Next week is the highly anticipated consignment event for families with young children or children on the way. I love this event so much for what it does for the community, as well as how it benefits both the shopper and the seller. I have invited Jennifer Hundley, co-founder of the Northbay Just Between Friends Sale, to share a little about the sale as well as why this sale is so great.
Consigning with Just Between Friends
by Jennifer Hundley
To say consignment is sweeping the nation might be a bit of an understatement. Lucky for us, one of California’s largest consignment sales (www.jbfsale.com/northbay) is held right here in Santa Rosa. And while the goal is to help thousands in the North Bay area save (50-90 percent below retail) and earn money (60-65 percent) consigning quality new and gently-used kids items, at its core, Just Between Friends (JBF) North Bay is a community event.
Community runs deep in Sonoma County. Just look at the sweeping support for the Petaluma National Little League families. There are several small communities within each Just Between Friends event, and with the fabulous frenzy of shopping and consigning, it’s easy to see how they could be missed. You know the saying – forest for the trees.
Community Beneficiaries
When you shop at JBF, you’re helping Active 20-30 service organizations, our community partner, through your admission donations. In early August, Active 20-30 clubs from Santa Rosa, Redwood Empire, Healdsburg, Petaluma, Rohnert Park and Sebastopol took hundreds of local children back to school shopping. The annual Children’s Shopping Spree events, held at Coddingtown Mall in Santa Rosa and Kohl’s in Petaluma, provided each child with a $150 shopping stipend (raised in part from admission to Just Between Friends events), free breakfast, free haircuts, backpacks full of school and daily supplies, and more. They truly are amazing events, and we are so proud to take part each year. Thank you for helping make it happen!
When you consign at JBF, you’re helping Our Kids Sake and the 1,000+ local homeless children by donating your items that don’t sell. Our Kids Sake is a 501c3 nonprofit that organizes donations to various homeless shelters and organizations that not only give your items new life, but help local children and their families. Again, thank you for making it happen!
Behind the Scenes
We have a fantastic group of volunteers (and can always use more, hint! hint!), which is important because the event is run entirely by those willing to donate their time (4, 8 or 12 hours – the more you volunteer, the earlier you get to shop)! The benefits are great of course (shop first, earn 65 percent if consigning), but many spend their time with us because it really is fun! Plus you get a chance to meet other like-minded moms and dads. In fact, many have become friends with one another outside of JBF and seek to volunteer the same hours together each sale.
Did you know our volunteer team leads spend 24+ hours onsite at the event? They truly are remarkable women (and we are so thankful for their support and dedication to their community).
The other team behind the scene is the staff from the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. They run things very smoothly, which we ALWAYS appreciate!
Locals Reaching Locals
For the second straight event we’re partnering with G&G Markets, long time community-focused markets in Santa Rosa and Petaluma. You’ll see G&G throughout the event, either in person kindly handing out product samples, or when utilizing their shopping carts, 40 of which are being lent to help JBF shoppers stock up.
Many local mom- and family businesses and organizations participate as vendors. JBF offers a unique opportunity for these small businesses to connect with the people that can benefit directly from their respective products and services. Several, such as KOA Kampgrounds, Pink Ginger Design, Colors of Spanish, Avon, Little Kickers, First 5 and St. Luke’s Lutheran School participate season after season, and are now friendly, familiar faces to us and JBF shoppers, alike.
Schools, church groups and mothers groups join the fun at Just Between friends to help raise funds by consigning group items and awareness for their respective causes.
You won’t necessarily see them, but members of local police forces walk the floor as plain-clothed security throughout the event. What great piece of mind for us all.
Finally, our consignors – simply put, without them the sale would not happen. Each season they prepare, price and tag their items (some consign 1,000+ items) to be sold, and each season the consigned inventory grows. In fact, this sale we’ve built 35 percent more clothing racks (520 linear feet) to accommodate. The 40,500 square foot Grace Pavilion suddenly seems so small for nearly 100,000 kids and maternity items!
All of these little (and not so little) communities join forces to make up the Bay Area’s Largest Kids and Maternity Consignment Sales Event twice a year. Community runs deep in Sonoma County, and we’re thrilled to be a part of so many! Come join your community:
*Wednesday & Thursday, Sept. 5 – Exclusive presale for volunteers, consignors, 1st time parents, adoptive and foster parents, grandparents, military and teachers (advance online registration required)
Public Shopping Times:
* Thursday, Sept. 6, 3 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
* Friday, Sept. 7, 10 a.m. -7 p.m.
* Saturday, Sept. 8, 9 a.m. -3 p.m.
* Sunday, Sept. 9, 9 a.m. -2 p.m. – 50 percent Off Sale!
Jennifer Hundley and her husband Matt organize the Just Between Friends North Bay events. Jen is a native Sonoma County resident and a mom to a four and a half year old. She and her husband are proud to serve their community via their consignment events and by volunteering for their local Active 20-30 service club.
For photos of past Just Between Friends sales, CLICK HERE.
