SAVVY SHOPPING: Thousands of Discounted Items Up For Grabs at Palm Desert Consignment Event

A normally-vacant building in Palm Desert's Town Center Plaza will transform this weekend into a mom's shopping paradise.

Hundreds of mothers and mothers-to-be are expected to line up outside the old JoAnn's building at 44-250 Town Center Way for the fourth semiannual Monkey in the Middle consignment event.

"We are basically taking a shell and making it look like a store," co-organizer Julianna Loya told Palm Desert Patch of the massive transformation that happened this week.

Loya says they've received approximately 20,000 items to consign at the event, which will be held Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Shoppers can expect to get a steal on things like used toys, baby gear, clothing, furniture and other kids' items, according to Loya, who added that most items are sold for 40 to 90 percent off retail cost.

Loya, who lives in La Quinta, started the event in Fall 2011 with her friend Brianna Van Lierop.  Since then, she says they've witnessed their business take off, and each event has grown exponentially in size as word gets around about the deals shoppers can score and sellers can make.

"We have just been really overwhelmed with the response," she told Patch, adding that the clientele is a mix of people who really couldn't afford some of the items for sale without the discounts, and others— who, though they may be able to afford the full priced items, are buying used to go green and help the environment.

Besides the deals Monkey in the Middle offers, Loya says she's tried to make charity a big part of the event, donating any leftover items people don't want to take home to Martha's Village and Kitchen.

"We're thrilled to be working with Martha's," she said.

Hours for the event are as follows:

• Friday, April 12: 10am-7pm Public Sale
• Saturday, April 13: 10-11am Grandparents Sale;  11am-5pm Public Sale;  5-7pm Half-off Volunteer pre-sale
• Sunday, April 14: 10am-3pm Public Discount Day (50% off many items)

For more information, visit the Monkey in the Middle website here.