You’ve read through our web pages, but still have questions. Below are answers to frequently asked questions. If you do not find the answer below, please feel free to contact us at 651-253-0897 or kristal@munchkinmarkets.com.
How exactly does this work?
First you register as a consignor. Then gather your stuff and enter it into our online system. You print your tags from home, prepare your items with the tags and drop them off during the drop off times. Then sit back and relax we will take care of the rest. We will arrange all items at the sale, sell them and organize any unsold items for quick and easy pick up or donation. You will receive a reconciliation sheet at pick up and a check in the mail 1-2 weeks after the sale has concluded. We rely heavily on volunteers and offer incentives for those who choose to volunteer. For more information click on the volunteer and incentive links.
When do I get paid?
After the sale has ended, you will receive a reconciliation sheet at pick up indicating what items sold, didn’t sell and which were donated. It will also show the total amount sold and the share you will receive. Munchkin Markets, LLC will then reconcile all accounts over the next 1-2 weeks and mail you a check. Please remember to bring a self-addressed stamped envelope when you drop off your items.
There’s a $5.00 sign-up fee. Do I send a check when I sign up?
No need to send a check. The $5.00 fee will be deducted from your sales check after the sale has ended.
What happens to my items after the sale?
After the sale has ended, we will sort the items by consignor. You will then be able to pick up your pile of unsold items from 5:00 -6:30 p.m.on Sunday, May 3, 2009. You will not have to sort through everyone’s things to find your own! When entering your items into the automated system, you can also select to donate some or all of your unsold items. Any items that are not picked up by 6:30 p.m. will become the property of Munchkin Markets and most will be donated to the charity of our choice.
What happens to donated items?
Items that are selected for donation will go into the "post-sale" on Sunday, May 3, 2009. The post-sale is a invitation only sale for local families in need to come shop items for free.
What happens with my bigger items that I would like to offer at a discount on the last day, but not half off?
Items marked at $50 or more can be discounted to any price you would like on the last day of the sale. When entering these items into the automated system, you will enter it once for the full price and then create another entry reflecting the sale price. These items will then have 2 tags. Be sure to check "no" in the discount box on both tags. For example, if you have a crib you are asking $70 for, but would like to mark it down to $60 on the last day; you would print 2 tags, one for $70 and another for $60.
Will I get my hangers back?
We do not keep track of how many or which hangers each consignor brings. During busy times (typically all of Saturday and part of Sunday), items are sold with the hangers. When it is slower we will remove hangers unless they are pinned on. The removed hangers will be placed in boxes for consignors to grab some on a first come first serve basis during pick up on Sunday. All unsold items that arrived on hangers should still be on hangers at pick up.
What if I can’t drop off items during the scheduled drop off times?
The scheduled drop off times are preferred, however, you can contact us and we will try our best to accommodate your schedule.
I participate in another consignment sale. Can I use my tags from that sale?
Sorry, you must have your items entered and tagged using our easy on-line system. In the near future, we plan to hold several Munchkin Markets, LLC sales each season in different locations within the Twin Cities area. Consignors will then be able to transfer their inventory from one Munchkin Markets sale to another Munchkin Markets sale without re-entering or re-tagging.
I signed up to volunteer, but now I can’t make it.
We depend on volunteers to make the sale a success. If you are unable to make it, we ask that you try to find a replacement. If that is not possible, you will forfeit any (and all) incentives you may have earned and an additional 5% of your total sales. (ie. If you were signed up for option #1 to earn 70% of your total sales and then signed up one 4 hour volunteer session to earn an additional 5%; you would earn only 65% of your sales).
Do you take credit cards?
Not at this time. Currently we accept only cash or local checks.
How much should I ask for my items?
First, ask yourself what you would pay for that item. Generally, this is a good indicator of what someone else will pay. A good rule of thumb is to price your items between 25-50% of the original retail cost. Brand name and excellent like new condition clothing can sell for about 1/3 of the original cost. Larger items in excellent condition like cribs, strollers, jumperoos, etc. can be priced closer to 50% of the original retail cost. You can visit local consignment shops or check out online sites such as ebay and craiglist to get a better idea. For each item you can decide if you would like it discounted on the second day of the sale. I would encourage you to discount your items on the second day. It is unlikely that if your item did not sell for full price on the first day, that it would sell for full price on the second day. Many of the shoppers on the discount day are shoppers who came on Saturday and are returning to purchase discounted items.
How much can I expect to sell?
This varies widely with the type and number of items you bring. On average consignors sold about 75% of the items they brought to the last sale. Toys (big/ small, indoor/ outdoor) and baby equipment (high chairs, swings, exersaucers, etc) are the best sellers. For clothing, sizes from 0 to 6 sell best. However, due to the high volume of clothing in sizes 0-24 mon, percentagewise the sales are smaller per consignor.
I have some childrens clothes, but they are several years old. Will you still take them?
Unlike most consignment stores, we will take childrens clothes in excellent condition and with timeless style regardless of how old the item is. For example, polo shirts, turtlenecks, t-shirts, jeans, dress shirts, and khakis change very little year to year. Some more trendy items may be turned down if we feel they are no longer in style and won't sell well.
Aaarrgh! I can't get my tags to print!
Most of the time the times tags print without any problems, but if you are having trouble here are the most common issues and their solutions:
- You hit the "print tags" buttons and nothing happens.
Chances are you have a pop-up blocker turned on. You can temporarily turn off the pop-up blocker by holding the control key and hitting print. This is a temporary solution and you would have to do it each time you want to print a set of tags. For a more permanent solution, you can disable your pop-up blocker or configure it to allow pop-ups from www.mysalemanager.net. One thing to note is that it is not uncommon for there to be more than one pop-up blocker on your computer and you would need to disable them all.
- You hit the "print tags" buttons and the tags that print are not the ones you selected, but rather tags that you printed before.
This is usually an issue with cached files in your browser. You should delete your temporary internet files and this should resolve the issue. Specific instructions for how to do this are (in Internet Explorer):
1. Choose TOOLS > INTERNET OPTIONS in Internet Explorer
2. Click the DELETE FILES button. Click "Delete All Offline content" checkbox and click OK.
- Your tags print, but the description line is a bunch of gibberish.
You are probably using the new Firefox 3 browser. There appears to be an issue with Firefox 3. The problem you will encounter is on the actual printing of your tags. When displayed on the screen, they look correct, but when printed, the descriptions are "gibberish". This affects you only if you use Firefox3, not any other web browser. If possible try closing out of Firefox 3 and using another browser such as Internet Explorer. If that is not an option, try the following steps before printing new tags:
In your Firefox window, go to "Tools" and click "Options". A window will pop up. Go to the "Content" tab (top row). Under "fonts and colors" click "Advanced". Another window pops up. Un-check the box for "Allow pages to choose their own fonts,instead of my selection above." This should take care of the Firefox 3 printing issue. .
If you experience any other problems with printing tags or with the system in general, please contact Kristal Belisle at 651-253-0897 or kristal@munchkinmarkets.com.
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Munchkin Markets, LLC is a Limited Liability Company