Need garage sale help and advice! - Page 6

stevieb · ‎03-10-2010

Every year, I plan to do a yard sale in either the spring or fall and every year I don't... I am thinking of participating in a community yard sale instead of or maybe even in addition to one of my own. I know certain things will go for chump change, but ultimately, it's up to me. I can take or leave what is offered. I just have so much stuff that even unloading some of it for very little would be fine. Some things though, nope, not giving them away for pennies on the dollar and not donating them for the tax write-off, which, in my experience, doesn't tend to add up to a great deal. If I had it to do all over again, like many of us, I just wouldn't accumulate so much!

In my pantry with my cupcakes...

sandy53 · ‎03-12-2010

Go to lots of garage sales in your community before you have one. That way you have a better idea of prevailing prices. People who don't go to garage sales tend to over-price items.

SaggingGal · ‎01-27-2011

Sorry this is gloom and doom but I will never have another garage sale. Times have changed dramatically in terms of safety. I don't want strangers at my house looking around even if it is just outside. I used to have garage sales annually that were quite successful.

I have had better luck being part of a small annual flea market in town. Tables are set up on the grounds, the signage for the event is better than mine, the cost is low, and the customers are there to shop. The only difficulty is in transporting the items to the sale and those that do not sell, back home, or to the thrift shop.

If you do have a sale be sure everything is locked up, esp. the doors that lead into your house, and all of your windows. No access for anyone to bathrooms or inside, for any reason at all. Suggest the public library or village hall or nearby gas station. Items not for sale need to be removed off-site. And keep as little money as possible on you either in a front pocket or in a small front-facing zippered fanny pack that fits snugly. Be cautious.

Group 5 minus 1 · ‎03-11-2010

One of the reasons we have only had one was a safety issue. We brought every thing to the bottom of the drive way so our home was not visible. Set up tables and used our motor home as a place to eat,etc.

I think the one thing to remember is keep prices low. Just sell it!! If it means that much to you keep it. And remember if it is not sold you have to deal w/it afterwards.

DH says keep the memory get rid of the stuff.

Another thing I thought of:why oh why do people overprice hard back books? They should be priced lower than paper backs. When we would go I would look for a good read but not a "first edition".

TasMss · ‎03-09-2010

On 3/19/2015 ncascade said:
One of the reasons we have only had one was a safety issue. We brought every thing to the bottom of the drive way so our home was not visible. Set up tables and used our motor home as a place to eat,etc.

I think the one thing to remember is keep prices low. Just sell it!! If it means that much to you keep it. And remember if it is not sold you have to deal w/it afterwards.

DH says keep the memory get rid of the stuff.

Another thing I thought of:why oh why do people overprice hard back books? They should be priced lower than paper backs. When we would go I would look for a good read but not a "first edition".

Just curious, why should hard covers be priced lower than paperbacks?

Smile, it makes everyone wonder what you're up to!
Joined QVC boards long before the last two conversions!

Group 5 minus 1 · ‎03-11-2010

They are hard to get rid of. No one wants them and as I said I am not looking for a first edition just something to read. The biggest problem w/gs as we see it is this: just because you paid a lot for something doesn't mean someone else will. And if you like it so much KEEP IT! Went to one gs-it was the last day last hr of it. There was a sweat shirt-new -but after 3 days no one had bought it. I offered her half and she refused. I could read her husband's mind when she refused-most of which is unprintable.

We never made offers-hardly-ever. DH would say I don't want to insult you and we were told no they wouldn't be insulted. And by gosh they were!!!

scotnovel · ‎12-31-2013

Don't discount the idea of using a resale type shop either. A couple of posters have mentioned that they take a large portion of the proceeds so it isn't worth it. However, if you have nice clothes, purses, sometimes shoes, you can still get more for them at a shop than you can at a garage sale. I've sold a number of items through a local resale shop (they get 40%) and have made a few hundred dollars with almost no effort. If you have a lot of nice vintage or antique items talk to a couple of local antique shop owners. They will often buy items from you at a much higher price than you might get at a garage sale. Sure they want them for resale so aren't going to pay you what you might get if you sold them yourself through Ebay or Etsy, for example. But, if you don't want to do the extra work to sell through that type of online shop, then don't worry about them wanting to buy for resale. You'll still likely get more than at a garage sale.

Someone may have mentioned this but, if you have neighbors, you might tell them when you are planning your sale as they might want to have one two. A neighborhood sale gets more people coming to the area to buy.

ANewHue · ‎11-21-2011

On 3/17/2015 Cardamom said: Honestly, I will never have a garage sale ever again. People want your stuff for nothing. They will be rude to you and act like your stuff is junk. I think it's because they want it for nothing because they are selling it at flea markets. People came around in pick up trucks full of stuff. If you have nice dishes you would do better selling them to replacemensltd.com. You would do better on ebay. Or you could donate it all and get a tax write off.

I had the same experience. Have great stuff, designer baby clothing with tickets still on them. Don't know where these people came from but I didn't have the patience or time for the nonsense. The worst was when someone thought a whole case of something was $2, when it was $2 for each bottle. Packed it up and that was that. Donated most of it but honestly I would rather throw the things away than deal with the people that came. It was insulting. I don't feel I owe or have to give away anything. That was about fifteen years ago, family tells me to have another one because I have such good stuff and could make a lot of money, I don't think so.

sandy53 · ‎03-12-2010

I went to a garage sale today because it advertized a bunk bed. The seller said the bed was still in her storage shed, so we followed her a few blocks away and looked at it there. My DH and I pondered about what to offer and decided we wouldn't go higher than $40 because it needed some repair. When I asked the seller what she wanted, she said $15! When we hesitated, she said it was negotiable. We happily gave her the $15!

That's why I go to garage sales! Be willing to make deals like that.

chickenbutt · ‎03-09-2010

On 3/19/2015 ANewHue said:
On 3/17/2015 Cardamom said: Honestly, I will never have a garage sale ever again. People want your stuff for nothing. They will be rude to you and act like your stuff is junk. I think it's because they want it for nothing because they are selling it at flea markets. People came around in pick up trucks full of stuff. If you have nice dishes you would do better selling them to replacemensltd.com. You would do better on ebay. Or you could donate it all and get a tax write off.
I had the same experience. Have great stuff, designer baby clothing with tickets still on them. Don't know where these people came from but I didn't have the patience or time for the nonsense. The worst was when someone thought a whole case of something was $2, when it was $2 for each bottle. Packed it up and that was that. Donated most of it but honestly I would rather throw the things away than deal with the people that came. It was insulting. I don't feel I owe or have to give away anything. That was about fifteen years ago, family tells me to have another one because I have such good stuff and could make a lot of money, I don't think so.

Not that I would wish it on anybody, but I'm glad I'm not the only one. So, I totally understand. I couldn't believe the rudeness and disrespect.

One guy offered me twenty-five cents for something (I can't remember what it was now, but it was something nice worth WAY WAY more than that!) and, by then having taken just about as much as I could take with the whole thing, I said 'yeah sure - just let me run over it with my car, THEN you can have it for twenty-five cents'. Husband not thrilled, and I'm seldom EVER that rude but I couldn't take another minute of it. Needless to say, that was my breaking point and I went in the house. He didn't last much longer and the rest was donated.

I could see if you just have tables full of junk out there. But I just wouldn't do that. We were selling nice stuff and, compared to the value of the items, pretty much giving it away.