Changes, Reminders and Updates

Whether you're new to Bumblebees & Ladybugs or are a seasoned pro, this page is a "must-read". We encourage all participants to read this entire page; and if you are planning on consigning please take the time to read the whole website as there is much to learn and re-learn with consignment!

Please note: in order to be on record to consign for the current sale, you must sign up to sell after you have logged in.  ALL consignors and volunteers, both new and returning, must register for each sale! Please be sure to update your personal information so we will know where to send your check!

 August 2011

It's that time of year again......back to school! The summer has flown by (just like always!), so that means it's time for our Fall/Winter sale! Again, we will only be doing the sale in Kearney this season, so help us grow it and you can receive $5 in Bumblebees and Ladybugs "money"! Remember, we will only be accepting items with barcoded tags ~ no handwritten tags (if you haven't tried the new system I think you will be surprised how easy it is and that it actually saves you time!!!). If you would like to see comments from other consignors, go to the Bumblebees and Ladybugs Facebook page and read the posts (and "Like" it if you haven't done that already!). Also, be sure to check and see what color of cardstock you should be using for your consignor number (on the Basic Tagging and Printing page) ~ this helps us when we are tearing down.....just one of the extra little steps we do to get ready to sort all of the items!

Only a few new things for this sale ~ the sale will actually be in the Exhibit Building at the Fairgrounds this time (they needed the other spot for a different event, so I moved for them). The other thing is that I am asking the consignors to bring a SASE (self addressed stamped envelope) with them so that check-in will be faster and if someone is delivering your items for you they won't need to know all your info! If a consignor doesn't bring this, $1 will be deducted from their final check. I'm sticking with the $12 consignor fee ($10 if you volunteer at least one shift or come and help with teardown). Please read the January 2011 post below for more info on these items!

Check out the Advertisers page and let them know that Bumblebees and Ladybugs sent you!!

Happy Tagging!

Spring is coming!!!

January 2011

I'm looking forward to the Spring weather (since it has been so cold out!), but I am taking advantage of these cold days and going through closets and toys to get them ready for the upcoming sale! We will only be having one sale this season in Kearney ~ I want to concentrate on this sale and grow it as big as we can! The more consignors we have will draw in more shoppers from an even bigger area! So to help in this effort, I will be giving you $5 in Bumblebees and Ladybugs "money" to spend at the current sale for every new consignor that you refer to the sale! For you to receive the $, the new consignor has to enter your name when they are initially setting up their account ~ there will be no exceptions. It will be your responsibility to make sure they add your name when they are creating their account and you will need to ask for your "money" when you check-in at the sale. If they don't bring in any items and you received "money" for them, that amount will be deducted from your check after the sale.

And of course the BIG change to the sale is the new software that we will be using! We will be using scanners at the sale instead of registers, so our tags will have barcodes on them that you print right from your computer. You will use the link under the "Login/Register" tab that takes you to the Consignor Homepage (or if you are a new consignor, you will need to use the "New Consignor Registration" link first and then follow these directions). This is where you will sign-up to consign, volunteer, enter your items to print your tags......everything! You will enter all of your items on the computer (this will give you a list of your items that you are bringing, but it isn't a guarantee on your items since we aren't going to scan every item before it goes on the floor and then scan every item after the sale ~ this is just handy for you to have to keep record of what you brought to the sale, just because it got entered and a tag done doesn't mean that it made it to the sale and without scanning everything in and out there is no way for us  to guarantee the items) and then print your tags (on cardstock ~ make sure you use the color assigned to your consignor #), cut them apart and attach to your items. This might sound like more work, but I think once you get started you will like it. Make sure you check out the "Basic Tagging Instructions & Printing" and "Tagging and Pricing" pages....there is more info on those pages. Also, if you use all white tags on your items, you will be able to shop early with the volunteers at 4:30pm on Thursday! (You don't need to redo all the tags on items that you already have done, we will be able to physically input that info so it goes towards your account.)

Everyone knows that things get more expensive every year and the consignor fee has been the same price since the sale started in 2004 ~ so to offset all the price increases that the sale incurs (including the new software we are using for the sales now, which has to be purchased for every sale not a one time thing, insurance, advertising, facility rental and credit card fees) the consignor fee has gone from $7 to $10. Also, to make volunteering more appealing to people, if you don't volunteer or come help us sort the items for pick-up after the sale and you are picking up your items that don't sell (this doesn't apply to consignors who donate all their items that don't sell) your consignor fee will be $15. What this means is, if you don't volunteer for one of the shifts during the sale, but you come in and help us sort the items for pick-up, then you won't have the extra fee. If you just help with the sorting (which could really only be 1/2 an hour to an hour, depending on how many people show up) it doesn't count as volunteering time to shop early, it just saves you $5. You are coming to get your items anyway, why not help for a short amount of time (sometimes you have to wait to get your items anyway) and save $5. I think this will help everyone who has never volunteered see how much work it is to sort everything at the end of the sale and appreciate the volunteers who do it all the time!

I have done a lot of research on this looking at different sales to see what their consignor fee is, the % they pay out, volunteer benefits, etc. From that information I can tell you that the 70% that we pay out to begin with is the highest I found (that's what other sales offer or less) and the 75% we give to volunteers who work 2 shifts or an extended shift is at the top of the benefits for volunteers with the fewest regulations. The consignor fee was $10 or as high as $15 (and that sale only pays out 65% and doesn't give any extra % to volunteers). And there are some sales that picking up your items that didn't sell is only a benefit offered to volunteers. So, I think overall we are doing pretty good! 

A couple of reminders:

• Remember to bring your items to the Mommie Mart! We will be taking women's shoes, jeans, shorts and jackets. Purses, accessories, home decor and family furniture! This will let the Mommies out shopping for their children be able to pick up something for themselves!!!
• Make sure your items are CLEAN, GENTLY-USED and LIKE-NEW and don't be offended if the volunteer doesn't accept some of your items! We are trying to have the highest of quality at the sale to make it the best!

See you soon and happy tagging!!!