rt. 40 to Perryville Outlets that the DECALs went up to $10!

We will give anyone that presents their DECAL receipt (must be dated for that day),  5% off their purchases up to $10!  The decal is still a good way to go especially for consignors and volunteers that may be coming up to the sale more than once over the week!

The best way still is the MTAG Commuter Plan as it only costs .80 cents that way! But for those of you that don't have MTAG, the sticker is still the next best way to save money!

How to avoid the toll to Perryville!

FYI: For those of you that are not familiar with the outlets, there is a $5 toll on Rt. 95 between Havre de Grace and Perryville. We are offering to all shoppers including consignors and volunteers that bring their toll receipt - a 5% discount on your consignment purchases up to $5.

However, there are ways to avoid the Rt. 95 toll:

Avoid toll by:

1)  Use your MTAG Commuter Plan (counts as 2 trips since no returning toll). Either Rt. 95 OR Rt. 40 bridge. 

2) Using Rt. 1 Conowingo Dam - make 1st right onto Rt. 222/275 thru Port Deposit til you get to Outlets on right. NO TOLL.

3) Get off on Aberdeen exit (or any other exit) and go over to RT 40N. Get a $10 Decal for Rt. 40 Bridge (just make sure you get in the correct lane for purchasing decals (right lanes) - be sure to ask for reciept! )  and then you will be able to go back and forth to the sale now and in the spring for free as it's good for an entire year! Bring decal receipt to sale for your 5% discount up to $10!

We've moving (again!) and it's a good thing!

For those of you that attended the Harford County Wee-cycle Mart this spring at our NEW location in Havre de Grace, you know that even though it was double the size of the Moose Lodge, we still filled it to the brim with stuff!

We have been searching for a bigger hall in Harford County only to discover that there really isn't anything! If you do know of something that is 10,000 sq ft preferable 15,000 or more that is available from a Tuesday - Sunday each spring and fall, please email us at info@wee-cyclemart.com (we are always open to suggestions!)

However, we have found a BIGGER, BETTER Venue just 4 miles from the Havre de Grace Community Center!

This is an increible opportunity for us to grow (again!)

• Over 13,000 sq ft

• Carpeted floors

• Changing rooms available for all you expecting mom and moms with older, pickier kids!

• Gourmet Deli on premises

• Playground for dad and the kids to hang out while you shop!

• Well-lit parking for Pre-View Nite!

We are excited as we will also be a part of a special marketing campaign and will be heard on MIX 106.5, WXCY 103.7, seen in the Cecil Whig, Cecil Soil and through special email blasts! We are excited as this should bring us additional shoppers and consignors!

So where are we going to be for Harford County Fall/Winter 2009?

The Perryville Outlet Center in the old LL Bean Store!  Conveneintly located off Rt. 95! (yes, I know its technically Cecil County)

• Havre de Grace - 4 Minutes
• White Marsh - 30 Minutes
• Baltimore - 40 Minutes
• Wilmington - 40 Minutes
• Philadelphia - 60 Minutes
• Washington, D.C. - 90 Minutes

The Tagging System for all our Fall/Winter sales in already open! We already have 11 consignors and 1300 items entered for our Harford/Cecil County Wee-cycle Mart event! Hope you'll join us!  Go to www.wee-cyclemart.com for all the details about consigning, volunteering & shopping with us!

Meet the Anne Arundel County Baby Photo Winnter

Meet First Place Winnter "Kali" from the Anne Arundel County Wee-cycle Mart held in Ft. Meade at the Pavilion May 1-3rd, 2009!

She won a package from Laura Eyes Photo-graphy valued at $150! Congratulations to her and her family!

Tagging System for Fall/Winter Sales Now OPEN!

Ok, you can now register and start tagging for our FALL SALES!  Remember, that if you consigned with us in the past or another sale that used myconsignmentmanger.com that you can transfer your unsold items keeping in mind that we are accepting FALL/WINTER seasonal items:

• Coats
• Outerwear
• Snow suits
• Halloween Costumes
• Skis/snowboards/skates etc
• Fall/Winter clothing
• as well as the rest of the non-seasonal things!

Please note that we are looking for a larger venue for our Harford County Sale. We are hoping to keep the same dates but there is a chance we may need to move it.  Check the website for more info or be sure you are on our mailing list to stay up-to-date!

Coming Soon...

Check back soon for:

• Winner of $50 Shopping Spree drawing
• Winner of $10 Testimonial drawing
• Winner of Anne Arundel County Baby Photo Constest Winner

We are working on getting these Winners announced this Week!

Drum Role Please.......

We just hit our 4,000th Subscriber!

In just 18 months, we have over 4,000 moms (4003 to be exact as of this moment!) on our e-newsletter list! We are excited that so many moms are keeping up-to-date with our sales in Maryland!

Feel free to forward our e-newsletters to all the moms and moms to be you know and don't forget to becomea FAN of ours on FACEBOOK! $10 Gift Certificate Drawing to happen when we hit 100 FANS!