LITTLE ROCK — At first glance, children’s consignment sales seem chaotic and overwhelming - cavernous halls filled with umpteen racks of kiddie clothes and hundreds of eager shoppers scurrying to snatch their share of the best deals.
The reality - the seasonal sales are highly organized events, matching supply with demand, and benefiting all. Consignment is a growing industry that is well represented in Arkansas.
Children’s consignment sales have been going strong here for nearly two decades. Two well established companies - Duck Duck Goose and Rhea Lana - have roots in central Arkansas.
The concept is simple. Families sell their lightly used children’s clothing, gear and toys - priced at about 30 percent of retail - pocketing about 70 percent of the price. The consignment company, which organizes and advertises the event, keeps the rest.
The concept is so popular that buyers and sellers are willing to endure some discomfort and delays to participate.
Phelicia Stearman waited in line four hours earlier this month with a rolling clothes rack outfitted with two laundry baskets to be one of the first of thousands to enter a Duck Duck Goose pre-sale in Little Rock.
“Duck Duck Goose is awesome. The layout is organized, everything is easy to find. They have the best prices, and it is easy to consign items,” Stearman said.
A Little Rock resident, Stearman has been loyally consigning and shopping at Duck Duck Goose sales for eight years. At this fall’s sale she purchased all of the clothing her three children will need for this fall and winter.
The experienced consignment shopper is easy to identify, says Lynn Beardsley, who works with Duck Duck Goose founder and owner Cindy Brantley.
“She has her drink, and a big container to hold clothes. She knows the layout, and you’ll see her pull lots of clothes off the rack and then run to the corner to sort through them.”
Reagan Stanford and Eric Garner traveled from Conway to shop. Stanford has been consigning and shopping for five years, while Garner is a first-timer. “When I came to drop off my clothes to consign, I drew a map of where everything is,” Stanford said. “Then I went home and made a plan.”
“She has military precision,” explains Garner. “I was assigned to go to shoes, and then puzzles, and then check back in with her before moving on to the toys.”
Stanford and Garner are using the popular “grab and sort” method. She has a stroller stacked four feet high with clothes, and is sorting them into “yes” and “no” piles. Garner takes the “no” piles back to the rack. This male shopper, like many others, takes a supporting role. His advice to other tag along men: “Just do as you are told.”
Beardsley, who has worked at Duck Duck Goose for four years, attributes this sale’s success to the 1,500 consignors who contributed more than 100,000 items and the volunteers who contribute time, food or other necessary items.
Many volunteer so they can get passes to the presales, where they will be among the first to get at all that gear. More than 400 volunteers helped at the Duck Duck Goose sale held in Little Rock earlier this month.
The use of social networking tools such as Facebook has helped the companies increase awareness and expand their offerings. When Beardsley posted on the Duck Duck Goose Facebook page that consignor sign-up was open, the slots filled so quickly that staff decided to add a fifth sale location this year.
Rhea Lana Riner, founder of the Conway-based Rhea Lana children’s consignment sales, has sales in Conway, North Little Rock and west Little Rock. The company has also sold 28 franchises in 12 states under the Rhea Lana name.
Rhea Lana’s business has seen steady growth.
“We’ve seen the numbers grow exponentially. We filled our consignor slots two days earlier than expected for our greater Little Rock sale,” Riner said, noting that people drive in for the sales every year from Mississippi, Missouri and Texas.
“Everybody wants to shop smart. Even folks who have more discretionary income still want to shop frugally,” Riner said.
Northern transplant Liz Bram consigned and shopped at the sales for the first time this fall. “Since moving here from New York, I have really been intrigued by the whole consignment sale phenomenon. We don’t have these where I’m from.”
Bram said she spent about four hours entering her 50items into the online sale database, ironing and hanging them on hangers, and pinning on sale tags. She spent another hour dropping them off at the Rhea Lana consignment sale in North Little Rock.
“I was surprised at how much I had to do myself,” she said, “but I think it will definitely go faster next time.” Bram said certain garments were definitely more popular. “It’s all about the brands. All of my Gymboree, Baby GAP, and Ralph Lauren clothing sold first.”
Like many consignors, Bram purchased her share of clothes, too, paying $108 for 27 items, many of them two- or three-piece outfits.
Consignment sales also benefit the community. Consignors have the option of donating their unsold items to charity when the event ends. Riner estimated they donated 5,000 items to charity following a recent sale.
“Moms love connecting when it benefits their family, and we love to be part of it,” Riner said. “I have had so many people come up to me with tears streaming, saying, ‘Thank you for giving us this opportunity to buy clothes for our children that we normally couldn’t afford.’ That just makes it all worth it.”
For consignors and shoppers, Riner advises: “Take a deep breath, and have fun. Don’t get stressed.”Consignment sales on tap
Fall and spring are the big seasons for children’s clothing consignment sales. The following are scheduled soon.
RHEA LANA When: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. today and Friday and 8 a.m.
to 2 p.m. Saturday Where: The Kantz Center, 2685 Citizens Drive, Fayetteville Details: rhealana.com PEEK-A-BOO When: Today, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. Sunday Where: McCain Plaza, 4148 E. McCain Blvd., North Little Rock Details: peek-a-boo-consignment.com/ POPSICLES When: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Oct.
7, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 8, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 9 Where: Northeast Arkansas District Fairgrounds, 2731 E. Highland Drive, Jonesboro Details: popsicleskidssale.
com DUCK DUCK GOOSE When: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 7-10 Where: 612 J.P. Wright Loop Road, Jacksonville Details: duckduckgoosesale. com
CENTRAL ARKANSAS MOTHERS OF MULTIPLES When: 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Oct. 8, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 9 Where: Trinity Lutheran Church, 3802 N. Olive St., North Little Rock Details: centralarkansas moms.org PEEK-A-BOO When: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Oct.14 and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Oct. 15-16 Where: 2213 N. Reynolds Road, Bryant Details: peek-a-boo-consignment.com
NORTHWEST ARKANSAS MOTHERS OF MULTIPLES When: 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct.
15 and 7 a.m. to noon Oct.
16 Where: Trinity Fellowship Church Gymnasium, 1100 E. Rolling Hills Drive, Fayetteville Details: nwarkansasmultiples club.4t.com DUCK DUCK GOOSE When: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct.
14-16 Where: Crossgate Church, 3100 E. Grand Ave., Hot Springs Details: duckduckgoosesale.com
JUST BETWEEN FRIENDS When: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Oct.
24-25 Where: Convention Centerat Holiday Inn Northwest Arkansas, 1500 48th St., Springdale Details: springdale.jbfsale.com/ SECOND LOOK KIDS When: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 11-12 and 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 13 Where: Elm Springs United Methodist Church, Arkansas 112, Elm Springs Details: 2ndlookkids.com DUCK DUCK GOOSE When: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Nov. 11-13 Where: Former Sonshine Academy across from 803 Harkrider St., Conway Details: duckduckgoosesale.com
Family, Pages 33 on 09/29/2010