Preparing Merchandise | Boutique For A Week

Preparing Merchandise

Boutique for a Week only accepts quality, clean and current items! See “Items Accepted” for additional information. Make sure you have scrutinized each item as though YOU were going to buy it. Check for stains, holes, missing parts, etc. These are unacceptable.

Tagging Supplies Needed

  • Enough of the assigned color of cardstock copies of your tag template for the number of items you plan to sell
  • Scissors or paper cutter to cut apart tags
  • Child sized hangers for clothing up to size 4. Adult hangers are fine for sizes 5 and up. Old Navy and Belk throw away hangers daily. Ask for them there or purchase them at Wal-Mart or your local dry cleaners.
  • Cable/electrical ties (available in electrical department of Home Depot, Lowes and Wal-Mart) to secure tags to clothing. 4″ ties work well for clothing items. Northern Tools sells them $.99/100. 7″+ cable ties work best for shoes.
  • Safety pins (for securing pants to hangers and tagging items ONLY when a cable tie will not work)
  • Hole punch
  • Ziploc bags (assorted sizes) for toys, socks, etc.
  • Clear packing tape for attaching tags to Ziplocs and plastic toys
  • Blue painters tape for attaching tags to books and game/puzzle boxes. Unlike regular masking tape, blue painters tape prevents tearing of surface of items.
  • Rubber bands for grouping all same-size, same-gender items after pricing

Tips for Preparing Items

  • A fresh laundering and ironing will help sell your clothing items.
  • Please thoroughly clean baby equipment, including washing fabric covers to car seats and strollers to make sure your items sell.
  • Snap all snaps and button all buttons to ensure they are all accounted for and that the item will display well. Do not consign items missing snaps or buttons! (See Items Accepted for more details.)
  • ALL clothing (except undergarments) must be on hangers.
  • Place all garments on hangers so that as you face the item the hook will look like a question mark “?”.
  • When hanging pants, be sure you PIN (or cable tie through the belt loops) the pants to the hanger shoulders (unless you are using pant hangers), not the straight bottom edge, to keep them from sliding around and to display them best. Pin through the pocket area, catching the backside of the pants as well.
  • Undergarments (including “Onesie” undershirts) are the ONLY clothing items that are to be in clear Ziploc bags! If an undergarment is in a Ziploc, please attach the price tag to the item, not the Ziploc, as they may become separated. If you group multiple items, seal in a Ziploc with clear packing tape, attach tag to bag and list all items under tag description. Tape Ziploc shut with clear packing tape.
  • Sleepers, pj’s, snap-crotch shirts, etc. will not sell in bags! Please hang these.
  • Hang all Snuglis, Bjorn Carriers, Slings and Head Supports on hangers and safety pin to hanger so they cannot fall off.
  • Toys get played with! Please secure pieces carefully! We cannot be responsible if your toy parts get separated. If there are multiple pieces being sold together, secure well.
  • Be sure to wrap wooden puzzles in plastic first before taping or tape ruins the front of the puzzle! 2 gallon Ziplocs fit puzzles well and help prevent damage from tape.
  • Attaching a printout of your large toy items from the internet with the retail price shown can help sell your item.
  • Consider providing manuals and/or internet reviews for high-dollar items, especially if they have unique features. Secure them to items in a Ziploc bag.
  • Make sure DVD’s and CD’s are in their CORRECT original packages and seal with blue painters tape.
  • Toys and baby equipment MUST have batteries as needed to ensure that they are in good condition. We cannot offer returns, so shoppers are apprehensive of items that may not work. Dollar stores sell batteries.
  • NOTE: Consignors bringing items requiring batteries without working batteries will be charged $1 for each battery that Boutique for a Week installs in the item in order to sell it. Deductions will be made from consignor checks.
  • Puzzles, games and all multi-pieced items MUST be complete. Assemble them or count items to verify a complete set before sealing the package, then mark “all pieces included” on tags and seal to prevent loss.
  • Check books for missing, torn pages. If you group multiple titles, seal in a Ziploc with clear packing tape, attach tag to bag and list all titles under tag description.

Regarding sets

  • Be sure both items of a set are the same size, otherwise please sell separately!
  • Pin sets securely together with pants hung on the backside of the shirt pinned at the waist to the top of the hanger. Both pieces can be viewed fully without unpinning or raising the shirt, with the pants facing the opposite direction of the shirt and sets will not become separated when on the same hanger.
  • If you choose to hang pieces of a matching outfit on separate hangers (for example delicate fabric that may be damaged by pins), secure the hangers together with a cable tie through the triangle, not around the neck where it will slip off. Do not use rubber bands for this purpose! Make certain pants will stay on the hanger.
  • See directions for pricing multiple piece items in the Pricing section to follow.
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