Tagged sale
Gender-Based Signs at Half-Pint
We agree – kids should be kids, and all kids should love all types of play, all types of colors, all types of clothes.
We love that some stores are beginning to take away gendered signs. We have often thought about doing the same. We have had many passionate parents even ask us if we could. It’s not that we don’t want to, but let us explain.
The entire sale is filled with items, brought in by consignors, in just hours. 600+ consignors bring in their items and have to put their items on the sales floor in the proper places, and want to get in and out as soon as possible! Volunteers want items to have been put on the sales floor in the right spot – like by like! There are just a few short hours to get the entire sales floor ready for the sale. From 8pm until 11pm, volunteers work frantically to make sure everything is organized. The less work that they need to do, the more likely that the sale is easy to shop.
And we know shoppers want to be fast. Most people only have a short period of time to shop and they want to zero-in on where they need to go. Me? My youngest is a slender 7 year old who loves crafts, and soft bright colored pants. For him I shop in 5, 6 and 7 boys, and 7 girls for slimmer fitting bright colored straight legged jeans and soft pants. I shop in the craft area, game area, and boy toys (because he also loves star wars and pokemon with a vengence). And I always peruse the girls toys and the nursery area, because you never know what might catch my eye (like the cloud lamp I bought him last sale). And I always shop girl and boy shoes because he really loves all colors and tends to have narrow feet. I don’t feel funny about it, because he doesn’t shop with me, and even if he did, he knows what he likes and what fits.
That said, we have no interest in making children feel sad, confused, or stereotyped about anything! Starting this sale, after Consignors have come and brought their items and after the volunteers are done sorting, we plan to remove the ‘boy toy” and “girl toy” signs. We will re-label them simply with “toddler toys” and “big kid toys”, and perhaps some more specific signs as able and appropriate. We will keep the clothing signs as they are. Not sure if your item goes on the boy or girl side? Ask a friend or another consignor and they can help you decide. We know that with itty bitties it seems extra ridiculous, but our gender neutral areas have NEVER been shopped well (for the same reasons as we listed above).
We’ll see how it goes for shoppers and revaluate after the sale. Let us know how it goes!
Join us at the 12th Annual Half-Pint Resale!
It’s time for the 12th annual Half-Pint Resale! (Find all of the times on our Upcoming Sale page)
This coming weekend is the 12th annual Half-Pint Resale, the area’s largest children’s consignment sale. With only a few days left before the sale, we hope you’ve got your resuable bags ready and your cheat sheets complete. Cool nights and crisp fall leaves are around the corner– and my guess is that there are littles (and school-aged bigs) who could use some new-to-you clothing, some gear, some toys, and how about a few holiday or birthday gifts stashed away – all on a budget?!
Here are a couple of things that might help you prepare for the season’s biggest shopping extravaganza:
1) Volunteers will be wearing black and will be wearing nametags. They are here to help you! There are a couple of volunteers with special duties that will really help you out: Volunteers in the GEAR AREA will help you purchase large items so you can easily purchase them without hindering the rest of your shopping experience (look for the signs on the wall). Volunteers with a ASK ME ABOUT BABY CARRIERS sign on their backs are ladies who know a TON about baby carriers and will be hanging around in that area during a few hours of the sale to help you try carriers on and learn about what will be best for you and your baby. We hope that these folks will help make your shopping experience better.
2) There are two main areas at the Madison Curling Club. In the lobby area, there are tables, seats, and places to just take a load off! Feel free to come in and take a seat, nurse your baby, dig into some food from this sale’s Food Carts (which will be during lunch and dinner hours Friday-Sunday). You are more than welcome to come and hang out – we only ask that you leave all unpurchased items on the sales floor. Thanks!
The sale area is in the arena part of the building. We will have hold tables where you could bag your items, if you say, need to go sit and nurse your babe or use the restroom. NOTE: The temperature in the arena area is similar in temperature to the temperature outside, due to the nature of the space. It may be warm, it may be cool, it all depends!
3) Spend some time reading through our Shopping Tips. There are a few things to highlight…
4) Strollers are NOT allowed during peak shopping times (anytime before Noon on Saturday). It gets so crowded and it would be unsafe for everyone. We also highly recommend you not bring children. We know – sometimes you have no choice! But we’ve had several kids get lost (think kids shorter than the racks and at some peak shopping times, several hundred people packing the space). Finally, Children of any size that are WORN in a carrier are ALWAYS welcome, anytime! If you do bring kids, please make sure that they do not play with the toys or sit in the gear. We’ve had kids break things (and then the item is unsellable) or have had people pass over things they want to buy because they think that they are accounted for, only to find out later that the person using the item wasn’t intending to buy it, and then a consignor lost the sale. THANKS for understanding!!
5) Check out all of our tips about holding items on our shopping tips page. Remember that items can stay on the Hold table for one hour maximum. PLEASE! Don’t abandon items on this table! Shoppers and consignors alike miss out!
6) Don’t forget to come on Sunday during the Half-Price sale! Everything (excluding rare items over $75 that a consignor asked to be excluded from the sale) is half-off!
7) And last, but not least, We only take cash and check! Keeping consignor checks as high as possible and keeping as much money in the community as possible.
Looking forward to seeing you:
Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013- 8am-7pm (new later hours)
Sunday, Sept. 15, 2013- 8am-1pm when everything is half off!
-Ellen and Lisa
PS – Half-Pint is only possible because of the tremendous community we are a part of. Say thank to these folks next time you see them –
PPS – Save a couple of bucks for some super awesome Half-Pint goods such as our new awesome Midwest Clay Project handmade mugs (tees and reuseable bags still availble as well) You can carry the Half-Pint love with you year round.
What is Half-Pint Resale? [Answered with Pictures]
What is Half-Pint Resale? 
Half-Pint Resale is a twice per year consignment sale, with awesome stuff for kids aged 0-12, for new mommas, new parents, grandparents, and everyone who loves a little!
Consignors and Volunteers shop a day early at presales –
And then the sale opens to the public for an entire day, and good quality affordable items – tens of thousands of them! – fly off the shelves!
And then it’s Sunday! And the Half-Price sale begins. While the tables and racks are looking comparably empty, there are still so many good deals to be found!
And what is left at the end of the sale?
Hard to believe, isn’t it?
You are going to come to the upcoming sale, right? Check out our shopping tips!
Spread the word!
Half-Pint Resale is
[550+ consignors] selling,
[45,000+ items], at ONE BIG WEEKEND LONG SALE
twice per year in spring and fall
for kiddos (ages 0-12) and expecting families
run by 2 local moms and 350+ volunteers
Thanks to First Moments Photography, Half-Pint’s photographer, for these amazing pics!
Spring 2013 Half-Pint by the Numbers
our favorite post each sale!
45,000 – Number of (estimated) available items for sale
1,580 – Total sales of our top Consignor this sale
208 – Number of items sold over the price of $25
(Can you believe how affordable it is to shop at Half-Pint Resale?)
34 – Percent of total sales purchased by Volunteers and Consignors
66 – Percent of total sales purchased during the Public Sale
240 – Number of shoppers waiting to get in on Friday when the doors opened at Noon (not including littles in carriers)
14 – Number of Consignors who sold over $900 worth of items
580 – Total Number of consignors who registered for the Spring 2013 sale
208 – Number of these people who were new to Half-Pint
200 – Number of consignors who donated items to our Charitable Partners
75 – Number of bags of spring/summer items and gear donated
29 – Percent increase in items sold from Spring 2012
370 – Number of Cities in Wisconsin where Consignors live
(Top 4, in order: Madison, Sun Prairie, Fitchburg, and McFarland)
1110 – Total Number of Volunteer Hours
14 – Number of Supporters
599 – Number of Places and Organizations where Volunteers posted information about Half-Pint
250 – Number of food-cart Sliders eaten by Half-Pinters
34 – Number of Half-Pint Scout Water Bottles being used this summer by little Half-Pints out in the community
170 – Number of hours Lisa and Ellen spent at the Madison Curling Club over the five days
15 – Pounds of Candy consumed by Volunteers
106 – Number of days until the Fall 2013 Half-Pint Resale
0 – Cost to Enter the Sale (always free!)
Join the fun at the 11th Annual Half-Pint Resale
It’s the 11th Annual Half-Pint Resale! 
This coming weekend is the 11th annual Half-Pint Resale, the area’s largest children’s consignment sale. With only a few days left before the sale, we hope you’ve got your resuable bags ready and your cheat sheets complete. Despite the unusually cool weather, we promise that spring is around the corner– and my guess is that there are littles (and school-aged bigs) who could use some new-to-you clothing, some gear, some toys, and how about a few holiday or birthday gifts stashed away – all on a budget?!
Did you join us for the Fall sale? Remember how you felt when you dragged that big bag to the counter and wrote that budget-friendly check?
Here are a couple of things that might help you prepare for the season’s biggest shopping extravaganza:
1) Volunteers will be wearing black and will be wearing nametags. They are here to help you! There are a couple of volunteers with special duties that will really help you out: Volunteers in the GEAR AREA will help you purchase large items so you can easily purchase them without hindering the rest of your shopping experience (look for the signs on the wall). Volunteers with a ASK ME ABOUT BABY CARRIERS sign on their backs are ladies who know a TON about baby carriers and will be hanging around in that area during a few hours of the sale to help you try carriers on and learn about what will be best for you and your baby. We hope that these folks will help make your shopping experience better.
2) There are two main areas at the Madison Curling Club. In the lobby area, there are tables, seats, and places to just take a load off! Feel free to come in and take a seat, nurse your baby, dig into some food from this sale’s Food Carts. You are more than welcome to come and hang out – we only ask that you leave all unpurchased items on the sales floor. Thanks!
The sale area is in the arena part of the building. We will have hold tables where you could bag your items, if you say, need to go sit and nurse your babe or use the restroom (or get a sugar fix!). NOTE: The temperature in the arena area is similar in temperature to the temperature outside, due to the nature of the space. It may be warm, it may be cool, it all depends!
3) Spend some time reading through our Shopping Tips. There are a few things to highlight…
4) Strollers are NOT allowed during peak shopping times (anytime before Noon on Saturday). It gets so crowded and it would be unsafe for everyone. We also highly recommend you not bring children. We know – sometimes you have no choice! But we’ve had several kids get lost (think kids shorter than the racks and at some peak shopping times, several hundred people packing the space). Finally, Children of any size that are WORN in a carrier are ALWAYS welcome, anytime! If you do bring kids, please make sure that they do not play with the toys or sit in the gear. We’ve had kids break things (and then the item is unsellable) or have had people pass over things they want to buy because they think that they are accounted for, only to find out later that the person using the item wasn’t intending to buy it, and then a consignor lost the sale. THANKS for understanding!!
5) Check out all of our tips about holding items on our shopping tips page. Remember that items can stay on the Hold table for one hour maximum. PLEASE! Don’t abandon items on this table! Shoppers and consignors alike miss out!
6) Don’t forget to come on Sunday during the Half-Price sale for the Fun Booth thanks to First Moments Photography!!! Come have fun with us!
And last, but not least, We only take cash and check! Keeping consignor checks as high as possible and keeping as much money in the community as possible.
Looking forward to seeing you:
Saturday, April 20, 2013- 8am-6pm, and Sunday, April 21, 2013- 8am-1pm when everything is half off!
-Ellen and Lisa
PS – Half-Pint is only possible because of the tremendous community we are a part of. Say thank to these folks next time you see them –
PPS – Save a couple of bucks for some super awesome Half-Pint goods (tees, stainless steel sippy’s, glass insulated travel mugs, and flip and tumbles!) You can carry the Half-Pint love with you year round.
Feed Half-Pint Shoppers
We’re looking for some folks to sell yummy treats at the upcoming Half-Pint Resale. Is your business or non-profit interested? Check out our RFP!
Important change to the sale of Cribs
The Consumer Product Safety Commission recently created a new set of safety standards regarding cribs. The new standards state that any crib manufactured before July 23rd, 2010, CAN NOT BE SOLD OR DONATED. Enforcement of this standard takes effect on July 28th of this year. Due to the short period of time between the July 23, 2010 and the upcoming sale, Half-Pint has decided to suspend the sale of cribs indefinitely. We apologize, as we know this effects both our consignors and shoppers, but we simply can not afford to risk potentially selling a crib that is not in compliance with the new CPSC standard.
Please note that the suspension of sales ONLY APPLIES TO TRADITIONAL CRIBS. It does not effect gear such as Pack N’ Plays, co-sleepers, and bassinets or any type of mattress. We still sell these items and they are often highly sought after by our pregnant mama’s. If you have a question about a specific piece of gear, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
More information regarding this new safety standard can be found on the CPSC website by clicking here.
We thank you in advance for your understanding and compliance with this issue. At this point the decision to suspend the sales of cribs is the best way for us to ensure the safety of our shoppers and their families. We will continue to evaluate the situation for future sales and will keep you updated if anything changes.
-EC and LS
Have a Presence at Half-Pint!
Half-Pint Tees are here!
You have been asking for them, so we jumped through many-a-hoop to make it happen. Original designed, hand screen-printed T-SHIRTS ARE HERE! (We can’t help ourselves, we have to do it Right.)
Let me tell you, though, it was a lot of fun.
First, we searched high and low and these two awesome guys, Drew Garza and Scott Pauli, took up our cause to design some original and graphic Half-Pint Tees (see below for their information). SUCH NICE GUYS to work with, and holy cats, as creative as all get out. After a few email chats, they set to work, and came up with designs that are beyond cool, beyond perfect.
They then set us up with Screen Door Studio, this great shop on Williamson Street that prints everything by hand. They ordered us samples, gave us a lot of direction (since we had never done this before) and even let us come in to watch them print the tees (they called it a Press Check – which seemed all official from a customer point of view – but as a creative type, I was thrilled that they let me observe them in action!)
And between Scott and Drew, and Dorla and Scott and their crew at Screen Door, we are THRILLED to show you the results of the work.
Tees will be on sale at Half-Pint in just three weeks – we had contemplated doing presales, and pickups, and web orders, and so and so and so, but we have so much to do to get ready for the sale we gave up that Ghost. But we’re confident you are going to luuuuuvvvvv them so much you will still remember to tack one on to your purchase.
We also want to tell you that we are selling the tee’s at (basically) our cost. Good, quality shirts, and good quality artistic efforts require Good Quality pricing. We hope you’ll agree! After seeing them meticulously print each shirt, We’re even more convinced that we got a steal and that you’ll adore the product. We did a small print run on these, so they are limited edition!
Treat yourself! (and since so many of you asked for these, here is hoping you really WILL want to buy them!)
– Paprika short sleeved tone-on-tone shirts (Gildan soft-spun) are in Adult (general Sizing) – S, M, L, and XL – $12
– Grey on Black long sleeved (Bella) are in Women’s sizing, Small and Large (but trust us, these shirts STRETCH so they fit a WIDE range of sizes) – $15
– Two-Toned trike on Black long sleeved (Baby Bella) are in baby/kid sizes, 3-6 month, 6-12 month, 2T, 3T and 4T – $10
Scott and Drew are people you want to hire. I know the shirts speak for themselves, but they got DIRECTLY at the essence of what we were looking for. And on top of that, why would you not want to work with folks who would donate their time to the Half-Pint Cause? You can contact them at paulidesign at gmail dot com.
And Screen Door Studios – oh, how we love thee! We can’t wait to take them another project. To be able to work with a printer who would give us that kind of personal attention and let us do several small print runs without batting an eye… Unheard of. Give them a try! A Madison original.
-Ellen and Lisa
Half-Pint Give-aways: Sprouting Change One-Size Diaper
Almost better than finding great new clothing and items for my little sprouts, signing up for the giveaways at the sale is one of my favorite parts of Half-Pint.
Over the next two weeks we’ll be posting about all of the different goodies you can throw your hat in the ring for.
First? From the Willow Store (a Verona, WI owned and operated company!)
A Sprouting Change *NEW* One-Size Diaper! From the website – “Sprouting Change one-size diapers are truly innovative. Unlike anything else on the market, our diaper system is the easiest, most user-friendly option available. Anyone can figure out how to change baby, and the diaper fits just right, every time! Our unique Sleeve and Inside combination makes for lightning fast diaper changes and a minimal investment. You truly can affordably cloth diaper your baby in the most absorbent, softest of organics. From birth to potty, Sprouting Change is the perfect fit your your little one.” These diapers fit babies 5 pounds to 40 pounds!
So make sure when you’re at the sale, make sure you hit the informational tables and throw your hat in the ring!
-Ellen