WINONA LAKE - Local families will have the opportunity to begin their spring shopping at a new sale from Kids Market.
The Kids Market Spring Sale is scheduled for March 15, 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., followed by a 50-percent-off sale from 3 to 5 p.m. The sale will be held at Rodeheaver Auditorium, Winona Lake.
Kids Market was started in 2000 by two mothers who came up with the idea of a one-stop consignment sale where parents could find good deals on clothes for their kids, and people in the community could bring their children's items to sell. Since then, Kids Market has grown into a not-for-profit organization aimed at helping women and children in the county.
Kids Market is a consignment sale featuring infant, children's and maternity items at yard-sale prices. Area families contribute items and receive 60 percent of the selling price for each item they sell at the sale. The remaining 40 percent is used by Kids Market to pay for rental of the building, supplies and marketing for the sale. The money Kids Market has left over after paying for the sale's expenses is donated to charity.
Since 2000, Kids Market has held one annual sale, usually in September. This year, organizers decided to include a spring sale in addition to the usual fall sale.
Sale organizer Gretchen Smoker said the idea to hold a second sale was partly to help deal with the size of the event. Smoker said Kids Market has grown each year since it began and has started to become crowded. Also, Smoker said, Kids Market customers were asking for another sale.
"Seriously, people were begging for it," she said.
Smoker said the sale will be run the same way as the traditional fall sales. She said items for all seasons are welcome at the sales, but organizers expect spring and summerwear to be the top sellers.
Item drop-off for families wishing to sell items at Kids Market begins Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and continues Friday from 9 a.m. to noon.
A pre-sale for event volunteers will be Friday from 4 to 6 p.m., and for sale contributors from 6 to 8 p.m.
Serving the community has become one of the main focuses of Kids Market. After last September's sale, Kids Market donated $5,000 to local charities.
At this sale, Smoker said, local not-for-profits dealing with women and children in the area will be invited to set up information booths to advertise their services to the community.
"We've always had a couple of those, but this year, that's our emphasis," Smoker said.
For more information on Kids Market, visit kidsmarketinc.com
