Capital District Parent Pages

Consignment stores If you’d like to start consigning and want to get going right away, check out the year-round children’s consignment stores in the area.  These stores, like Polka Dots in Guilderland and Jack ‘n Jill Tots in Rotterdam, have hours all week, and their consigning rules are posted on their websites. It’s always a good idea to check out the websites of stores like these before bringing in your items in to be sure you know how the system for that store works and if it will be a good fit for you. For instance, while both Polka Dots and Jack ‘n Jill Tots take only the current season’s clothing, Polka Dots restricts their items to certain brands, whereas Jack ‘n Jill Tots accepts all store brands, including Target and Wal-mart. The way the stores pay you can also vary.  Polka Dots will price items for you, unless you have a preference for a certain item’s price, and then will pay you 50 percent of the sale price after it sells.  Jack ‘n Jill Tots will offer you a purchase price and buy your items from you at the time you drop them off. Saydra Doyle, of Schenectady, owner of Polka Dots said her inspection process is pretty complete. “I thoroughly look over each item that comes into the store and inspect it for stains, holes, etc. and choose only styles that someone would want to put on their child or themselves, right now,” Doyle said. “It’s great if it was cute when a child wore it 10 years ago, but if it’s not in style now, it’s not going to sell. Some brands (such as Gymboree or Gap) are classic looking, and those items may well still be in style 10 years later.” She also noted that baby gear sells the best. Things like swings, vibrating seats, bouncers, crib sheets move quickly because they are used for a very short time and tend to stay in great condition, and many parents don’t want to shell out full price for an item that will be used for a few months.