Just Between Friends Celebrates 20 Years
Special to GTR Newspapers
AMAZING EVENT: JBF Tulsa now features 1,000 consignors in 58,000 square feet in the Exchange Center Building at Exop Square twice a year. The next sales event is the Spring/Summer sale set for Feb. 26-March 4.
In 1997, Just Between Friends was created in a living room in Tulsa when co-founders Daven Tackett and Shannon Wilburn hosted a sale with 17 friends as consignors, and had gross sales of $2,000. The sales caught on with families and grew, so in 2003, they formed Just Between Friends Franchise Systems, Inc. Wilburn is now sole owner of Just Between Friends Franchise Systems, Inc., which has more than 150 franchises in 28 states with a franchise now in Canada.
Just Between Friends has been on the Inc. Magazine 5000 list of fastest growing companies four years in a row and was named one of Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top 500 Franchises. In 2012, Just Between Friends was one of only 25 companies to receive the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Blue Ribbon Award. Just Between Friends Franchise Systems Inc. also received a “Franchisee Satisfaction Award” and was named in the Top 50 franchises by “Franchise Business Review.” has been featured on numerous national television shows including The Today Show, Early Show, News, Good Morning America, , Headline News, Fox News, Inside Edition, ’s The Big Idea, Entrepreneur Magazine and on www.yahoo.com, www.sheknows.com, and Disney website www.family.com.
Tackett and her husband, Paul, organize and facilitate Tulsa and are thrilled to help their community save and earn money. Tulsa’s consignors are very generous, donating unsold items to Emergency Infant Services and Catholic Charities. The Tackett’s offer what they call the “Three C’s” when preparing items to sell:
Clean – washing clothing and toys can help improve the appearance and make them easier to sell.
Complete – make sure toys have all parts, are working and not on the ’s recall list. Also, group clothing outfits. They tend to sell better.
Current – if items are in style, then you have a better chance selling them.
You can sell items year round, but the following items sell best in spring: large outdoor playhouses, outdoor toys and swim items. Clothing should be seasonal, in good condition with no rips or tears, clean and smelling fresh. Jeans are accepted at both spring and fall sales events. The average Tulsa consignor makes $350. At the same time, parents looking to save will find everything they need to raise a family, from maternity to tween. Bargains range from clothing, toys, electronics, books, baby equipment, furniture and more. Everything is typically 50 to 90 percent off retail. And before the event, a recall specialist inspects everything, including clothes.
“If you want to make the most money at a consignment sales event you should set a goal to tag at least 100 items,” Tackett explains.
“When pricing your items, a good rule of thumb is to price it one-third of the original price.”
The nation’s largest consignment event, Just Between Friends Tulsa is “SELLabrating” 20 years of bargains Feb. 26 – March 4 in the Exchange Center Building at Expo Square.
The following are the dates and times:
Sunday, Feb. 26 – Noon to 7 p.m; Monday, Feb. 27 – 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. (New Merchandise Arrives); Tuesday, Feb. 28 – 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Wednesday, March 1 – 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Thursday, March 2 – 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Discount Days Start w/ 25% off); Friday, March 3 – 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. (25% off continues); and Saturday, March 4 – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Half Price Day).
Admission is $10 on Sunday, with all remaining days free.
Updated 01-30-2017
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