Cute Kids Consignment Sale and Giveaway

Cut to the chase. Take me to the Momsense.

This giveaway is now closed.  Congratulations to the winners:  Damary, Gretchen, Beth and Kate!  Keep reading, however, to get all the details on the West Hartford bi-annual kids consignment sale.

After finding out I was pregnant with twins, I knew my life would soon be taken over with lots and lots of baby stuff.  Needing to dress, feed, get to sleep, and entertain two little ones would require a lot of shopping.

Now, while I would love to buy my precious children all brand new things, the reality is, brand new is not always necessary or practical. So, when I found out there was a HUGE kids consignment sale in my hometown of West Hartford, I knew I needed to become a regular attendee.

The Cute Kids Consignment Sale was started in 2001 by local mom, Karen Hammond.  It originally took place at her home and now has grown so large that it is held at a local church.  Every year, there is a sale held in the Spring and one in the Fall.  Each sale includes seasonal clothing, shoes, baby equipment, strollers, toys, etc.

The Fall Cute Kids Consignment Sale starts next Wednesday, October 10th and runs through Saturday, October 13th.  This will be my fourth time going and I can’t wait to pick up some new-to-us goodies.

With the sale date quickly approaching, I thought it would be fun to share with our readers why I keep going back!  So I took a bunch of pictures at the Spring sale and jotted down some details on what to expect when you attend.

Also, we will be doing a GIVEAWAY for passes to the Wednesday night pre-sale, so make sure you read the whole post and follow the rules to leave a comment below if you want to win the pre-sale passes.

The sale is held at the Westminster Presbyterian Church in West Hartford (located at the corner of Boulevard and Ridgewood Road).  Off street parking is available in their lot off Ridgewood Road and street parking is available off of Boulevard.

After you park, you will see signs pointing you in the direction of the entrance.

Make sure you bring with you some bags to carry all of the things you decide to purchase.

The schedule for the sale is as follows:

• Wednesday, October 10th:  Public pre-sale from 6:00pm – 7:30pm.  Admission $5.  This is an ADULTS ONLY event (though babies in carriers are welcome).
• Thursday, October 11th:  Open to the public from 9:00am – 2:00pm
• Friday, October 12th:  Open to the public from 9:00am – 2:00pm
• Saturday, October 13th:  Half-Price Sale.  Open to the public from 8:00am – 12:00pm.  Most items are marked down by 50%.

If you plan to attend the pre-sale on Wednesday, make sure you bring cash for the $5 admission.  The payment will be due when you arrive and you will receive a pass as proof of payment.  This pass will need to be turned in when you check out.  It is also good to note that if you are a seller or volunteer at the sale, there are opportunities to get into the pre-sale event earlier and for FREE.

Ok.  So you have now found your way to the church, parked, and you have your shopping bags in hand.  As you enter the sale space, it can be helpful to have an idea of how the items are organized.  One of the great things about this sale is the fact that it is so well-organized.  Similar items are placed together so you can fairly quickly find what you are looking for.

Now, the layout does change each year, but the major areas seem to remain the same.

As you enter the sale, you will be walking into a very large room.  In this room they always have racks filled with all of the clothing.  They require that the clothes be seasonal, so for the fall sale you will find all fall and winter items.  The clothing is also arranged on the racks by size.

Also in this room I usually find shoes, crib bedding, nursery furniture, nursery decor and baby equipment (high chairs, bumbos, baths, car seats, etc.)

After you make your way through the first room, there is a hallway where lots of other goodies await.  In the past this room has contained winter coats, sleds, swings, bikes, etc.  I purchased that red and purple bike in the back (which, thanks to one of the nice volunteers, I found out it also turns into a rocker) and I got the yellow and blue bike in the front.  I think I got them both for less than $15 and they were a big hit at our house this summer.

Once you get through the hallway, you will find even more things for sale in the back room.  In there they typically have all the toys, books, strollers, train tables, and outdoor play equipment.  Are you tired of the books your kids keep asking you to read?  Are they completely bored with their toys?  Refresh your book and toy collection with all the great items they have for sale.

This is also the room where you check out and were you can store items you will be purchasing in the holding zone (more details on that in a second).

I love how even the toys are super organized with all the trucks together, all the dolls together, etc.

Ooooh.  Shawna snagged a toy laptop for Boo.  Maybe he can start a blog for 2 year olds.

Another great thing you will find as you are perusing the sale are lots of very helpful volunteers.  These men and women can help you locate specific items and can move items you are planning to purchase to the holding zone.  They will even help you take items out to your car if you need it! (thank goodness, because I always buy more than I can carry.)

“So what is this holding zone?” you ask. Well, it is definitely something you need to know about.

The holding zone is a roped-off area located in the very back of the second room.  There is a volunteer that mans the area and keeps it organized as you continue to add to your pile.  So, once you find something that you want to buy but don’t want to carry around while you are shopping, take it to the holding zone or ask one of the nice volunteers to take it for you.

So, now you have a lay of the land.

You have been shopping in all three areas and your shopping bags and area in the Holding Zone are filled to the brim.  Well, now it is time to check out.

As I mentioned, the check-out area is located in the back room and conveniently located right near the Holding Zone.  After you pick a line, you can wait to pull your items out of the Holding Zone until you are at the front of the line and ready to check-out.  If it is the pre-sale night, make sure you have your pre-sale pass handy to show that you already paid the entrance fee.  Also, payments can be made in cash or credit (a very helpful fact for a non-cash carrier like me).

So that’s it!  I have given you the full tour of the great West Hartford consignment sale.  Now, are you all ready to go shopping?

Better yet, have you thought about pulling out some of your kid items and selling them at this event?  I would love to have you help increase the selection options!  Well, it isn’t too late to be a seller, either.  Drop off day is next Monday, October 8th.  So if you want to sell, get on their website and start organizing and tagging.  Or, if you just don’t have time to tag all your items, check out their new tagging service.

Now, are you interested in getting a jump-start on your shopping and go to the pre-sale next Wednesday, October 10th?  If so, enter to win FREE passes by following the instructions below and leaving a comment on this post.

Happy shopping!  See you there!

Thanks to the Cute Kids Sale for giving Shawna and I passes to the pre-sale event and letting us promote Out and About Mom at the sale.  Thank you, also for providing four passes for this giveaway. All opinions are 100% my own.

• PRIZE: One (1) pass to the Cute Kids Consignment Sale pre-sale event on Wednesday, October 10th in West Hartford, Connecticut from 6:00pm – 7:30pm.
• NUMBER OF WINNERS: Four (4)
• TO ENTER: Leave a comment with the words “Cute Kids Consignment Sale”.  Please make sure to leave your email address when you comment so that we can contact you if you are the winner.  The email addresses that are collected for this giveaway will only be used for the purpose of contacting the winner and will never be distributed or sold. Entries submitted without a valid email address will not be considered valid entries and will be excluded from the drawing. Only one (1) contest entry per household.  Please make sure you check your junk mail folder.
• TIMING: The giveaway starts NOW and ends at 11:59 PM EDT on Friday, October 5, 2012. Four (4) winners will be selected at random from all valid entries. The winners will be notified via email and announced on Facebook.  A pass with their name will be available at the entrance to the sale on Wednesday, October 10, 2012 at 6:00pm.
• No purchase is necessary to win. Odds of winning are based on the number of entries. This contest is open to US residents 18 and older.

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Cute Kids Consignment Sale

Westminster Presbyterian Church

2080 Boulevard, West Hartford, Connecticut

Sale Schedule:

Admission:

• There is a $5 admission fee for the pre-sale
• All other sale days are FREE.

• Pre-Sale:
• Bring $5 cash for the admission fee
• You will pay the fee upon entrance and receive a pass showing that you paid.  Present this pass at the register during checkout.
• This is an ADULTS only event.  Babies in carriers can attend.
• Bring shopping bags
• Utilize the holding zone for larger items
• Payment can be made by cash or credit card
• There are three main rooms for the sale:
• The front room (when you enter) usually contains clothing, shoes, nursery decor, bedding, furniture, and baby equipment (high chairs, bumbos, bath tubs, etc.
• The middle room/hallway usually contains bikes, activity tables, swings, etc.
• The back room usually contains toys, books, strollers, outdoor play equipment, train tables, etc.  This room also contains the holding zone and the check-out area.
• If you are looking for a major bargain, come to the sale on Saturday when most items will be 50% off.

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