If you walk inside the Jim Graham Building at the NC State Fair Grounds this weekend it's a sea of kids items. There are row after row of clothing, starting with newborn all the way up to teens. If you're looking for more than just clothes, no worries, take you pick at the thousands of gently used toys for all ages, for girls and boys. You name it, you'll find it here. They also have a huge selection of infant items like strollers, bouncy seats and highchairs.
Amy Winstead is an organizer of the Kids Exchange who started it ten years ago. She says, "Just started as a way for people to make extra money. Number 2 help people buy things they would otherwise not be able to afford." Here's how it works, it's like one gigantic yard sale. For three days, sellers bring in their new or used baby, kids and teen items they no longer want. The sellers set the price, and get 2/3 of whatever the item sells for. The big sale is for three days, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Amy adds, "With everyone stretching their pocket book as far as they can go. There's no better place to shop than coming out to the kids exchange this week. You not only stock up on what you need for next month, but go all the way through the summer."
Here's one example of how parents to be could save big bucks on a nursery. Amy explains, "For $300.00 or $400.00 hundred dollars, you could truly come in and get a crib, a changing table, a dresser, a mattress. You could come over to linen area and get Pottery Barn linens with tags still on it for next to nothing." There are rock bottom prices that attract more than 20,000 shoppers to the sale. Amy adds, "The things we have out here are in great condition. You're truly buying things for ¼ to 1/3 of original price and the more you buy the more you save."
The sale starts this Friday, January 23rd at 9 a.m. and goes through Sunday. Sunday, is the half price sale. Anything that's left goes for 50 percent off. For information on this weekend's Kids Exchange, click here. There's no charge to get into this sale; also the sale happens twice a year, so if you can't go this weekend start preparing for the next sale in the summer.
The Kids Exchange is just one of many consignment sales coming up, to find out the other consignment sales in your area, visit a great website called Triangle Mom 2 Mom. They have a great list of the upcoming sales. Click here.
If you have a tip on how you save money during these tough times let us know about it.
