Tykes Tots & Teens Sale returning to Perry

PERRY, Ga. — If you’re looking for discounted essential items for your children, be sure to visit this seasonal pop-up shop at the Georgia National Fairgrounds.

The Tykes Tots & Teens Consignment sale will take place from Feb. 21 to Feb. 25. The doors will open at 10 a.m. each day for general admission and typically remain open until 8 p.m., with a later closing time on Saturday, Feb. 24 at 10 p.m. and closing on Sunday, Feb. 25 at 3 p.m.

Any item with a star or “discount yes” tag will be half-off on Saturday. On the last day, additional items with a “D” or “donate yes” tag will be sold for $1.

The sale spans over 40,000 square feet at the fairgrounds’ McGill Marketplace and is packed with deals for parents and those expecting.

Laura Johns, who founded the event, said that the sale will feature approximately 800 vendors selling a wide range of items including children’s, teen’s, and maternity clothing, toys, books, games, baby equipment, electronics, luxury boutique items, and more. These items will be sold at a fraction of their retail prices.

This season, the shop will offer Easter-themed merchandise and pool, beach, and outdoor items that are perfect for spring and summer.

“What we hear a lot of our customers say, what they love about it so much, is that it’s everything under one roof,” Johns said.

There’s an opportunity to shop before the general public by getting early bird passes. Although the event starts on Wednesday at 10 a.m., those with early bird passes can shop on Tuesday evening from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. or on Wednesday an hour earlier.

The sale is a collaborative effort, with a coordinator working on schedules, volunteers who work diligently to set up the wide range of items available, multiple people operating the registers and organizing stock during the event, and others ensuring that unsold items are returned to the sellers or donated. All of this, along with increased advertising on social media, has kept Johns extremely busy leading up to the event, she said.

According to Johns, after starting with just 18 sellers and making only $100 in profit, their efforts have paid off with significant growth and engagement over the years.

After 19 years, what started as a hobby has become John’s full-time job, and she is thrilled to offer deals to young parents, many of whom are returning customers from childhood.

“People on social media are starting to say, ‘My mom brought me here when I was a kid, and now I’m bringing my kids,’ or ‘I’m expecting my first baby.’ And I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, has it been going on this long that we’re now seeing a second generation?’ So it’s really cool to see that,” Johns said.

Tykes Tots & Teens aims to unite parents and help each other. Whether new to the sale or returning year after year, many parents who shop there don’t know they can also sell their items.

“[They] make connections with other parents and then they take those friendships outside of the sale. So it’s great because we’re all like a little work family and a little consigner family. It’s really, kind of, all getting to know each other. And then we’re all helping each other,” Johns said.

And with prices rising for essentials, such as groceries, the savings and the profits parents can make from selling are valuable, Johns mentioned.

“Each mom and dad that prices their own item, they’re keeping a large percentage of their sales. They keep between 65 and 85% of their sale. And then the shoppers that are shopping, they’re saving money because they’re not spending $50 on a pair of jeans from Abercrombie for their teenager, they’re here for an average of $10 to $12, so you can get more for your money,” Johns explained.

Overall, Johns said there is something for everyone.

“You can find everything that you’re looking for: every brand, a different variety of types of things for your kids, and then you can meet other parents that are like-minded while you’re here,” Johns said.

More information can be found on the sale’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TTTPerry as well as https://tykestotsteens.com/perry-sale/

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