Giant Consignment Sale a Boon For Bargain-Hunting Parents

This is a thrifty mom’s paradise.

A massive consignment sale dubbed Just Between Friends — 19,000 square feet of discount items at the Puyallup Fairgrounds Expo Center — is going on through Sunday.

Some of these moms are selling more than a thousand individual items for prices far below what you would pay retail. Imagine racks of Gap, Gymboree, Ralph Lauren and Carters with Cougar, Husky and Mariners gear and a variety of Halloween costumes sprinkled in. Both shoppers and consigners come from all over – I ran into people from Lakewood and Tacoma, Renton and Redmond and all over Seattle – in search of a deal. JBF is one of the largest consignment sale organizers in the country, and while the Puyallup sale is only in its third year, it is extremely popular – and the only local sale of such magnitude in Pierce County.

There are tables of baby bathtubs and heaps of Ziploc bags full of onesies and socks, racks of books and children’s DVDs – and an entire room of gear. Need a double stroller? A jumper? A ride-on Thomas the Train, complete with plastic tracks? This is the place for you.

I attended my first JBF sale when I was about seven months pregnant, and I was totally shocked by the sheer variety of items for sale. I had never even heard of some of them. Fast-forward two years and I am familiar with most baby gear – well, still a little fuzzy on the purpose of a Moby wrap – and how much it costs.

Being knowledgeable about the resale value of baby clothes and equipment is the most beneficial tool you can have in shopping a consignment sale. A like-new Gap sweater for $3.50 is a great deal; a faded Oshkosh T-shirt for $4 is not.

Looking at the prices on items arranged by gender and size, it isn’t hard to tell whether a consigner had no clue about pricing – or just wanted to get stuff out of their house and make a little money in the process (Consigners can earn up to 70 percent of their asking prices). After all, $5 for a Calvin Klein sweater and corduroy pants in good condition is a bargain.

At this sale, girls’ clothing dominated the racks in a sea of pink and white, and the quality of most items was great. I spied Gymboree sets from last spring’s alligator line for $4 and Easter dresses for less than $10. The boys’ side was a bit sparser – especially when you need toddler sizes – but there were a lot of athletic pants, long-sleeved T-shirts and myriad argyle vests.

Of course, though, there were some questionable items, including a 1980s olive-green romper with a pocket and metal hardware – in a size 3T.

Seriously?

Sometimes it’s OK to throw things away, or better yet, use them to wax the car. Then again, in this case, the material was so stiff that it would have scratched anything that wasn’t an Army tank. Still, it was good for a few laughs.

Among the gear deals I saw were umbrella strollers for less than $20, perfect for a secondary stroller to keep in the trunk or take to Grandma’s house, and a train table (no trains included) for $40. Again, knowing how much baby items are worth is beneficial – a Bumbo chair for $25 isn’t a good deal when you can get a new one for around $30 with a coupon at Babies R Us.

That being said, it is worth it for some parents not to have to shop around. Giant consignment sales have become extremely popular – the line to get in at opening on Friday morning was down the street – for those looking to save money in a one-stop shopping scenario. Where else can you get a changing table, breast pump, Baby Einstein DVDs and Christmas sweater all in one place – and far less than retail value?

An added benefit is that the majority of items are in good condition and have been purchased within the last five years. Many parents finished having children – or without space to store gear when it’s not in use – don’t want to hang onto every item that they received at their baby shower. Seriously, stick a Jumperoo and a full-sized stroller in your garage – especially if you can’t remember how to fold them up – and see how much space is left.

The Just Between Friends sale wraps up Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with half-price on many items. Admission is free, and shoppers are encouraged to bring reusable shopping bags or something else to transport their purchases. Some of the serious shoppers I saw had wagons full of clothes and toys, and others were rolling their very own racks.

Among my purchases this time around were an Old Navy vintage style track jacket ($4.50); WSU Cougars jacket ($6); a Janie and Jack green gingham shirt ($3) and the steal of the night, a brand new Nautica jacket. The khaki windbreaker will not fit until next spring, but for $10, I couldn’t pass it up. I also got three hardcover books ($.50-$2.50) and a like-new set of Eric Carle animal flashcards ($4.50).

I headed home $39.89 poorer – but feeling quite rich. Everything I purchased was of a brand with which I was familiar, so I knew that I got a great deal. A little online sleuthing revealed that the Janie and Jack shirt originally retailed for $20 – and anyone who has ever set foot in that store knows that you can’t buy anything there for $3. And, just as I suspected, similar Nautica jackets are priced at $40 on their website.

I went to Puyallup in search of a deal. Mission accomplished.