Mom-to-mom sales can be a big win for buyers, sellers and local nonprofits

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Time and money are two things Franklin mother of four Melissa Black really values.

With four children younger than age 7 clamoring through her home, Black appreciates the bargains and convenience of mom-to-mom sales.

“I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love a good deal,” Black said. “These sales provide me with name-brand, high-quality clothing for my kids for a fraction of the retail price.

“And, it’s one-stop shopping for everything kids need, I don’t have to spend time driving from store to store every weekend.”

Mom-to-mom consignment sales have become the go-to source for moms throughout the Miami Valley for everything from baby clothes to bicycles. Most sales are held twice a year, and the spring sales mean a fresh batch of warm-weather clothes and outdoor toys.

But frugal shoppers aren’t the only ones who come out ahead at these mega-sales. Mom-to-mom sales are a win-win-win for buyers, sellers and local nonprofit organizations.

Buyers

It was a customer that the Kids’ Sale coordinator at Christ United Methodist Church will never forget.

“We had a mom completely break down at the cash register,” Carrie Hauser recalled. “She said that her husband had lost his job and without this sale, her kids would have had nothing to wear. It was very touching. It’s a big part of why we do this.”

The Kids’ Sale in Kettering brings in, on average, 800 customers at each of its sales but organizers have recently noticed an increased number of shoppers. The March 2010 sale brought in 925 bargain hunters.

“I think it’s really telling, as far as the economy, when you have that kind of increase,” Hauser said. “We had so many people coming through the line commenting about the sale being such a great way to buy things for their kids that, otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to buy.”

Organizers of these events work hard to ensure that the shoppers are getting quality merchandise. Nothing stained, ripped, broken or missing parts makes it into the sale. Quality control is a big part of the behind-the-scenes process, as volunteers inspect all merchandise before it hits the well-organized display floor. The customer-centered focus pays off.

“Last year, we were opening at 9 a.m. and people were lined up at 7 a.m.; it was crazy,” said TWIG 45 Moms Mart coordinator Jennifer Hoagland. “But they knew they would get great deals.”

The Vandalia TWIGs (Terrific Women in Giving) event has grown from 500 shoppers in its first year to more than 950 customers last year.

Sellers

While the shoppers lug home bags of bargains, the sellers also come out ahead.

“I’d say every time I do a sale, I make at least $300,” said Kettering mom Terri Kerivan. “I know some people who have made $1,200 or more at a sale.”

Black typically brings home about $500 a season by participating in TWIGs sales in Springboro and Vandalia. Her best sale netted the Franklin mom $1,500.

“It was after I had my last baby, and I had a lot of bigger ticket items like a high chair and ExerSaucer,” she said.

But profits aren’t the only incentive.

“I get rid of items in my house that I don’t need,” Kerivan said. “It has really replaced the garage sale for me.”

Kerivan sells about 100 items at every sale.

“You can look at the things your kids have outgrown or don’t play with any more and then take them somewhere where they will benefit someone else,” Hoagland said.

That’s not to say the process is effortless. Sellers need to wash, inspect and tag their items. Most sales have specific tagging criteria.

“I’d say most people start working on it about a month in advance,” Kerivan said.

Unsold items are returned to the sellers. Some participate in multiple sales to increase the likelihood of moving their merchandise; others choose to donate remaining items to a nonprofit organization.

Charity

Many mom-to-mom sales are affiliated with a nonprofit organization or have a charity component.

Church-sponsored sales may lend financial support to youth programs or other community initiatives. Some sale organizers select a family or families in need and donate a portion of the proceeds to help cover medical or living expenses.

Admission cost is usually $1, and a percentage of sales, 20 percent on average, typically is donated to the charitable organization.

“Our goal is to provide our sellers with an opportunity to recoup some of the costs of raising their children while providing the community with affordably priced clothing, toys and other items for their children,” Hauser said. “It’s an added bonus that we are able to support local children’s charitable organizations in the process.”

Mom-to-mom sales have been a mainstay fundraiser for two area TWIG chapters for several years. The auxiliary of the Children’s Medical Center of Dayton has raised more than $25,000 to benefit various Dayton Children’s initiatives since the event’s inception. The TWIGs events in Springboro and Vandalia will contribute 20 percent of all sales as part of the auxiliary’s pledge to support the Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Care Endowment.

“These sales are great community events and benefit so many people in different ways,” Hoagland said.

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