Just Between Friends Consignment Sale- 10 Tips and everything you need to know!

Just Between Friends––have you heard of it? If not, and you are a momma/daddy, expecting momma, grandma/papa, nanny, day-care provider, aunt or are involved with children in any way, then you should know about it! Visalia's sale is THIS weekend, so get ready!

JBF is a HUGE children's consignment sale held twice a year right here in both Visalia and Fresno. When I say HUGE, I am absolutely not exaggerating.

For the sale, these items are actually being sold by people like you and me, so it is truly consignment. If it doesn't sell, the owner either picks the items back up or donates them to charity. Because of that, the deals are amazing. Most of us consigning are just trying to clean out our little ones' closets to make room for the next season, which motivates us to price things to sell. You can get items 50-90% off of retail! In addition, you can really pick and choose how much you want to spend, because multiples of the same item will be different prices and conditions. Maybe you want the cheapest item and don't care that it is a little more worn: you can pick that one out of the bunch and only pay $5. If you want something in better condition, pick that one out of the bunch and pay a little extra. It's totally your call!

But don't think this sale is only for toys and clothes! You can find just about anything you need for your kids, babies, toddlers and pregnant friends! You can even find brand new craft supplies!

So now that I've convinced you that this is something you will want to be a part of, you're wondering just how you do that!?

There are three ways to get involved:
1. SHOP-
This year the sale is being held at the old Ross building at the Sequoia Mall.
Saturday, Sept. 28
4:00pm Prime Time Shopping - $10 entry fee per person - children & strollers are permitted at this time
5:00pm - First Time Parent/First Time Grandparent/Military PreSale - must register on our website.

FREE ADMISSION- OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
Sunday Sept. 29, 9am - 7pm
Mon-Thurs, 10am-7pm
Friday Oct 4th, 10am-8pm
Saturday, Oct 5, 10am - 3pm - 50% Off Sale!

Gymboree outfits I picked up at last years sale for $5 each!

2. CONSIGN-
If you miss out this season, there is another chance to consign in the Spring. Head to JBF website for all of the details. Drop off for Fall is Thursday 9/26 and Friday 9/27. You get to price, tag, and sell your items and earn 65-70% of the sale price, sent to your house in a check just a few weeks after the sale is over. If you consign, you get into the sale early at 2pm on Saturday, Sept. 28!

I have been consigning and shopping for the last three years!

Here I am shortly after my daughter was born in 2011 waiting to get in to the 2pm consignor sale!

3. VOLUNTEER/BARTER-
There is still time for this. Visit their Facebook page and contact Laura to see if there is anything else she needs. Volunteering and bartering for items will get you into the sale earlier on Saturday and could earn you an extra 5% on your sales!

Or DO ALL THREE!

And if you are going to shop, here are a few tips you'll want to know!

1. Bring something to carry your items in. The Visalia/Tulare sale will often provide you with an IKEA blue bag to carry around while shopping, but if you're like me, that will practically be dragging on the floor within 30 minutes of walking through the door. If you bring something to carry your items in, they will tag it at the door so they know it is yours. Here are a few things I've seen.

1. A stroller- whether your bring your child or not, bring a stroller. It is easy to wheel around and load items in and on top of while shopping.
2. A wagon- we have the Step2 plastic wagon that we bring every time. It is big enough to carry some larger toys and still have room to load up with clothes. Also, ours has a cup holder which is great for that bottle of water I am going to tell you to bring :)
3. A rolling shopping cart/carry cart- do you have one of these for work or school? It's another great option to free up your hands and not break your back.
4. A laundry basket- this is totally a JBF thing, I had never seen it before. If you don't have any of the other carriers on hand, bring a laundry basket, we all have one of those! To make it a bit easier, loop a belt around it to drag it along behind you!
5. Any sort of bin and rope- Look at that fancy contraption- you know she is a JBF regular!

2. Bring Water. The weather is often unpredictable and it can be really warm in the building. Bring something to hydrate yourself.

3. Wear COOL clothing. This goes with the last one, there are a lot of bodies at the sale, making it extra warm at times.

4. Don't try to rush in and out in 10 minutes. If you consign and get into the presale, you should expect to spend 1-2+ hours there. Not only is there a TON of stuff to look through, but the line can get long to check out, you will need to be patient.

5. Take your time. This obviously goes with the last one, but when it comes to the clothing, toys, dvds, etc., you will want to take your time and really look through things one by one. This can often be tedious, but it will be the best way to find the best items.

6. Look at the return racks around the sale. There are return racks around the clothing aisles. Look through those racks to find items that others have already pulled and are just waiting to be sorted back into the main racks.

7. Look over things before purchasing. I will say that JBF volunteers are really great about pulling any stained items that might have slipped through, but take one last look before you purchase, especially if things are packaged in multiple items. 99% of the time, I don't have any issues. Once I had a shirt with 3-4 holes in-between two other shirts, and once there was a DVD without the actual DVD in the case (thankfully a JBF volunteer caught this one at the register!). If you are buying DVDs, ask them to open them at the register to be sure. If the item is in there, you can buy it and if it isn't, it needs to be taken off the floor anyway.

8. Make a list of items you need and your sizes. I can't tell you how many times I get into the sale and the list of things I want to buy fall right out of my head as I run around like a crazy person with no idea what I am doing all of a sudden. Make sure you know your kids clothing and shoe sizes as well. Also, write that list in order of importance. Things can go quickly, so if you absolutely need a walker or diaper bag, go there first, pick it out and take it to the hold section if you don't want to carry it around.

9. Just be aware that big items always go first. Outdoor toys, playhouses, kitchens, bikes, furniture, then the larger toys, walkers, swings, and shoes- All are hot ticket items. I usually start with bigger items I know won't last long, then end with the toys and clothes.

10. Be nice! Seriously, everyone is there for the same reason. Be courteous of others shopping and volunteering.

Whew! So, there you have it! Do you shop at JBF? Any tips for other shoppers or volunteers?

And don't worry, if you aren't one of our local readers, head to their website and search for a sale near you!

Unless my own, images are from JBF Visalia/Fresno Facebook site.