Lollipop Market is the latest entrant in the world of used children’s clothing, toys, equipment and furniture consignment sales. Lollipop Market is markedly different from the long-established Outrageous Outgrowns and the more recent Peace, Love, Swap sales. It takes place March 15-17 in downtown Willow Glen.
“We are an upscale consignment sale; we only accept upscale brands,” says Jennifer Scoggins, Lollipop Market founder.
“We don’t sell or accept Target, Walmart, Kohl’s or other big box brands. Most of the time those clothes are not made to last very long.”
Rather, Scoggins points to a two-page list of acceptable high-end labels such as American Girl, Hanna Andersson and Oilily, as well as labels familiar to the fashion conscious such as Armani, Prada, Cacharel and Versace.
The list of unacceptable brands is a half-page shorter, but it contains a lot of more familiar labels such as Garanimals, Hanes, Levi’s and Carter’s.
Scoggins, who grew up in the Almaden area and returned there after several years living in Nashville, Tenn., says children’s consignment sales are common in the South.
She staged her first Lollipop Market in September 2012 in downtown Los Gatos.
Scoggins says that sale was “great,” and she expects the Willow Glen sale to be triple the size of the first one.
Those who consign items to the sales receive 65 to 75 percent of the selling price, depending on their involvement in the sale. They are paid within two weeks.
Scoggins says this is a higher percentage than other consignment sales and quicker payment.
Thus far, Scoggins says, Lollipop Market isn’t a profitable venture, but one she sees as giving back to the community.
Ten percent of sale profits are donated to foster and adoptive families, and she encourages consigners to donate what doesn’t sell to lower income families.
Scoggins doesn’t want to expand beyond two sales a year in any one community, but she is considering staging sales in other Bay Area communities.
Lollipop Market, 1395 Lincoln Ave., March 15 and 16 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and March 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., when most items will be half-price. For more information visit thelollipopmarket.com.
