Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Change of Heart...

What a difference a month makes. A little over a month ago I wrote this post about consignment sales. I had just returned from my first, and to say I was overwhelmed is an understatement. I think it was partially because I had NO IDEA what I wanted/needed for the boys and I was still on the edge of being excited and terrified about having twins. Now I own the fact that the next year or two of my life is going to be one crazy, exhausting adventure.

Since that first sale I have gone to three more. One was super small and I only found $6 worth of clothing for the boys... nothing too exciting. This past weekend my husband and I went to a multiples consignment sale about an hour before it closed on the first night. Sure, it was totally picked over in the gear/furniture/carrier department, but it was not at all overwhelming and there were no crying children! We found a couple of books for the boys, a bouncy seat, two wooden toys and several clothing items. We ending up spending something like $50 which seems like a pretty good deal to me. 

Yesterday I hit the third sale. It was advertised as an 'upscale' consignment sale only accepting higher quality brands. I decided that today I'd go in with a list of things I'd like to find and zero expectation of actually finding any of them. My mission was a very specific discontinued sling in the proper size, a boyish boppy cover, a bumbo and any random clothing items I might find after first focusing on the other things. MUCH to my surprise I found the sling I wanted. We used it at our multiples class over the weekend and I fell in love with the secure feeling of it. After trying it out and being able to see my life easier with it, the instructor informed us that the company who made them is no longer in business and you can now only find them at resale shops. I've been searching for one online and was prepared to hit up some baby consignment shops this weekend, but thankfully I found one in the proper size and a good color at the sale instead! Yahoo. I could have found nothing else that that point and my day would have been made, but I managed to find a great boppy cover, a couple of outfits and two unopened crib sheets in the color I was looking for. 

All this to say, I take back everything I said about consignment sales. They can be really overwhelming, but they can also be the jackpot for things you're looking for. Thankfully this good experience came just days before the biggest sale in my state. I'm sure I'll be updating you on my love/hate relationship with consignment sales after Friday's adventure!!

5 comments:

Megan said...

I've only been to on big sale so far and I found some really great deals. You're right, they can be VERY overwhelming but it's such a high when you find something you were in search of!!! What kind of sling did you buy?

waiting and wishing said...

The sling I bought is the Kangaroo Korner adjustable fleece pouch- LOVE IT!

Stephanie said...

I went to my first one when Chloe was about a month old and I still had no idea what she really needed or what size clothes she'd be wearing in the months to come. Now after going to my second one last month I can say I'm sold and plan to buy a majority of her clothes at consignment sales! They do a great job of inspecting the clothes for stains or rips, and some of them still have the tags on and they are a fraction of the cost! At least the one by me allows you to volunteer a shift or two and then get to shop early so you have grabs at the best stuff. :)

Emily @ablanket2keep said...

I love consignment sales! So glad you found something you were looking for.

MaryMargaret said...

Congratulations on your finds! I'm certain that we have consignment sales around here, but I have no idea where to begin to look. I'm glad that the overwhelming-ness has worn off, because with twins especially, saving money is paramount!