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Just Between Friends is WHERE?
Thursday, February 16, 2012 By: Mollie Eichman
Have you checked out the newest locations of Just Between Friends? Maybe, just maybe, you may have a sale in your very own town!
Our Corporate Office just conducted the 1st quarter training & are THRILLED to welcome aboard 2 new sales! We now have a JBF sale in N.Austin/Pflugerville, TX & Olympia, WA! And believe that these ladies will bring an amazing sale to their area!!
If you live in these areas, please make sure you go to our website & check out the event dates for each of these sales! If you don’t live in these areas, make sure you check out the events page of our website to see other sales that will be happening all over the county.
If you currently do not have a sale in your area, but are interested in possibly starting one, please click here JBF Franchise.
From Left to Right: Shannon Carter, Trainer; Kara Turner, N. Austin; Allison Daniel, N. Austin; Jenny Mavin, Olympia, WA; Tracey Gifford, Trainer
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New JBF Sales Popping Up Everywhere!
Sunday, January 01, 2012 By: Mollie Eichman
In November, we had the honor of adding several new JBF territories to our team. For our 4th quarter training, we had 5 new owners attend our 4th quarter training in lovely San Diego, CA - where we held our annual conference. These are some amazing women who, we have no doubt, will bring amazing JBF sales to their area! Make sure you check them out if you live near them! Happy Shopping!!
(From Left to Right: Shannon LeDoux, Scottsdale, AZ; Bree McCaffrey, Irving/Coppell, TX; Michelle Wiginton, Trainer; Kathy Carroll, Waxahachie, TX; Christine Odom, Waxahachie, TX; Denise Klipsic, White Bear Lake, MN; Shannon Carter, Trainer; Shannon Wilburn, CEO & Co-Founder)
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We've Grown!
Friday, April 22, 2011 By: Leslie Meade
Just Between Friends has grown and so has our blog! We invite you to visit us at www.JBFSaleBlog.com. Discover parenting tips, recipes, JBF franchise news, product reviews, giveaways and more.
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Top 5 Tips for Successful Children's Consignment
Friday, April 15, 2011 By: Shannon Wilburn
Top Five Tips For Successful Children’s Consignment
by Michelle Wiginton
- As soon as your kids have outgrown or are no longer using items, resell them. Like everything else, clothes, toys, equipment, etc. lose their value over time.
- Learn how to get out stains. Magic Erasers are great for plastic toys. Goo-Gone is super for stains. Tide Stain Pens are handy for your purse or diaper bag.
- Don’t procrastinate when it comes to tagging. Everyone is busy, but moms who tag throughout the year are the ones who receive consignor checks for hundreds if not thousands of dollars each season.
- Look for great deals and share those with other local moms. A bargain is a bargain. If you find an excellent garage or clearance sale, purchase items for resale and you’ll earn some extra money for just being in the right place at the right time.
- Talk about saving money with other moms. Moms are smart. Talk to your friends and neighbors about ways you’ve found to save/make money and learn what they are doing to help increase their family’s bottom line.
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Spring Cleaning
Monday, February 14, 2011 By: Shannon Wilburn
Smart Moms Use Snow and Cold Days to do Spring Cleaning
Originally published on ConsignmentMommies.com
Hundreds of thousands of American moms across the United States are using this cold weather and unexpected snow days to clean out, organize and prepare their gently-used, outgrown and unused maternity and children’s items so they can cash in at an upcoming spring children’s consignment sales event. From strollers to Sketchers, from Gymboree to Johnny Jump-Ups, and from Little Tikes to Little People, children’s consignment events’ offer families the opportunity to buy and sell what their children need for next warmer weather. (and we could all use some sunny thoughts right now)
“Children’s consignment sales events bring moms together under one roof and give them the opportunity to sell their items and make great money for their family, while providing a venue where they can also shop for what they need for 
the next season,” said Michelle Wiginton, event coordinator for five Just Between Friends semi-annual community sales events in Missouri. “I have consignors who use their checks to buy the next season’s wardrobe, help pay the mortgage and even one mom who is funding a family trip to Disney World this summer on what she has made selling at our events.”
What’s great about consignment is that you can prepare and tag your items year round. This makes winter storms almost enjoyable because moms know they will make great money on their items that sell in spring. A few hours spent in preparation of their items will mean hundreds of dollars during the next sale.
“Our consignors know that we inspect all items, so we don’t waste their time on things that won’t sell and we don’t waste the time of our shoppers, who do not want to sort through stained and outdated clothing or dig through broken toys or games with missing pieces,” said Michelle Wiginton, who is also a Certified Meeting Planner, as well as being certified in Change Management and Business Process Reorganization. “Consignors say they save their “best stuff” for consignment because they can make more money than at a garage sale or traditional consignment store, they love to shop early and they don’t have to pick-up any items that don’t sell when they donate to a local children’s charity. We make it easy for smart moms to make money, save money, make new friends and have a ton of fun in the process.”
Spring will be here before you know it (even if it doesn’t feel like it under a foot of snow and ice) and the kids will need new bathing suits, shorts and outdoor play equipment. Cleanout closets, toy boxes, shelves and those bins in the garage. Consider selling DVDs, booster seats, books, toys, crib sheets, nursery décor, bunk beds, hair bows and anything else that has to do with raising a child that you no longer use or need.
“A mom’s first consignment sale experience can sometimes be the most overwhelming (and most financially rewarding), simply because they might have a ton of stuff to tag and bring from a couple of years,” said Wiginton. “After their first full year of events, including a spring/summer and then fall/winter sale, they will then just be prepping and tagging items for one season. Moms will still get a nice check, but have a lot less to store and try to keep up with. I hear all the time how great it is to have money for the items that were just taking up space in someone’s home and garage AND get great money for it, too.”
Snow Day Consignment Game
Make your first consignment experience a game! (you know, it really should be fun!)
1. Get your kids to help if they are old enough or have some fun while they are napping, if they are too young to help. Have them go through their own things…and bring you shoes that pinch their toes, tops that show their tummy and toys that only babies would play with.
2. Go through your home and gather all of the things you know are outgrown or unused and take them someplace in your home where you can sit down and sort (like a basement, living room or guest bedroom).
3. Next you are going to create three piles: Trash (for broken and anything beyond repair or reuse), Donate/Garage Sale (more than gently-worn clothing, toys that might be missing a couple of pieces but someone might purchase to compliment a set they already have, shoes that are scuffed, etc.) and Consignment (this is where all the really good stuff goes)!
4. Go through each item, talk with your kids about Halloween costumes and laugh about your items…these are your memories, enjoy them! Send your little ones off to find missing Little People, missing shoes and that cute matching hat and belt to last year’s Easter dress. Include your children so they learn that taking care of things is important and talk to them about the other kids who are going to enjoy their things next and what they might want you to look for at the sale to bring home for them.
5. Once you have your trash pile, set it out for Mr. Sanitation Engineer to pick up. Then, box/bag up your garage sale/donate items because those will be your second priority. Focus on your consignment items because that is where you will recoup your most investment in your children. Check all clothing items for broken snaps, buttons and zippers. Any stains? Head to the utility room.
6. Don’t worry if you don’t have fresh batteries, hangers, cardstock, safety pins, etc. You can prepare your items by cleaning them up, getting them all together and entering your items into the computer. Do as much as you can now. Then, when the sun clears the roadway, you’ll be half-way to a big, fat juicy consignor check.
TIP: If you can, invest in a couple of inexpensive plastic tubs and mark them “warm” and “cold” for your clothing. When your kiddos grow out of something, launder it and then just toss it into the bin, so it will be ready for tagging when you are! Remember, have fun. This is a great opportunity to enjoy some family time, earn some extra income and then shop with your friends!
Michelle Wiginton is a hard-working wife of a retired OK State Trooper and mom to three sons and is also the current Franchise of the Year for Just Between Friends, the nation’s largest maternity and children’s consignment sales event franchise. www.jbfsale.com She has a BA and Master’s Degree in International Human Relations and has worked with both ABC News and Good Morning America. Michelle coordinates five JBF semi-annual community children’s consignment sales events in Missouri and firmly believes you can have fun, laugh, serve others and get your work done at the same time.
Keep The Boss Happy
Saturday, May 01, 2010 By: Daven Tackett
Keep The Boss Happy, By A JBF Husband, Paul Tackett
Not only have we heard this, we know it to be true – “When the boss is happy, everyone is happy.” It doesn’t matter if you’re dealing with the boss at the office, or the more important one, the boss at home.
When I say “we,” I’m referring to all of us whose wife has chosen to be involved with Just Between Friends aka JBF, either as a consignor, owner, shopper or volunteer.
My journey with keeping my boss happy started when I volunteered to help with the marketing. It was my job to place and pick-up Daven’s hand-painted signs, which I built, for the first couple of years of the sale that helped inform others about our most unique children’s consignment event.
Now, more than 10 years later, the list of things I do to support my boss has grown a little, but regardless of what it is, I will continue to support my wife.
I must confess, initially, like many of you, I had my doubts and concerns about JBF. All the late nights and long hours left me second-guessing my decision, and the line between supporting my wife or creating a monster was crossed sometimes.
This meant/means like any healthy relationship, some days the grit of your character will be tested.
Let me say, it’s easy to get upset and during those early years, I questioned my wife’s involvement. But now looking back, I’m so glad that I choose to stand by my woman because the benefits of JBF not only helped my family, but every family that the sale touches.
So whether your wife asks you to watch the kids so she and her friends can shop, or volunteers you for a set-up or breakdown shift as a consignor so she can shop early and save/make some extra money, rest assured your boss will be happy.
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A Mom's Memories
Monday, March 01, 2010 By: Michelle Wiginton
In preparation for our upcoming spring JBF event in North Tampa, Florida, I have been busily cleaning out my kids' closets, drawers and toy boxes, gathering up items that have been outgrown or are no longer played with. In part, it’s a fantastic feeling. Twice a year, my kids' rooms are so clean and organized that I hesitate to let them back through the doors. But, while cleaning out my two-year-olds drawers to make room for this year’s next-size-up summer wardrobe, I got hit with a momentary wave of sadness.
Packing away his little jammies got me thinking how each season ends an era for our children. With every growth spurt comes the reminder that they’re not going to stay little forever. Each seemingly shrunken shirt tells me a story of a once much smaller child who is changing and maturing daily. My little man is growing up, and before you know it, the name “little man” will no longer be a term of endearment but will, instead, turn him beet-red should I dare to utter it in front of his friends.
“Why, oh why, can’t he just be little like this forever?”
As quickly as the words escaped my lips, I was reminded of how much my little guy makes me smile. Just the other night, I told him we only had time to read a “short, little bedtime story.” He promptly brought me two books, laid them on my lap and exclaimed, “Here mommy, dis one is short and dis one is little!” Not a day goes by when he doesn’t throw his arms around me in a giant munchkin squeeze, snuggle his soft little nose into my neck and whisper, “I so glad you’re my mommy.” It absolutely melts my heart.
This is certainly not the first instance in which I have made the wish for him to stay little forever. I wished it when he was born. I wished it on his first birthday. I wished it when he first started walking and talking. I have wished it during those precious little moments that I just never wanted to end.
But the reality is, if he had stayed “like this forever” when he was born, I would have missed the joy and pride that surges through me whenever he calls me “Mommy.” If he had stopped changing after he turned one, he wouldn’t be able to greet me in genuine, toddler enthusiasm, running as fast as his roly-poly legs can go, every time I come home. If he had halted all milestones after his first words and movements, I would be missing out on all of the sweet, funny characteristics and personality traits that become more and more apparent every day through his words and actions.
So, today, I make a resolution not to ever wish for time to stand still or go backwards, but to cherish and love every moment with my little ones just as it is. Every minute and milestone that I love about today is a reminder that there are even more wonderful memories yet to be made. Every change that tomorrow will bring promises to hold just as much joy and laughter as the current moments. After all, some changes are for the better – and some are just a continuation of what is just so perfect about right now.
Christina Ruhlig
Just Between Friends North Tampa
Christina's "little man"...
Joy of Volunteering
Wednesday, February 24, 2010 By: Michelle Wiginton
Our monthly guest blogger, Kate Holmes of www.HowToConsign.com, knows the joys of volunteering. In addition to community volunteering, Kate’s life-long experience (she’s a second-generation second-hander, having “inherited” the knack from her mother) translates well on her free web sites and blogs. She’s a long-time workshop presenter and conference organizer for the resale industry’s trade association and has won awards for her volunteer work. “And friends,” Kate adds. “The biggest joy of volunteering is the good, life-long friends I have made.” Kate is the author of the best-selling manual,Too Good to be Threw The Complete Operations Manual for Resale & Consignment Shops .
The Joys of Volunteering
You’re a busy woman, with children, chores, job and hobbies. Your calendar is full. Why would you want to volunteer at a JBF sale?
Well, sometimes it’s about the thrill of the hunt. After all, our volunteers get to shop our sales before the general public does. And who can deny us the excitement of first dibs on all the great stuff every JBF event has?
But beyond the merely monetary, there’s the joy of volunteering for your community’s sake. All those reasons you have for not volunteering melt away when you realize that for a specific and short length of time, you can help your community in a tangible way. Think about it: you’re helping keep down the cost of raising healthy and happy kids in your town; you’re uniting the parents of your area together; you’re even helping preserve the ecology by recycling! All this in addition to making and saving money for the smallest community you belong to: your own family.
Volunteering can be an adventure too. Reaching out to others brings you into a new environment where you might learn something that will influence your life down the line. Getting out into the world can give you untold gifts and change your whole way of thinking and doing. It could show you new interests, suggest new hobbies, or even lead you to a new career.
And what could be more fun than volunteering to help organize the cutest kidstuff ever? Well, nothing, except doing it in the company of new friends! If you’ve ever felt like there must be someone out there who thinks just like you do, who has the same concerns and loves the same things you do...you’re right. And where better to find a new friend or two or three than during a JBF volunteer shift? You could go home with not only a great deal or two but a new circle of folks who’ll make your life a joy.
It all boils down, I think, to three things. Helping your community in a visible way, expanding your personal boundaries and making friends. Who can’t find a few hours to discover all three of those? It’s a great way to spend a little time, give a little... and get a lot back.
Speaking of making friends, don’t neglect the ones you have. Pass on the word about our sale to everyone you know. Friends, neighbors, members of your social groups and clubs. Chances are, they’ll be interested in consigning or buying. And, if you have a friend with some things to sell or some things she needs...volunteer to show her how easy and fun and profitable a JBF event can be!
Consignment guru Kate Holmes of Too Good to be Threw offers good consigning and shopping advice to eco- and economy-conscious consumers at www.HowToConsign.com
Letting Go!
Tuesday, February 02, 2010 By: Shannon Wilburn
Letting Go!
I have to admit that I am not much of a reader. However, I stumbled upon a blog recently that caught my attention. The young Tulsa mother was lamenting about needing to simplify her life without getting rid of what their family needs. She confessed that their closets and dresser drawers were full to overflowing with items that they no longer needed. With one infant child in the house, they didn't know that a baby needed so many things.
She commented that they weren't sure if they were going to have another child and asked the questions that so many of us have had at one point or another.....do I need to save this stuff and if not..how do I let go? She spoke of the baby's first Christmas outfit or the outfit that her child walked in for the first time and all the memories attached to those items.
She then went on to mention that she knew about the options in which to let go. Just Between Friends as well as a local non-profit that helps families in emergency situations, Emergency Infant Services were both on her option list. Her question to her readers was...How can I let go?
I have copied my response to her below.
My kids are now teenagers. It's been a long time since I had some of those same feelings, but reading your blog took me back to the time when my children were infants. I remember having a hard time getting rid of things initially. I had to train myself to think about the people that would be blessed by the items that I was cleaning out.
I think it is funny that you mentioned two options that are close to my heart, JBF and EIS. I have been blessed by being able to witness the smiles on customers faces as they come through the lines at JBF knowing that they have wonderful items for the children and that they would not be able to clothe their children in that manner without others consigning their beautiful, gently loved items that they no longer need.
I don't get to work the check out as often as I like, but did have the chance to work it a little at the Fall Just Between Friends sale in Tulsa. I had a woman with a tiny infant come through my line, a teenage mom. She did not have a mom or a husband with her at the time. It was the 1/2 price day and she came up with three outfits (none were over 2 dollars), two bibs and some bottles. When I rang up the sale, it came to about $11.00. She looked embarrassed and told me that she needed to put something back, that she didn't realize that there was tax. She had ten dollars to spend on her new baby and I could tell it was a stretch. Of course, I told her that there wasn't going to be any putting-back. She left there with all of her purchases and I went in my office and started crying.?
That experience solidified my feelings that consigning and donating my items is the way to go. I recently joined the board at Emergency Infant Services (www.emergencyinfantservices.org) and get to hear about the tons and tons of families that use their services. About two years ago, they would see about 15-20 families a day offering help with clothing, formula, medicine, car seats, cribs, etc. With the recession, those numbers have gone up to 50-60 a day!
The needs around the country are so great and every little bit helps! When you are looking at your child's precious clothes and thinking of the memories....start a new thought, one that envisions another needy mom getting to experience the joy of the outfit too, because of your generosity!
It's a life changer and makes it so much easier to take that first step and let go.
Shannon Wilburn
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Make Your Items Best Sellers!
Monday, January 18, 2010 By: Michelle Wiginton
Our monthly guest blogger, Kate Holmes of www.HowToConsign.com, knows what makes shoppers buy. A second-generation second-hander, her mother owned two consignment shops and raised four children herself on that income. Kate is the author of a best-selling operations manual for the industry and its acknowledged “Consignment Guru." Kate’s wardrobe, home, and hobby gear are almost all previously-enjoyed.
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