frequently asked questions shopper questions Q. What is Just Between Friends?
A. Just Between Friends (JBF) is a national franchise that hosts semi-annual children's and maternity consignment sales events across the country. The Reading Area and Western Mainline sales are owned and operated by two friends, Beth McIntyre and Tracy Panase...both Mom's who can relate to the demands of growing, busy children! We bring families together to buy and sell infant/kids' clothes, toys, infant equipment, halloween costumes, formal dresses, outdoor toys, mommy mart items, maternity items...and basically anything else to do with kids. Smart shoppers love shopping at JBF events, because they find the best selection and greatest deals to outfit their growing families. Consignors love selling their items at JBF events, because they are able to make more money on their high-quality items than the traditional means offer. Q. How often do you have these sales?
A. We hold sales twice a year. Our Fall/Winter sale will be held Sept. 23rd - 26th at The Greater Reading Expo Center. The Spring/Summer sale is held in March/April of each year. Q. Do you accept credit cards?
A. Yes, we accept MasterCard, Visa, and Discover. We also of course accept cash. Q. Can I sign up for your mailing list even though I don't want to consign now?
A. Absolutely! Click here or the "online signup" link at the top of the screen to register for our mailing list. Complete the required information, check the box for "Just updating my information," and make sure the "Email Mailing List" box is checked. You will be assigned a consignor number, but we will know that you're not consigning with us this time as long as you don't check the "Consignor" box. If you ever decide to become a consignor in the future, you can just update your registration and use the consignor number we assigned to when you initially registered for the mailing list. By registering for our Email Mailing List, we will keep your information private and only use it to provide you information about our sales events. You can opt out of receiving our emails at any time. Q. Are children allowed at the sale?
A. Yes, although we might get crowded, and the lines to the checkout could be long. We do ask you to keep your children with you at all times during the sale to ensure their safety. Q. Are the sales located indoors?
A. Yes, our sales are located in air-conditioned/heated buildings. The location for our Fall/Winter '09 Sale will be held at the The Reading Expo Center. For directions, click here. Q. Are there any parking fees or entrance fees?
A. There should is ample free parking available during our sale. We charge an admission of $3.00 the first day we are open to the public. Or you can click here to print out a copy of our online free admission coupon. Children 18 and under are always free. Have additional questions about shopping our sales event that are not answered here? Click here for our Contact Us page. consignor questions Q. What is a consignor?
A. A consignor is anyone who has items they wish to sell and chooses to assign their items to us for a few days in order for us to sell them in the consignor's behalf. Just Between Friends secures the facility, does the marketing, and runs the sales operation. Most importantly, we bring together families who are specifically interested in buying the types of items you're selling. Q. Who can consign their items and become a seller?
A. Anyone can consign their children's and maternity items with Just Between Friends. We request that you have a minimum of 20 items or $100 worth of items. Q. How does the consignment process work with Just Between Friends?
A. You sign up online and get a consignor number. You use that number to tag your items. As a consignor, you receive 65% on the sales of your items. You can earn more if you volunteer a minimum of 3 hours at the sale. There is also a $10.00 consignor fee which will be taken out of your check at the end of the event. Q. How do I become a consignor?
A. Click here to access our online signup page to register as a consignor. You will receive your consignor number by e-mail within minutes. Q. What items can I consign with Just Between Friends?
A. We accept anything related to babies, children or maternity. The clothing must be of the current season & style and in top condition. No adult clothing, other than maternity. Other great items are toys, books, videos, strollers, baby equipment, nursery items, large play equipment, bedding, cribs, changing tables, kids' sporting equipment, Halloween costumes (if the proper sale season), and formal dresses, etc. Go to this site http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prerel.html to see if any of the items that you are bringing to sell have been recalled. Be a responsible seller! You will be shocked to see the large list of recalled children's items. Click here for a recent car seat recall list. Q. Will I get my hangers back and what type of hangers do you require? A. Hangers will not be returned as they are sold with your clothing. We prefer plastic hangers but will accept wire as well. Many local merchants like Sears, Kmart, Boscov's and Osh Kosh will give you hangers free of charge - all you have to do is ask! Any of your unsold and non-donated items will be returned to you on the original hanger. Q. How long should I give myself to drop off my items?
A. We have self check-in and it typically takes about an hour to drop off your items, depending on how many items you brought.
If you have over 300 items, you can set up an appointment to drop off your items early. Otherwise, the earlier that you can get there on drop off day the better off you will be as it gets very busy later in the day and takes longer due to the long lines. Your items will be inspected and then you place them in the designated areas around the sales floor. We suggest that you have your clothes sorted in Boys - Girls - Maternity and then by size in each group. Doing this ahead of time wil help get you through the inspection process and actually putting your items out on the sales floor alot quicker. It is helpful to bring a wagon or a rolling rack to drop off your items too. We will have a few rolling racks available to use during drop off. To help speed up your check in process, we recommend downloading your consignor waiver form and printing it out ahead of time and come to drop off with it completely filled out. Another suggestion would be to bring your consignor car seat checklist filled out ahead of time and bring to drop off. Click here to download the consignor carseat checklist. Q. Will you take all my items?
A. We will be inspecting all clothing and shoes that you bring to consign to ensure that they meet our guidelines. We want to be known for selling only the best, so please don't be offended if some items are returned to you during the inspection process. We want our shoppers to have confidence in the quality and condition of the items they are purchasing. Q. If I consign my things, do I have to stay at the sale with my items?
A. No. You prepare, price, and drop the items off. We will do all the work to sell your items for you, then you can pick-up any unsold items at the designated times after the sale or choose to have them donated. Q. Who does the pricing?
A. You set your own price and you get to decide if it is discounted on our half-price day. Check our our Merchandise Prep page for pricing guidelines. Q. How much money will I make?
A. As a consignor, you set the prices for your items, and you decide if the items will be allowed to sell for 25% and/or 50% off during the discount price sale days. You can receive up to 70% of your total sales, minus a $10 consignor fee. So the amount of money you can make is determined by the quantity and quality of your items, how competitively you price them, and if you can join us as a volunteer or refer other consignors. Plenty of individual consignors at this sale have made over $500 or $1,000 at one sales event! Q. How many of my items can I expect to sell?
A. Using the sales from other areas in the country as a guide, most consignors sell approximately 80% of their children's clothes in sizes 2-10. For sizes under 24 months the percentage drops, due to the sheer volume of clothing in these size ranges that consignors bring. People also tend to receive infant clothing as gifts, hand me downs etc. Sizes larger than 10 generally sell at about 50-60%. Overall about 80% of all non-clothing items sell! HELP YOUR ITEMS SELL....TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS TO COME SHOP! Click here to refer a friend. Q. What if I work and can't make the pick up time work for my schedule?
A. You are welcome to have a friend pick up your items for you. You will need to send a note or let us know via email that someone else will be picking up your items. Q. Do I have to sort through the racks to find my unsold items?
A. No, when you pick up your unsold items, your hanging garments will already be sorted by Consignor # for easy pickup. As time and volunteer sign-ups allow, we hope to have all of the other items sorted, too. Q. How long does it take to receive my check?
A. Your check will be mailed to you in about 2 weeks from the end of the sale. Q. Will I know which of my items have sold?
A. Yes, you can! The JBF barcoding system provides you with a record of all your items that have sold, the date they sold, how much they sold for and what items were donated. This will also allow you to know exactly what you will be donating to the charity partner so you will have a more accurate deduction on your taxes. Click here to go to www.myjbftags.com, select the Reading sale and register to start barcoding your tags! (Make sure that you have registered to consign at the sale first as you will need your consignor number.) Q. Do consignors get to shop before the public?
A. Yes, consignors will be able to shop our exclusive pre-sale events. For the Fall '09 Sale, consignors and a friend are invited to shop on Tuesday, September 22nd at 5:30pm.
Q. Are nursing infants excluded from the "No Children at Presales" rule?
A. Nursing infants (non-walking) are allowed at presales. We still strongly urge you to find someone to watch your precious child as your shopping experience will greatly improve without the added responsibility.
Q. Where do I find safety pins, hangers, and other supplies to use in preparing my items?
A. You will find most of the supplies you need at Wal-Mart or dollar stores. Wal-Mart and other retail outlets carry safety pins and the child size vinyl coated wire hangers. They also carry Ziploc bags, tape, and index cards. Most usually however, these retail stores tend to run out of both the adult and child-sized wire hangers. So you might check with your local dry cleaners. Q. What about shoes?
A. Yes, we accept shoes however, please bring only your best! These items are easily worn out and will not sell if they are worn. Sorry, no worn tennis shoes or sneakers. We accept good quality athletic, dance, and snow shoes as well.
Q. What about stuffed animals?
A. We only accept name brand or battery operated stuffed animals (lights, sound, movement), Disney or Beanie Babies. Please note that should batteries be required for any of these items, they must be included with the toy.
Q. What is Mommy Mart?
A. Mommy Mart is a way for you to sell your furniture. Check our our Merchandise Prep page to see what all we accept in Mommy Mart. No antiques please. Have additional questions about consigning with Just Between Friends that are not answered here? Click here for our Contact Us page. volunteer questions Q. Can anyone sign up as a volunteer and attend the volunteer presales?
A. Yes, anyone may sign up to volunteer on a first come/first serve basis. You do not have to be a consignor to volunteer. Q. Can I bring a guest to the volunteer presale?
A. Volunteer presale passes admit one person to the volunteer presale. Workers may not bring guests who do not have their own volunteer presale pass. Volunteers will be given a pre-sale pass for a friend to enter our pre-sale starting at 6pm on Tuesday, 9/22. If your friend wants to shop earlier, encourage her volunteer with you!! Q. Do you provide childcare for volunteers?
A. We apologize, but we cannot offer childcare at this time. Please make arrangements for someone to watch your precious little ones during your shift. You can even get a friend to volunteer for a separate shift. Take turns watching each other's kids, and then shop the volunteer presale together! Q. I'm pregnant or have a medical condition. Is it OK for me to volunteer?
A. If you are pregnant or are limited in physical activity, you will want to volunteer when the workload is less. We have several shifts available with jobs that can be done sitting down. If you need these positions, please indicate such in the "Comments, Questions, Suggestions" area of the registration area or e-mail us and we will do our best to accommodate your request. Q. What should I wear during my volunteer shift?
A. Please come dressed comfortably. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes, and for your safety, closed-toe shoes are best. Have additional questions about volunteering with Just Between Friends that are not answered here? Call or e-mail Beth McIntyre at 484-638-0072 or BethMcIntyre@jbfsale.com. | 
