You’ve registered for your next WeeUsables sale. And thanks to the WeeBlog, you’ve started gathering and going through the things you’ll consign. You know you need to get started on tagging – but you can’t find the time.

Fear not! In this third installment of our Three Gs of Consignment Prep Summer Guide, we tackle that third G, which is often the hardest to overcome: GET STARTED.

Fortunately, you don’t need huge blocks of time to get started pricing and tagging. Even five to fifteen minutes a day will add up.

Get Started in 5-15 Minutes Per Day

I can just imagine skeptics thinking, “You’ve got to be kidding! How can I get anything done in only five minutes?”

So to make your life easier, this month’s post lists tasks you can accomplish in just five to fifteen minutes. Tackle one or two things each day, and soon you’ll be well on your way for your next WeeUsables event.

Ready to Get Started? Here we go!

Five-Minute Activities

Many of these “five-minuters” don’t directly involve tagging your items, but they WILL slow tagging if you haven’t already done them:

• Reread the latest season-specific “what to sell” guidelines for your next WeeUsables event.
• Print or bookmark our Wee Pricing Tips to help you price your items.
• Check your printer’s toner or ink cartridge, and align the print heads as needed.
• Transfer over unsold items from a previous sale in the online tagging system.
• Research prices for a specific big-ticket item online, then print a page showing the original price to attach along with your price tag.

• Check the batteries in several electronic items; replace as needed.
• Hang a dozen pieces of clothing, then sort them by size and gender as you put them on the rack.
• Put smaller items (Shopkins, hair accessories, socks, etc.) into zip-top bags and tape the bags shut.
• Attach bagged owner’s manuals to several larger items.
• Print out a couple of sheets of tags, then cut them up.
• Attach a sheet’s worth of tags to their items.

• Secure already-hung clothing to hangers with zip ties or safety pins.
• Upload your tags to OfficeDepot/OfficeMax’s online print center, if you don’t have a good printer at home.
• (Lancaster consignors only) Count your hanging clothing items to be sure you have no more than 100 hanging kids’ items and 20 hanging maternity.

Ten-Minute Activities

With a few more minutes, you can tackle bigger projects:

• Apply a coat of spray paint to a piece of furniture.
• Iron a half-dozen fancy dresses or button-down shirts (pressed clothes sell better!).
• Print out a sheet of tags, cut them up, and attach them to items.
• Mark several dozen hangers, so you can locate unsold items more easily after the sale.

• Match up a box of clean shoes and put each pair into a plastic bag, or secure them together with zip ties.
• Match up a pile of outfit pieces and hang them, or reunite stray toy and game pieces with their items.
• Locate online, print out, put into a large zip-top bag, and attach an owner’s manual to a larger item.

Fifteen-Minute Activities

With fifteen minutes, you can make even more progress prepping your items for WeeUsables:

• Read some of the super articles at Consignment Mommies, like their tips on pricing clothes, creating “rockstar” tags, hanging pants, or maximizing your consignor check.
• Enter several dozen items of similar size/gender/type into the online tagging system.
• Enter a box of toys or books into the online system, print and cut tags, and secure tags to items.
• Enter 8-16 similar clothing items into the tagging system, print tags, cut them out, and attach them to their items.

• Print several sheets of tags in the same category and attach to their items.
• Sort your already-tagged items into boxes by category (so they’ll be easier to put out on the sales floor), then label the boxes.
• Check online to make sure nothing you’re selling has been recalled.
• Order parts or repair kits for items you’re selling that need repair, recall fixes, or replacement pieces.
• Give your house another pass-through for any items-to-consign that you missed.
• Make a list of neighbors, friends, coworkers, etc. you can tell about the sale, then request postcards from WeeUsables or contact us for social media advertising ideas – the more people who come, the more stuff you’ll sell, so it’s a great way to get excited about the sale and motivate yourself through tagging!

What’s your favorite tip for getting over the “get started on tagging” inertia? Can you think of a quick-start Get Started shortcut or mini-task that we missed? If so, let us know in the comments!