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Fancy
Pants Kids' Consignment next event is August 17-19 began in July
2005, with 3 events each year: Spring/Summer, Fall and Holiday
first sale was held at the St. Petersburg Shuffleboard Club, with
no A/C, and Kelley & Shannon each had a 6 month-old at home...it
was exhausting, but exhilarating! Second, third (and soon to be,
fourth) sales at St. James United Methodist Church, just off MLK,
between the Gateway Mall and Gandy Blvd.(845 87th Ave. N) started
with 22 consignors, but has grown each time...we expect close to
100 consignors for the 4th sale when we began the business, it was
our plan to allow us to serve our "community of moms," earn a
small income, and stay at home with our own children. As with any
new business, it has proved to be more time-consuming and more
expensive to run than we first thought, but we are making steady
progress toward achieving all our goals!
It's a
great way to clean out closets and make a little money on new or
gently-used items. You'll do better here than at a garage sale,
and we do all the work once the event begins. Your weekend is free
to spend however you choose!
It's also
a great way to shop for discounted merchandise for your family!
Moms (and grandparents!) who consign keep 70% of the amount their
items sell for, and as organizers, we keep 30%, plus a $7
consignor fee which goes toward rent, advertising and other
overhead expenses. Consignors set their own prices. Prices are
automatically discounted the last day, but consignors may mark any
items as "no discount," if they choose. Consignors receive checks
for their sales within 2 weeks of the event's end.
Consignors
may donate any unsold items to a local charity. Unclaimed items
are automatically donated as well. To date, we have donated more
than $2800 of merchandise to Alpha, "A Beginning," Inc., and CASA.
The sale is so much work in such a short time that we couldn't do
it without a few great volunteers. We feel very lucky to have met
some great new friends through our business...moms who love being
involved in a big event that requires just a few short hours of
work, and who enjoy the social aspect of the event...spending time
with other moms of young children! Then there is the one big
perk...volunteers who commit to at least one three-hour shift get
the privilege of shopping the sale first, before ANYONE else. If
they work multiple shifts, they get multiple passes to share with
family members or friends.
Consignors also get to shop early, at a private sale that begins
an hour and a half after the volunteer sale, the evening before
the event opens to the general public. We have a few savvy
consignors who aren't out to make money on their consignment; in
fact, they consign 'just enough" items to be able to shop the
sale! (It's really that good a sale!)
We are
meticulous about the items we accept. We look carefully for
stains, holes and other signs of wear before admitting items into
the sale. This is a quality event, and while we do accept a small
amount of "play clothing," what we seek most is high quality
merchandise, brand names, all new and gently worn.
Kelley has
2 boys, Zebbie, age 3, and Cash, age 1. She and her husband have
extensive experience in the advertising industry. She has her
masters degree in advertising from the University of Texas-Austin
and worked as a copywriter for more than 10 years before making
the decision to stay home with her children.
She also
has a strong retail background, working with the Limited in sales
and management throughout college and grad school.
Shannon
has a son, Malcolm, age 3, and a daughter, Violet, age 1. She and
her husband are big supporters of the thriving music and arts
scene in Tampa Bay. Shannon has been at home with her children
since day one, and couldn't imagine doing it any other way. Other
sales are popping up throughout the Tampa Bay area, but this is
one of the biggest and best!
We encourage anyone interested in consigning to visit
www.fancypantssale.com for details on how to prepare items, or
email us with questions at
fancypantssale@yahoo.com
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