Pass It On Children’s Consignment

This sale is amazing. I never miss it! The best in Portland metro region.

After attending another consignment pop up sale earlier in the day, Pass It On left me very underwhelmed. Clothing selection for older kids may be worth it, but not younger ones. Mostly low end clothing (from what I came across) — which is fine, just wasn’t what I was looking for. I was also looking for bouncy seats and a ring sling. There weren’t many options in the baby carriers (actually, at the sale I went to earlier in the day I purchased a Moby (new) for $ 23 — at this sale they had used Moby’s for $ 25+). The bouncy seats weren’t in the best condition (and a couple of them needed some serious cleaning). There were a lot of kids running around and screaming. The checkout line was wrapped around the building, so even if I had seen something that I wanted, I probably wouldn’t have waited in that long line. I didn’t find the prices to be ay better than my favorite local consignment shops… the only difference is the local consignment shops are picky about the clothing they take (and I felt like I needed a shower when I left). If you are looking for bargains on clothing and don’t really care what it looks like, this may be the place for you. It just wasn’t what I expected.

If you’re looking for baby clothes this is your place!!! The warehouse consisted mainly of baby clothes. We got there right at 10 and the line was wrapped around the building with at least a hundred people (no exaggeration). Don’t be discouraged by this, we only waited 5 minutes to get in and the line moved very quickly. It’s not necessary to come any earlier because people will pass you up as you browse anyway. It’s not like IKEA where you have to go through a maze. It’s a large, open concept warehouse. The only way I could describe the merchandise is like a low-​income garage sale. The bassinets, strollers, and cribs were heavily used. It contained a lot of random items, some of which were not baby related. My take is that they aren’t very particular about what they accept. For example, there was a hard-​hat beer funnel with the kitchen appliances, (which looking back makes me laugh).
Unfortunately I left there with nothing. I was looking for a good stroller and bassinet, but didn’t find either that I felt were of good quality. I shop at TJ Maxx, so I’d like to consider myself somewhere in the middle when it comes to quality. I went to «Babies Bottom Dollar» consignment that is more particular about products and brand names that they receive. I bought a Chicco Safari Playard with an attached changing table that was practically brand-​new for $ 55 (retails for $ 185 on Chicco’s website). I also got some cute baby accessories (giraffe, receiving blankets), for less than $ 10 that are like new. They also had a used Beco Gemini Baby Carrier for $ 85 (retails for $ 130 with Amazon prime).
All in all I would say it’s worth looking at because they get new stuff and all the time and you cannot judge off one experience. This was just my experience and I wanted to share it.

I’ve been to a few consignment sales and Pass It On lands right in the middle. There is a large selection and the prices are excellent. That said, many of the items are visibly worn, have stains, are faded or pilling, and the like. Some consignment sales have stricter rules about what passes muster for sale (brands, condition, age, etc.) and it shows. In general, Pass It On’s quality is lower than some other sales I’ve shopped, but the prices really are worth it, especially considering that young children are tough on clothes and outgrow them so quickly. An excellent bargain if you need a season’s worth of clothing for hundreds less than you would pay for retail.
The sale I shopped was located in a shuttered Walgreen’s – I would suggest to the sale’s organizers that a new location might be beneficial. Perhaps a convention center, church or hotel meeting room? Location really does have an impact on the shopping experience and perception regarding the quality of the items. Obviously, the goal is to keep costs down, but I can’t tell you how much more enjoyable it is to shop in a nicer space.

This is am amazing sale. I have bought many kids clothes here through the years. My daughter has also been a consignor. My business was even a sponsor! Great way to clothe your children on budget!

Where to even begin?
The sale is amazing– great items, at reasonable prices. My kids have clothes because of this place! I read the review from Sarah A, and would disagree— there seems to be a great supply of GREAT stuff through out the sale. I went to the ½ off price sale on Sunday and STILL found amazing stuff!!! Plus, from what I know, they restock on Thursday after the first day open to the public… so they definitely have a good stream of quality merchandise!
The inspectors *are* picky– but I view that as a plus… I don’t have to search through a bunch of stained, gross kids clothes. =)
I hope this sale keeps going for a long time. Not only is it great for consignors (extra cash on old baby stuff!), it’s a great service to the community in general– there are many moms who need reasonably priced items for their kids.
I’ve been to a couple other sales similar to this one, and they don’t hold a candle to Pass It On… so organized, so clean, so pleasant to shop…
CAN’T WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE!

Where to even begin?
I *adore* this sale. Great stuff at great prices! What more could a mom ask for?!
Every time I attend, there are great items! I disagree strongly with the review that states «that everything good sells out VERY quickly. There is a tiered system of shopping– Volunteers shop the earliest (depending on the hours you put in), then cosigners, then the general public. Unless you volunteer at least 2 to 3 shifts in order to get the early shopping privileges, it just isn’t worth going to anymore, because, like I said, everything good goes SO FAST.»
First, I have shopped on SUNDAY (the last day of the sale) and STILL found quality items… so they don’t sell all the good stuff quickly. Also, they restock on Thursday (after the first day of being open to the public).
The inspectors *are* extremely picky– however, I see that as a good thing. It saves me time from searching through stained, yucky baby clothes =)
I have volunteered while not being «close friends of the organizer» and not known them personally, and had a very different experience than the other reviewer…
They were VERY nice and VERY welcoming– I’ve encouraged several of my friends to volunteer because of how nice and fun it can be! I’ve even seen the husbands volunteer! So, very welcoming indeed.
One note: I do know if you flake or do not call or show up for shifts, it is considered rude and not looked upon favorably… but isn’t that the case with any commitment you flake on? I don’t see why this would be any different. I had to call in once for a shift, and the organizer was VERY nice and VERY understanding and even followed up with me later (I was pregnant and had gestational diabetes). I think she was just happy I called and let her know what was going on, which (from what I gathered) and she was genuinely concerned for my well-​being… and I was a stranger to her, so I dunno… maybe just perception?
Sarah A– I do think things have improved, as I have been to the last two sales and things have been very great. I’d try the sale out again, if I were you, it’s very fun and enjoyable!!! =)

I have been shopping at Pass It On for several years, and have volunteered at at least 3 of the sales.
First, the good:
High quality items, usually at an awesome price. The inspectors are VERY picky, and thus everything is very clean, in good repair, etc. The amount of merchandise is HUGE. So much to choose from (If you get there early– more on that below). Everything is very organized, from the consignment process (if you choose to sell), to the layout of the merchandise, to check-​out.
The not so good:
The sale has become so popular, that everything good sells out VERY quickly. There is a tiered system of shopping– Volunteers shop the earliest (depending on the hours you put in), then cosigners, then the general public. Unless you volunteer at least 2 to 3 shifts in order to get the early shopping privileges, it just isn’t worth going to anymore, because, like I said, everything good goes SO FAST.
Another not so good thing is that I don’t think they treat their volunteers very well (except for the close friends of the organizer, who pretty much run the volunteer show). If you don’t know these people personally, they do not treat you very welcoming or nice. Some of them can be outright nasty. I’m done putting up with that nonsense. It’s just not worth it. I honestly get the impression that this whole sale is for the benefit of a very select few at the top, who then get the prime pickings of everything on the floor. Everyone else is treated poorly and left sifting through scraps at the end (even before the sale opens to the public, most everything good is gone).
Disclaimer– I have not volunteered, nor gone to the last two sales, so perhaps things have improved or changed, but I remain skeptical. I don’t think I will go back to this one again.

This sale has been a great way for me to get what my kids need, as well as a way to recoup some of the money I spent on their stuff, when they’ve outgrown it. I’ve found that if I think through what I need beforehand, I can find pretty much everything i need for them. Coats, swimsuits, shoes, toys, it’s all here. It does take some time to shop, and I would NEVER EVER try shopping here with kids in tow. Just do yourself and your kids a favor and find a babysitter. It’s not easy shopping. Be aware that they don’t have shopping carts, the only thing they provide is large bags. I just cant’ shop when hauling everything on my shoulder. I have brought in my own wheeled cart and that works for me. A wagon or even a stroller could be useful, but just check beforehand that they’ll let you bring it in. During some parts of the sale, they may limit bulky items being brought in due to expected crowds. I have 4 kids, and will usually spend about $ 300, but I get almost everything we need for the upcoming season. And I’m somewhat picky. I don’t have to have everything name brand, but I don’t want my kids looking like trash either.
I appreciate that this sale is well organized. Sometimes there’s lines, but I know that they do try to learn from their experiences and improve as much as possible.
I’ve also had good luck selling a lot of stuff when we’re finished with it. I do have to add that I know for a fact that there was some «funny business» with an item I had for sale some time ago. I could go into a lot of detail, but long story short is that I strongly suspect that someone «behind the scenes» wanted one of my items, but only wanted to pay the discounted half price that was reserved for the last day of the sale. So an item I had for sale was not on the sales floor most of the sale, and then it miraculously sold at half price as soon as the sale closed on Saturday night. Half price isn’t supposed to start until Sunday. It wasn’t a large item, (it was only marked at $ 3, which was honestly a steal to begin with), so I didn’t pursue complaining about that. But I won’t mark my stuff to be discounted on the last day anymore.
Bottom line: Plan ahead, and consign your stuff and/​or volunteer so you can shop early. It’s worth it.