Preparing Merchandise

How to Prepare Your 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. Any items with these issues will be pulled from the sale floor and left unsorted at sale end.

Tagging Supplies Needed

  • Enough of the assigned color of cardstock to print a tag for each of your items. Ten tags print per page. It is required to print tags on cardstock.
  • Scissors or paper cutter to cut tags
  • Child-sized hangers for clothing up to size 4. Adult hangers work well for sizes 5 and up. Old Navy throws 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, Lowe’s, and Wal-Mart) to secure tags to clothing. 4” ties work well for clothing items and 7” 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 on the 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 of car seats and strollers to make sure your items sell.
  • Please be sure that all snaps and buttons are attached as intended.
  • ALL clothing (except undergarments) must be on hangers so that as you face your item the hanger will look like a question mark “?”.
  • When hanging pants, be sure you PIN 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 allowed 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.
  • Hang all Snuglis, BABYBJÖRN Carriers, slings, and head supports on hangers and safety pin to hanger so they cannot fall off.
  • Toys get played with all week! We cannot be responsible if your toy parts get separated. If there are multiple pieces being sold together, secure well.
  • Wrap wooden puzzles in plastic or place in an appropriate sized zip lock bag. If the puzzle could be used as a gift, be sure to use Blue Painter’s Tape, so that the box is not damaged.
  • 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 DVDs and CDs 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: Please make sure that your batteries work. 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 sets MUST be complete and free of miscellaneous items. 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 or 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 all 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 and pinned at the waist to the top of the hanger. Both pieces should be fully visible without the need to unpin or lift. The pants should face the opposite direction of the shirt and be pinned so the set will not separate when on the same hanger.
  • If you choose to hang pieces of a matching set on separate hangers (for example delicate fabric that may be damaged by pins), secure the hangers together with a cable tie through the triangle of the hanger instead of around the neck where it can slip off. Do not use rubber bands for this purpose! Take care to ensure pants will stay on the hanger.
  • See guidelines for pricing multiple piece items in the Pricing section.