As more shoppers poured into the doors of the My Mommy Mart children's consignment event Friday morning, volunteers kept a break-neck pace to get the eager shoppers through the checkout line.
"It has been going really well. People seem to be happy with the selection," said volunteer Heather Hess, 32, of Marietta.
The gigantic children's consignment event began Thursday night at the Washington County Junior Fair Building with a charity pre-sale and will continue through Sunday, said Molly Floding, who organizes and owns the biannual consignment event along with her husband Jason.
When Molly opened the doors at 9 a.m. Friday, a line had formed outside and by 11 a.m., she had already given away around 150 swag bags, filled with deals and promotions from local vendors.
"You have to get here early," said Courtney Hysell-Strauss, 25, of Waterford.
In fact, Friday is typically the busiest day. But last minute shoppers can get some great deals on Sunday when many of the consignors opt to sell their remaining merchandise at half price, said Molly Floding.
Fact Box
If you go
Where: Washington County Fairgrounds.
Cost: No entrance fee.
When: Saturday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m and Sunday 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. (many items 1/2 price on Sunday).
Features 162 consignors and more than 23,000 items arranged by gender and size.
The Flodings moved to Williamstown in 2009 after Jason lost his job in Alabama due to the economic downturn. In the south, large consignment sales had been widely popular, and Molly thought something similar could succeed in the Mid-Ohio Valley.
"This area is really good because sometimes families want to be able to buy their kids the best stuff out there, but it is hard," said Molly.
The consignment sale offers mothers or fathers a way to get like-new clothes, toys and equipment at prices much cheaper than in stores. It also gives shoppers a chance to get certain brands that are not available locally.
Christina Gast, of Marietta, was shopping for her four children on Friday. With a 5-year-old, a 3-year-old, and 1-year old twins, finding time to shop for them all is no easy task. The convenience of My Mommy Mart is a blessing, said Gast.
"It is wonderful. It is time management and organization and pretty good prices," said Gast, who has attended two previous My Mommy Mart events, and hopes to find time to be a consignor in the future.
The event has grown by leaps and bounds since it began in 2009. This weekend's event is the Flodings' seventh My Mommy Mart.
"The first sale had 26 consignors and we used about a quarter of the Junior Fair Building. Now we are at the point, we have filled up the building and are buying shelves to build up," said Molly.
This weekend boasts 162 consignors and more than 23,000 items, said Molly.
As for the future, plans are in place for additional Mommy Mart events and even a consignment event geared toward teenagers.
"I'm hoping to expand to Parkersburg and Athens," said Molly of her tentative plans.
As for the teen event, she would like to hold one in February, but is not ready to start planning quite yet.
"I need to get through this event before I can start thinking about that one," said Floding.
