WHAT TO SELL     |     PREPPING & TAGGING     |     DROP-OFF     |     PICK-UP

So you’ve cleaned out your closet. Now what? It’s time to prep and tag!

SELECTING YOUR BEST GENTLY LOVED ITEMS:

Be sure to select your best gently loved items to bring to the sale. Shoppers are looking for high quality items that you kept in great shape. Make sure to read our “What to Sell” webpage to learn about the types items we will accept and those that we will reject. We want you to make the most out of your items!

Have questions or want to chat with us or other consignors? Join the conversation in our Preloved Threads Facebook Group!

PREPARING YOUR ITEMS:

Clothes will sell best if you get them in their best shape, just as if you were going to wear them.

  • Make sure everything is washed and clean.
  • If they are wrinkled, iron them or use Downy Wrinkle Release spray.
  • Hang items correctly – shirts/dresses/jackets on standard hangers; pants/skirts/shorts on pant hangers.
  • Please no wire hangers.
  • Pants ARE NOT accepted if folded over a hanger. You must use a pant hanger or hang pants from the waistband.
  • Make sure hanger sizes fit the item. Shirts often fall off hangers because they are too large for the hanger.
  • Use rubber bands as a grip on hangers to keep clothing on them if needed.

GATHER SUPPLIES:

  • Use white cardstock (cream or beige is ok, color is not) to print your tags on. No thin copy paper or color cardstock is allowed.
  • A tagging gun or string to attach tags to your items. We highly discourage safety pins as they leave holes in clothing and are not accepted by our charity partner. If you use safety pins, you can not donate your unsold items, you must pick them up. We do not have staffing or capacity to remove all safety pins from items.
  • Appropriate hangers for your clothing types.
  • Zip ties and/or painter’s tape for shoes and decor. Do NOT use packing/shipping tape as it damages items.
  • Ziploc bags (if needed for jewelry).

PRICING TIPS:

The most common shopper comment at Preloved Threads goes a little something like this: “I just love this item, but it is priced a bit too high for something used.” Pricing your items can be one of the hardest part of the process and is often perfected with trial and error. So, here are some things to consider: How new is it? How trendy is it? What kind of shape is it in? What is it selling for in consignment shops or online? What price would YOU pay for it? Do you really want to have to pick it up if it doesn’t sell? Other tips:

  • Aim to price items at 60-90% off of retail prices.
  • Mark items to go half off on Sunday to give it a better chance to find a new home before the sale ends.
  • Be careful not to over price designer items just because they are designer. Shoppers are looking for bargains!
  • Make sure your items are displayed in the best way possible, they will be more likely to sell. For example, a freshly ironed shirt hanging nicely on a hanger will sell way faster than a wrinkled blouse hanging crooked on a wire hanger.
  • There are a lot of jeans at our sale and a lot of shoppers looking for jeans, so price yours to sell to make them stand out!

HOW TO TAG:

As you enter your items into the online tagging system, keep these things in mind:

    • Describing Items: Be as descriptive as possible when listing your item. If your item and its tag get separated during the sale, we cannot sell the item unless we can clearly tell who’s it is. If you tag your pants as “Jeans” we will not be able to re-match it to its tag because there are a couple hundred pairs of jeans at the sale. However, if you list your item as “Dark Blue Levi’s 550” that may be the only pair and we can easily match it to its tag.
    • Half Price Sale: If your item hasn’t sold between Wednesday and Saturday, its possible that you priced it too high. Marking it to go half off starting Saturday afternoon is a great way to give it a last chance to sell so you aren’t picking it up or losing our on the cash!
    • Donations: Are you planning to pick-up your unsold items at the end of the sale? If you don’t want the hassle, then mark your items to be donated if they do not sell. Donated items go to our great partner charity the St. Francis House in Puyallup. You’ll be helping out women in need by doing so and you’ll get donation information for your taxes.
    • Placing Tags: The easiest way to attach tags to your clothing items is with a tagging gun! You can purchase a retail tagging gun and fasteners for the lowest prices on amazon (around $10). It is SO worth it! Usually, Office Depot and Staples also sell tagging guns, but often $20-$30 more.
      • Clothing – Use your tagging gun to attach your tag to your clothing item. The best placement is to attach your tag to the inside tag of your item (that usually lists the item’s size). If there is no tag, attach your tag to an inside seam. DO NOT attach your tags to the clothing item itself as it may leave a hole. Attach the price tag to the clothing tag or inside seam if possible. If you do not have a tagging gun and must use safety pins please note that items with safety pins will not be able to be donated and must be picked up if unsold. And as a reminder, if you bring more than 200 items, you must also volunteer during a Sunday sort shift.

      • Shoes – If it is impossible to attach the tag using a tagging gun or safety pin, try using string or a zip tie to attach the tag to an eyelet or buckle of the shoe. If that is not an option either, you can attach your tag to one of the shoes using painter’s tape. Do not use tape that is hard to remove or will leave a residue or your shoes won’t sell.

      • Pants – Pants MUST be hung on by the waist. Pants will not be accepted if they are folded over a hanger. If you do not have any pants hangers, you can hang pants with binder clips, a tagging gun or two large safety pins. Here are some photos of examples on how to hang pants without a pants hanger.

      • Jewelry – We try to display most jewelry on jewelry boards, trees, and displays. If it is not possible to attach your tag to a bracelet or necklace using string, you may place your item inside a Ziploc baggie with your tag inside, but please note that items that can be displayed well sell better than those in bags. Earrings can be attached right to the tag by pushing them through the cardstock and affixing the back.
      • Other items – Use painter’s tape or string to attach tags to other items like home décor, belts, etc.
  • ITEM LIMITS:
    We do limit hanging items to 150 items and a total of 200 items are allowed overall. If you are selling more than 150 items and are choosing NOT to donate your unsold items at the end of the sale, you are required to volunteer for one tear-down/sorting shift at the end of the sale. Sorting items after the sale ends is the most time-consuming part of the sale and the more items there are the longer it takes. If we must sort a lot of your unsold items, then we require your help.