Radio Interviews and More

Colleen and I (Tara) will be advertising the sale on the radio tomorrow and Friday morning. You may tune in to listen to us on WMOM at 9:15 tomorrow (Thursday) morning and then go to 94 K-Rock at 8:30 a.m. on Friday morning.

Don't forget to look for information in the paper too! A Bulletin Board article was in today's Ludington Daily News, we should be listed in the Community Calendar of events over the next couple of days, and Jo Kalchik will hopefully be featured in the "Notable" section regarding the sale on the front page tomorrow or Friday.

You might also want to check out the half-page article about the sale on page eleven of this month's Women's Lifestyle Magazine. You can pick it up for free at most area grocery stores, restaurants, hair salons, and other businesses.

Thanks to everyone who is supporting the sale by spreading the word! You are helping the kids in Mason, Lake, and Oceana counties who will eventually benefit from the sale's proceeds.

Final Count-Down

Four of us finished more than 100 signs tonight. Woo-hoo!

And the town is nearly papered pink with sale flyers.

AND...Did you see the cover of the paper today? Patti Klevorn wrote a lovely article about the sale and HMF. We are so grateful!

The closer we get to May 15th, the more I reflect on last year's sale--Ludington's first Mom 2 Mom Sale. I made $600 that day, and I made several new friends that I know I'll now have for life. In addition, by being part of the sale I helped build the Women's Imaging Center at Memorial Medical Center. In fact, every person who walked through the door and gave his or her dollar now has "ownership" in the life-saving location.

So many wonderful things came from that special day in August. So much more will come from this year's sale.

Seven days till the big event! Will you be there?

Two Weeks Till the Big Day!!!

Mom 2 Mom Tubs Save Bed!

So I have this dog (weimaraner, horse, what have you...), Stitch, who LOVES to sleep on furniture...couches, beds, etc. You should see my living room; it's covered in aluminum foil! (Unattractive, but it works. No dog hair on my living room furniture right now.)

I'll tell you what else works: tubs and tubs full of clothes for the Mom 2 Mom Sale!

I have started taking all of my kid stuff out of storage to begin organizing and pricing it. I must have stacked six tubs so far on my guest room bed. Tonight, shortly after I went into the family room adjacent to the guest room, I heard a loud "THUD!" I could have sworn that Stitch had stars swirling around his head as he swaggered out of the guest room after a failed attempt at jumping on the bed. Poor guy! However, I was certainly happy that the tubs saved my new comforter from Stitch hair.

What about you, Vendors? Have you started gathering and organizing your goods?

And Shoppers, how about you? Have you begun making your list of what you'll be looking for? Whatever you might need -- I bet we'll have it, or at least something pretty close. (Just plan to get to the sale first; someone else might have the same item on her list!)

No, I won't be permanently storing Mom 2 Mom Sale tubs on my guest bed. Too bulky to move when guests come! But how about saran wrap? Any other ideas? :)

Photo courtesy of www.breederretriever.com/.

Vendor Tips from Bethany Monson

Here is a list of ideas from one of 2009's successful vendors, Bethany Monson. Beth is a professional photographer and will be holding a drawing at her table this year for a free photography session. Be sure to stop by her table, whether you are shopping OR selling! Thanks for sharing your tips, Beth!

Last year I was very successful at the Mom 2 Mom Sale. I brought a few large items and rented one table. At the end of the day, all of my large items had sold, and I only had about ½ a tote full of items left from my table. I walked away with about $200 after my rental expenses!

Here are a few tips to help your sale be successful, too:

• Make your table presentable. Don’t pile stacks of clothing sky-high; make it easy for your customers to quickly browse through. They have a lot of tables to cover during their visit!

• If at all possible, get a standing rack to hang clothes from. Clothing that was meant to be hung naturally looks better hung up, and it’s much easier for your customers to look through. As you sell items from the rack, it’ll free up space for you to hang items that are on your table.

• Buy a plastic tablecloth from the Dollar Store to make your table look a bit more “put together”.

• Use tablecloth clips/clamps (found at the Dollar Store or Just Bargains) to hold down your table cover. You can even hang items off of them from hangers!

• Unless you want to haul everything back home, price it to sell. If you’re unsure how to mark it, get some input from a friend or relative on what they’d honestly pay for the item.

• You won’t be present in the large item area for customers to “haggle” with, so again, if you don’t want to take it home… price it to sell.

• Make sure everything is CLEAN. Mr. Clean magic erasers go a LONG way on items such as high chairs, tables, toys, baby gear, and even shoes. Hang as much clothing as you can and make sure it’s not wrinkly.

• Be choosy about what you put on your table. Customers are much more likely to sift through clothing that is all in really good shape. If it has a small stain or tear or even if it’s really well-worn or has lots of pilling… don’t bring it. Inspect each item in a well-lit room. Ask yourself if YOU would want to purchase each item.

• Bring a lint roller to use on items that get a little fuzzy while packed.

• One table fills up much more quickly than you’d expect. Last year, Jo gave me a great tip – bring your items in Rubbermaid totes, then turn the empty totes on their sides and stick them out from under your table for “shelf” space.

• Have LOTS of change and plenty of bags. Don’t lose a sale because you don’t have change for a twenty!

• Make signs advertising what type of items you offer, such as girls’ or boys’ clothing, what sizes, maybe even what brands are included in the mix.

• The girls’ clothing outweighed the boys’ at last year’s sale. If you have boys’ clothing, definitely put up a sign saying so.

• Be friendly! People are much more likely to visit your table if you appear approachable. Besides, the Mom 2 Mom sale is a great way to meet new people. Don’t think of it as an obligation/commitment… think of it as a day of fun and socializing!

• Decide beforehand if you’re going to accept personal checks. If you are in favor of it, bring a pen!

• Also decide beforehand if you’ll allow price negotiating on items, and how far you’re willing to go down. This way, you won’t seem unsure or indecisive if someone asks you to lower a price.

• Have your prices marked clearly on each item. What I like to do is buy small white hanging tags from any office supply store or Wal-Mart/Meijer, then hang them on the clothing tag by a tiny safety pin (Dollar Store) or loop the string around a belt loop or button. This way, you don’t have stickers coming off and sticking to everything else, and it looks a little more “polished”.

• If you have a big enough tag, such as what I described above, write pertinent information on it – brand, size, price, and if it’s new and never been worn… say so!

• If you’re selling an item with a lot of pieces, put them in a plastic bag and write on the outside what is included.

• Sort your items on the table so they’re easily recognizable. Separate boys’ and girls’ clothing if you’re selling both, and then sort by size. Again, make it quick and easy for customers to browse through your items.

• Make sure you bring some spending money to the sale, because you’re sure to find a few things you want… especially the wonderful baked items that benefit the cause!

Table Rental Contract Deadline Extended

Who knew that spring break was going to be this week? Oops! Not me! Very few members of HMF were aware of the school schedule because most of us have very young children.

We recently decided that April 1st is probably not the best deadline because most people are thinking about the sun--bathing in it somewhere warm, in fact--rather than thinking about whether they want to have a table at our sale.

Thus we have moved the deadline to Friday, April 16th. Tell your friends! (When they return from Florida...)

Did we mention that you can make money by renting a table? (See below!)

Twenty-four!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Twenty-four tables have been spoken for as of today. Very cool. Let's rent all 40!

Our region REALLY needs those baby pantries that will be supported by the Mom 2 Mom Sale, as was evidenced by a story Colleen Unsal (Great Start Parent Liaison) shared at MOPS yesterday. She said that a local librarian talked with an area mom who was quite distraught about the school year ending. You see, this mom has several children, and the only meals her kids get are at school. They have little to nothing on the weekends and in the evenings. She doesn't know how she's going to feed her kids when the school year ends.

Imagine...If a mom like the one above can't feed her family, then what about basic things like diapers? Wipes? Feminine products for Mom?

Please support moms like the one from the library by participating in the sale. Rent a table, or come and shop. You will be helping other moms get the items they need to care for their children.

Below, two volunteers finish their shifts by shopping at the sale. They found great clothes for their grandchildren!

Donation Drop-Off Locations

Do you have gently used baby and/or kids' items and/or maternity wear but don't want to rent a table at the Mom 2 Mom Sale?

Volunteers will gladly sell donated baby and kids' items on behalf of the Great Start Parent Coalition at a special booth. Please drop off your items at one of the following locations:

Ludington:
Andrew Reisterer, D.D.S.
902 E. Ludington Ave.

Scottville:
Mason-Lake ISD
2130 W. US 10

Hart:
Andre' Bosse Center
302 Hanson St.
(Hours M-Th. 8-5)

Baldwin:
Senior Services/St. Ann's Community Center
690 9th St.

Below, Deni and other volunteers help organize donations at last year's sale.

Tables Going...

SIXTEEN tables sold in less than a week! Yeah! Only 24 left...Will you be at one of them on May 15th? Get your contract in soon so you don't miss out on an awesome sale!

Thanks to everyone who has been hanging flyers, posting on FB, and forwarding our advertisement! Keep it up!

P.S. Isn't Christina (below) cute? She was going for best vendor pose at last year's sale! (Tee-hee!)

Address for Returning Contract

Here is an important detail regarding the vendor contract:

Send your contract to 903 Woodlawn Ave., Ludington, MI 49431 if you are sending it in before March 26th. Thank you!!!

And, just for fun, here is a photo of last year's sale:

Vendor Flyer

Please click on the image below for information about becoming a vendor at Ludington's Second Mom 2 Mom Sale as well as information about donating items to be sold at the Great Start Parent Coalition table(s) during the sale. Pass the word!

It's Here! The 2010 Vendor Contract is Now Available!

Drumroll please...

We are ready to take contracts now for the 2010 Mom 2 Mom Sale. Please click on each page below to individually to print out (sorry--the blog does not allow attachments). Then send it ASAP to the address listed on the contract with your $20. From the buzz we've been hearing around town, it looks like the forty tables will go fast!

Happy selling, everyone! And don't forget to become a "follower" on the blog for regular updates.

Coming Soon...

We are once again gearing up for a successful sale! Coming soon...Vendor contracts! Interest is high, and we expect tables to go quickly. A contract will be available on this site beginning March 5th. Turn yours in ASAP after the contract is published to ensure that you will get your table for this popular sale!

We are soooooooooo excited about our charity this year! Mason-Lake-Oceana Great Start Parent Coalition will receive proceeds from the sale and then use them to help create a baby pantry in each of the counties represented by the coalition. HMF Ltd. is truly comprised of moms helping moms (and their kids!). Join us! If you aren't renting a table, then make sure you attend the sale to support area moms in need.

P.S. Here is the text from the article that ran in The Ludington Daily News after last year's successful sale.

Happiest Mommies and Friends (HMF) and Memorial Medical Center Volunteers raised more than $1,200 for Memorial Medical Center’s new Women’s Imaging Center last Saturday at the area’s first Mom 2 Mom Sale.

More than 400 people attended the five-hour event, held at the Community Church in downtown Ludington. Thirty volunteers, comprised of members of HMF, MMC volunteers, and friends of both groups organized and ran the sale.

Shoppers lined up in the rain before the doors opened at 9 a.m. anticipating 20 tables of gently used baby and kids’ items and maternity wear; a large item area consisting of large toys, baby and kids’ furniture and gear; and a bake sale hosted by Memorial Medical Center volunteers. The large item area sold out in two hours.

Hospital volunteers ran a special table overflowing with donated items from the community. “People were so generous,” said Tara Autrey of Happiest Mommies and Friends, an informal group of local moms and friends sharing a common goal of helping their community. “We received calls through the morning of the sale from people wanting to donate materials. We began to worry whether we’d have enough space, but we didn’t turn anything away till the morning of the sale, when we knew we wouldn’t have any more time to tag and organize.” Mom 2 Mom shoppers purchased clothes, toys, and baby paraphernalia from the hospital table at just 50 cents an item.

“The sale was a win-win situation for a community experiencing tough economic times,” Autrey said. “Families found gently used baby and kids’ items at affordable prices, participating vendors were excited to take home much-needed back-to-school money, and the new Women’s Imaging Center will receive a large chunk of change.”

According to HMF member Laura Mosier, another local agency benefited: “West Shore Pregnancy Care Center got a work-out from our sale!” Most Mom 2 Mom vendors donated their remaining items to the center after doors closed. Representatives from the agency helping new moms in need packed a full-size van and a mini van floor-to-ceiling with boxes and bags of baby and kid-related items, mostly clothing.

Admission to the sale was $1/person; kids 12 and younger were free. Admissions, table and large item rentals, hospital table and and bake sale proceeds will be given to Memorial Medical Center’s Women’s Imaging Center, slated to open this fall.

“Look for us next year,” said Joanne Kalchik, another HMF member. “We want to host one sale a year for a different organization each year. We already have a group in mind for a spring 2010 sale.”