NCT Kingston

NEARLY NEW SALES

SELLER’S GUIDANCE 2011

0844 243 6180 option 2

BEFORE THE SALE

  1. Please take the time to check that your items fit the necessary criteria for sale; this avoids any frustration or awkward situations on the day. THESE GUIDELINES APPLY TO ALL NEARLY NEW SALES AND EXIST TO KEEP CHILDREN SAFE AND HEALTHY.
  1. The NCT is not responsible for the quality of the goods you sell and accepts no liability so please take reasonable steps to ensure that all toys and equipment have complete parts and the original instructions – and be honest!
  1. All goods sold must be NEARLY NEW – not “broken but fixable” and not “just missing a wheel/the doll/some parts” - complete and in good working order.
  1. If YOU wouldn’t buy it, please DON’T sell it.
  1. This is your sale – the more people we attract, the more buyers you will have, so please print off the attached flyer to display wherever you see can (doctor’s surgery/health visitor’s clinic, local shops, nurseries, pre-schools, the back of your car...anywhere you can!)

ON THE DAY OF THE SALE

  1. Directions: The main entrance to Tolworth Recreation Centre is Fullers Way North. It can be directly accessed from the A3 Kingston bypass if approaching from the Hook Junction roundabout.
  1. Venue access: We try to ensure that everyone can drop off their items at the back door, so if you are asked to move your car to accommodate other sellers unloading, please be respectful and understanding!
  1. Parking: There is a reasonable number of parking places available, however, with the numbers of individuals attending please arrive early.
  1. Arrival: The back doors will be opened by 2pm. Access to the venue may be earlier. We will open the doors to sellers as soon as we have completed preparations.
  1. Tables are approximately 2ft wide by about 6ft long.
  1. We recommend that you bring a table cloth if you would like one. (The tables were not the tidied last time)
  1. Please bring your own float of change. We do not provide this!
  1. If you have paid for rail space, don’t forget to bring a clothes rail that is no bigger than 42 inches long and 24 inches wide when set up – and don’t forget your hangers! (seems obvious, but it has happened in the past!)
  1. Health & Safety access: we are required by law to provide good access throughout the sale and so we appreciate your cooperation and assistance to ensure this. You may use the space under and behind your table to display your goods.
  1. Large items: if you plan to sell more than one large item (cots, prams, buggies, etc) you will not have enough space to display everything, so please ensure you have a photo of the item assembled. As sellers have told us that items which require assembly sell better if they are displayed assembled rather than in separate pieces.
  1. Last admission is at 4.50pm so please do not pack up before then. Many last-minute buyers like to swoop in and clear up a seller’s table; wouldn’t you rather sell your items than take them all home again?
  1. Please vacate the hall by 5.30 pm and ensure that you take all rubbish with you, leaving your table/areas AND the venue in a tidy condition at the end of the sale. Spare a thought for the volunteers who have donated their time to help run the sale and don’t leave everything for them to clean up!

General tips

  • Good toys and equipment sell best: clothing (baby, children’s & maternity) sell well if priced competitively.
  • Baby-gros rarely sell unless they are absolutely new and barely worn (when you can buy new ones from Tesco & Primark for £1 each, few mums want to buy used ones!)
  • Many sellers find it increases their sales to place items in clear plastic bags, labelled with age group &/or size and any other info (100% Cotton, Never Worn, etc).
  • Clothes must be clean and tidy, no stains, no holes, no buttons missing, etc; toys should be clean and in good, “nearly new” condition.
  • Clothing items appropriate for the coming season usually sell best.
  • It’s better to slightly underprice items – consider what you would pay for it now, not what you paid for it new! (A rough guide is to price items at 1/5th original price)
  • Homemade toys (e.g. knitted teddies) generally don’t sell well unless brand new.
  • Below is a suggested price list:

Babygros£1.00
Blouses and shirts £2.00
Cardigans and jumpers£2.50
Dresses£5.00
Jackets £7.00 / Swimwear£2.00
Trousers & skirts£2.50
High chair£15.00
Stair gate£14.00
Baby gym£7.00

Selling Prams, Buggies & Pushchairs

If you are selling any prams/pushchairs/buggies we are obliged by law to draw your attention to the Wheeled Child Conveyance Regulations:

Second-hand wheeled child conveyances (i.e. prams and pushchairs) must now conform to the following regulations with effect from 1st May 2003:

  1. British Standard 7409 (or an equivalent European Standard) and be permanently marked BS7409:1996, together with the name or trademark of the manufacturer or importer
  2. There must be a permanent notice on the vehicle, which must state, "Children should be harnessed in at all times and should never be left unattended...."
  3. Instructions in English must be supplied with each vehicle. These are to be headed: IMPORTANT, KEEP FOR FUTURE REFERENCE and must include instructions relating to operation, assembly, use and maintenance.

If you have lost your original instructions, please check the manufacturer’s website or contact the manufacturer for a replacement copy. We regret that any prams, buggies or pushchairs not meeting all of these conditions will not be permitted to be sold.

What about Travel System car seats?

Although you can sell a Travel System pram at a NNS, you cannot sell a Travel System's car seat. You may attach a note to the Travel System inviting enquiries from buyers to purchase the car seat privately at a later date or away from the NNS, but you are NOT allowed to include the car seat in the price of the Travel System. Also, you are NOT allowed to bring the car seat inside the venue of the NNS under any circumstances.

What can I not sell?

For health and safety reasons the following items cannot be sold:

  • Car seats or Car Booster seats (or car seats from Travel Systems) – see below for more details about selling a travel system car seat. You may sell these items on the private sales board.
  • Second-hand mattresses from cots, cribs or Moses baskets (travel cot mattresses are ok)
  • All hard-soled footwear except wellies, beach shoes, jellies, slippers and soft/leather baby shoes. All shoes are now allowed, its upto the buyer to determine condition and suitability.
  • Breast pumps (manual, battery or mains)
  • Riding hats & crash helmets
  • Mains-powered electrical equipment or toys (even if these also run on batteries) – “anything with a plug”
  • Incomplete or unlabelled prams, buggies and pushchairs (see above for more guidance)
  • Used maternity bras
  • Baby bouncers (the kind that hang from a door) and baby walkers. These are now also allowed to be sold, again at the buyers discretion.
  • Bottles (cold water/microwave steam sterilisers & bottle brushes are ok)
  • Baby food, including formula
  • Drawstring/hood cords in children’s clothing

Please also be aware:

  • safety equipment (fire guards and stair gates), buggies, pushchairs, prams and toys must have a British Safety Standard kitemark.
  • some items such as Moses basket stands are subject to separate Trading Standards regulations, so please be absolutely certain that what you’re selling is safe!
  • If you plan to sell a pedal bike, please email the NNS organiser for the 2-page checklist of safety checks REQUIRED by Trading Standards, not the branch or NCT, which you must complete and attach to the bicycle on the day.
  • We regret we cannot accept "bag-type" slings (such as Infantino sling rider or Premaxx baby bag) at NNS, as these slings have been shown to be unsafe, and have been associated with baby deaths in the US . In "bag-style" slings, the deep pouch were the baby lies could put the baby in a potentially suffocating, curved position. In addition the fabric, which has an elasticised edge, may cover baby's face or the baby may turn in toward the carer's body, so that they have difficulty breathing. These bag slings also obstructs the baby from the parent's view, due to the high and gathered side panels.
    Please note that the majority of baby carriers and slings are still safe to use, if they hold baby in proper alignment and fit snugly by design and instruction. These safe designs of sling include shallow pouch-style slings, ring slings, soft carriers and wrap slings.
    The brands and products which CANNOT be accepted are:

- Infantino sling rider
- Premaxx baby bag
- Munchkin cargo sling
- Boppy carry in comfort
- Lamaze close comfort
- Wendy Bellissimo sling

Your attention to all of these guidelines, which are in place to ensure that our babies and children stay healthy and safe, is greatly appreciated.

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