If you’re the mom of a child you know two things: you want your kids to wear cute outfits without straining the budget, and that at the end of each season you are you left with piles of outgrown clothes. If you’ve never heard of children’s consignment sales, then this is the solution to both of these problems. You can earn cash from your outgrown clothing, and you can buy other’s outgrown clothing for a great price. It’s like recycling. And that’s just cool.
Good friends of mine started Rhea Lana’s of Southern Indiana Children’s Consignment last year, and they are working hard to let community members know that this is a great option for parents looking to earn cash and save cash. Plus, did I mention how cool recycling is?
As if that’s not great enough, Vicki and Wendy also support local family-friendly businesses, artists and craftspeople by renting booths at their events where such folks can sell their wares. Truly, awesome.
Here is a little interview I did with my friend Vicki to help you learn more about Rhea Lana’s of Southern Indiana and how you can get involved to sell your outgrown children’s clothing, shop the sale, or rent a vendor booth:
Tell us about yourself:
We are Vicki Wiehebrink and Wendy Ledbetter, mother/daughter franchise owners of Rhea Lana's Children's Consignment Events. We both live in Jeffersonville, Indiana. I have two grown children, Scott and Wendy. I have five grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Wendy has three children, Jake, Kylie and Kinley.
Tell us about Rhea Lana's of Southern Indiana.
Founded by Rhea Lana Riner in her living room 14 years ago and headquartered in Conway, Arkansas. Rhea Lana's Children's Consignment hosts semi-annual sales through 48 franchise operations in 14 states. The company is the fist consignment sale in the country to offer on-line management and real-time tracking of merchandise through a computerized inventory system.
What is the benefit to parents of consigning outgrown clothing and toys?
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Consignors can price each item they choose to sell in the event.
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Consignors choose whether they want to sell items for half price on the final days of the sale.
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Consignors can track their sales in real time on-line or on their smart-phone because of the innovative bar coding system developed by the company.
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Consignors earn 70 to 80 percent of the sale price and will pick up their checks at the end of the sale.
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Consignors can relax knowing their items are guaranteed against loss.
How does your business impact Louisville and Southern Indiana?
One of the most fulfilling things we do after each event is to donate thousands of lovely children's items to nonprofit organizations who give them directly to families in need. We feel blessed to be able to provide this service to families in Southern Indiana.
We also give and receive support of these local area sponsors:
SIGS (Southern Indiana Gymnastics Sportsplex)
Republic Bank
Chick-fil-A, New Albany, IN
What are you currently working on?
We are currently working on getting more consignors signed on and also promoting Rhea Lana's through events in the area. We will be at the Floyd Memorial Hospital Baby Fair this weekend to give moms-to-be a pass to shop our event on our presale night before it opens to the public. We advertise all of our community events on our Facebook page.
What is your favorite thing about running your business?
By far, our favorite thing is visiting with all the moms and grandmothers we meet when we are at these community events and talking to us about Rhea Lana's.
What is the most challenging aspect of your work?
I would have to say the most challenging thing is finding a location to hold our events. We need a large open space, and sometimes that is not an easy thing to find in this area.
When will your next consignment sale be and where will it take place?
Our next event is October 13-16 at the Floyd County 4H Fairgrounds on Green Valley Road in New Albany Indiana.
If parents are interested in participating in your next sale, what do they need to know to get started?
There are very good instructions on our website (southernindiana.rhealana.com) on how to get your items ready, enter and price your items. If you have questions or problems, you can always email us at vicki@rhealana.com or wendy@rhealana.com.
Likewise, please contact us if you have a family-friendly business and are interested in renting a booth during our event.
Where can we keep up-to-date on Rhea Lana's of Southern Indiana?
You can find us on Facebook at Rhea Lana's of Southern Indiana or on our web page at southernindiana.rhealana.com.
How can readers find a Rhea Lana’s in other areas?
Check out the Rhea Lana’s webpage to find a location near you.
