Burbank sale brings in the bucks for local families

Consignment event organizes homes and fattens bank accounts.

September 18, 2012|By Alene Tchekmedyian, alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com

Elizabeth Barajas, of Van Nuys, rolls a portable crib… (Tim Berger / Staff…)

When Cathy Jaramillo, 42, was laid off three years ago after a 14-year career in finance, she opted to stay home and take care of her two children instead of hunting for another job.

Unemployment freed up her schedule for some major house-cleaning. She rummaged through her attic and gathered nearly 500 toys and pieces of clothing — many of which were brand new or barely used by her now-9- and 12-year-old children — that had just been sitting in bags and boxes in her Burbank home.

It would've been too much of a hassle to post every item on Craigslist or eBay, she said, so she was thrilled last spring when she discovered the L.A. Kids Consignment Sale, a twice-yearly sale held in Burbank, Pasadena, Santa Clarita and Torrance. The sale runs Thursday through Sunday at 157 W. Providencia Ave. in Burbank.

Jaramillo wiped down, priced and packaged every item she found, netting $1,600 after last spring's sale.

“It's amazing, you just have money sitting there,” Jaramillo said on Friday, after dusting off Halloween costumes, holiday outfits and Christmas books she planned to sell this week.

But the extra cash, she said, is just a bonus. More rewarding is de-cluttering her home.

“We have some excessive things,” she said.

Jaramillo is one of 625 consignors who've together collected more than 95,000 items for this weekend's sale, from clothes and toys their kids have outgrown to strollers and diaper carriers, according to organizers.

“Just about everything your baby would need,” said Kristin Nelson, mother of two, who started the sale eight years ago in her driveway with a group of mothers.

Nelson now hosts the sale every spring and fall, and has attracted more than 1,350 consignors.

“You can come here and spend $50 and get 25 outfits, or you can go somewhere else and spend $50 and get two outfits,” Nelson said, adding that most items are 50% to 85% off retail prices.

Roxanne Demers is a mother of two who oversees fundraising for Laurence School in Van Nuys.

This weekend, she'll be consigning in her second sale, hoping to make some extra cash for her household with the 50 toys and pieces of clothing that her kids no longer use.

“It definitely helps you get organized,” Demers said.

On Sunday, consignors can choose to sell remaining items for half price. Consignors can donate items that don't sell on Sunday to local charities through Nelson.

“People come here and get hooked — they don't want to pay full price ever again,” Nelson said.

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What: L.A. Kids Consignment Sale

When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sept. 20-23

Where: 157 W. Providencia Ave., Burbank

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