Tot Trade Charlotte

While you are running around room to room and trying to get as much out of your child’s playroom without them being suspect, here are a few ideas of HOT items we see each season!

Got Wheels?  Jeeps, Powerwheels, Bikes, Strollers (single, double, jog, umbrella to name a few), big wheels, scooters and trikes…if it has wheels these are hot ticket items!

New parents, grandparents and parents expecting their second, third, fourth child love to stock up on exersaucers, bouncy seats, cribs, toddler beds, changing tables, pack-n-plays all those big ticket items are scooped up!

Toddler toys, toys with music, toys with lights, trains, cars and trucks!  Don’t forget dollhouses, barbies and babies too!  We love to add tables because we have so many toys!  Remember holidays are coming and everyone likes to stock up!  Don’t forget your older child as well….legos, puzzles, games, crafts, matchbox cars and tracks and  remote control cars! (Please be sure to include all pieces of the puzzle and batteries if needed - the dollar store is a great resource to get you going!)

Last season we started Game Trade with a great reception….we are hoping many will dig into their games stations and pull games not used, older gaming systems and accessories!  These are all great finds at the sale!

Halloween costumes are not just for holidays!  I know I purchased several costumes one year and created a box for dress up!  The kids love running around the house as a pirate, superman, space shuttle and more!  Let’s have the best selection ever this season!

Finally books!  We finally saw the light and started to organize our books last season with crates! (thanks to Barry)  This season we will feature infant books, toddler books, chapter books, parenting books and home school curriculum!  We hope this continued organization will bring big sales for you!  DVDs and Videos will be included as well.  Please be sure the movie fits the sleeve and is not scratched.

Guess that is it for now - I love to see our toys and big ticket sections grow each season.  We have added more tables to handle the number of items you are tagging.  I like to be sure that shoppers can see your goodies and not pile them to sky !  I am so excited about the new floor plan this season I think shoppers will find it easy and scoop up all your goodies.  Make sure to check out your resources on the Consignor page of the website.  Here you will see tagging examples, videos, pricing tips and non accepted items.  We are so excited to have you consign with Tot Trade Charlotte and are working hard to make this the best season yet!  Tell your friends too….Tot Trade Charlotte is coming to town!

clearshoppers.JPGI am spending more and more time at the computer which means that sale time is right around the corner!  I am posting where I think moms will be looking, returning emails and tagging!  This season our word is ORGANIZATION!  You would think that some of the plans that we are using this season would be pretty simple and understood, but when you consider the size that the sale has grown to in only a few short seasons….well, like I say, we get two tries a year and try to make improvements each season. 

Tot Trade Charlotte is truly your children’s consignment sale!  It is your sale because most importantly we wouldn’t be here without your participation and we listen to your comments at the end of the season.  Many say how organized we are, well a lot of that goes back to listening to the consignor!  It takes a lot of people to put together an event of this size and it just keeps growing!  Last season we filled over 65,000 sq ft and it was the Spring/Summer Sale.  Fall/Winter sales tend to be LARGER due to the type of items being sold, if consignors have tried us with a few items they will typically bring in 500 for the next season! Then there is word of mouth, or tell a friend.  We know that when moms like something they tell their friends about it!  This season’s postcard distribution went from 80 last season to 150 this season!  Yes!

Now we know we can’t make everyone happy, but it is our goal each season that whether you are a shopper, volunteer or consignor you walk away with a positive experience.  I just sent my email to staff this week and  I get so excited to hear from them all!  I truly love my job!  I get to work with a great group of women that make me laugh, my lil sis, charities in the communities and know that what we are doing is helping families near and far!

Ok, I will put away the kleenex for now, I just wanted to get this train started.  It is the metaphor that I use each season.  We start out at the station and then once loaded start chugging along to get to presale when we are European Bullet and hanging on for the ride!  We have made improvements for a smoother ride this season including 16 registers for checkout with EXPRESS lanes clearly marked, a simple floorplan (check the download section of the website), 2 entrance drop off for consignors, shoe inspector, volunteer coordinator and more!  All this talk gets me excited so I am off to tag a bit, some moms have already entered 500 items and we still have almost 3 weeks!  Go Girls! 

Jodi and I are excited to see you all - there is still time to register to be a part of this train that comes around each season!  We will see you soon!