Yard Sales!

[MRD]

LOL! Why do I have a feeling you're going to do this again one day (besides tomorrow, I mean)? You poor thing! But you made some money... and got rid of a bunch of stuff! Think about that and try to block out the memory of the super cheap people. You know--it's usually the people who HAVE money who dicker and hem and haw and want everything for free. That's the really annoying thing.

I can't deal with garage sales. Especially in this heat and I'm sure I'd be too rude to people... So I just give everything to the Salvation Army or Goodwill and take a tax write off at the end of the year.

Oh, yeah, its the ones that drove up in brand new Cadillacs (car of choice for Florida's retired) that wanted everything cheap.

Nope, not doing this again. My stuff will go to Salvation Army or something like that from now on. But hey, we just sold $300 more stuff while I was at Walmart, grand totaly from today? $623.00. Not too shabby. Got rid of a bunch and made some decent money as well. And don't have to move this crap to either SC or to the donation box at Sal. Army.

[Glitternerfball]

I totally feel for you! The hagglers and just general rudeness are the reason why I stopped the summer sale. I would go down to the church bazaar, and like hep mentioned - have participated in one for charity with no haggling signs all over, and people still tried to haggle stuff down TO A DIME. This one woman commented that she never pays stickered price, so I just doubled the prices with her, she paid sticker.

Actually, with me I was anal. I had a book with every item listed and the price, nothing stickered because people do take it off. Most things are a dollar, and not matter the neighborhood - people piss you off.

There were a couple that stood out. One wanted an item knocked down to three from five. I told her fine, just don't give me a five dollar bill or higher and expect change, it's three if you can't afford it. She looked in her wallet, all twenties, and walked away. She came back with a hotdog and three dollar bills.

Another was an elderly woman who wanted a senior citizens discount (for a handmade item, this was at a craft fair) and I doubled the price for her. She got the hint and paid normal price.

These people who want something for nothing, ugh. I even had the quarter table and people would want it for a dime. but the kids, the kids are great. I tend to have a little box of found toys for free for them (like happy meal toys, etc.) and they ALWAYS sheepishly put anywhere from a quarter to a dollar on my table. So cheap assery is learned behaviour.

[Vonna]

I need to have a yard sale this year - never had one before and have sooooo much stuff. Wouldn't have guessed about the shoes, so I'll make sure to include those. We hit the yard sales occasionally and always get too much stuff we don't need. I did get a really nice white (pristine) crocheted bedcover/blanket for $5 that I absolutely love. Jewelry is fun. I got an African thumb piano 25 years ago for a quarter that is the favorite toy in my classroom, so that is probably the best value. How many ones and quarters should I plan on having?

Make sure you have at least 5-$20.00 bills because there at least one person will buy $5.00 worth of stuff and hand you a $50 or $100 bill and you will be ready

Then you want about 10 $5.00 bills cause a lot of people will give you $20 bills.You want 20-30 $1.00 bills and 20-40 quarters. I usually have about $200 in change to start off with and that way you can check out people a lot faster. I also make sure every purchase goes into a plastic recycled grocery bag--that way I know they have paid for it.

I hate it when I go to a yard sale when they first open and don't have change for a $20...then I have to stand around until someone has change..not fun

Good luck with your sale.

[Vonna]

Around here, there are professional garage sale scouts. They try and get a looky-loo BEFORE the sale even starts. Then they see what they want and come back right at opening or try to convince you to sell your good stuff before it even begins. Some just want to clean you out and then sell again. There are a couple of ladies who do this for a living and have a small shop where they fix up things and up the ante. They're very saavy about what will go and what will not.

Awhile ago, I put about 8 green garbage bags worth of work clothes, some furniture, and such and took it to our local Goodwill store. I went back a couple of days later, because I kinda put a few things in there I thought I would like back and almost everything had sold. I think someone who works there either buys the good stuff out or calls someone when they get a "good drop-off". Normally, that wouldn't have happened.

I know of a couple of our thrift stores employee's hold things back for friends who sale at fleamarkets. Don't think it's fair cause when people donate, they're not donating so the employee's friend will have a special treatment, or price but are donating to help the organization.


I held my last yard sale three weeks ago....I live on a corner in a nice shady neighborhood, put out signs on the main drags leading to my house, made sure I had plenty change. This was a fundraiser for Kidz Club, my club for underpriveldged children--the puppet team will be competing in So. California...so we received donations tons of clothes had the kids iron the wrinkled ones....they learned how to iron and loved it. A lot of girl toys were donated too.

We filled up 8 banquet tables and some small tables, had blankets on the grass, a little bit of everything but made sure we priced everything...I don't think quick under pressure...but I am thrilled to deal with anyone. Say they want a Little Tykes Kitchen that I had $18 on...they offer me $10.. I say $15 and it's sold... we made $600 from 7:00 to 12:30.

I don't know if any of you heard of the heatwave in California....well it was real. I couldn't even move by 12:30 and people were still coming, but I was about to have an old hen heat stroke so we packed up....The temp was around 110 degrees

so this time we are doing a yard sale indoors at the social hall !! Air conditioned.....So now I have the kids helping me bake some cup cakes and cakes....what a trip... It's fun to watch these 12 and 13 yr olds bake for the first time

I usually price at about 30% and will go down to 20% of original price.

I used to stick to the time and not open early until I found out a lot of the earlybirds are dealers and they are the ones that spend the big bucks so if I am ready to sell, I let them buy and send them on their way. You will make your about 60% of your sales that first 30 min. The gal at the newspaper told me about that and it's true. Besides if you keep them waiting too long they will go down the street.

[bbnbama]

I came across this website in a 2005 Woman's Day magazine I was looking through and thought I'd pass it along.......

I love yard sales...I love to go to them and I'm one of those crazy people that like to have them!

Yard Sale Queen

[cricketeen]

Thanks, Bbnbama, that's a handy website!

[catmom3]

I had to Bump this thread.

Well here I go again. My mother, sisters and I are going to have a yard sale next week. We had one last year at about the same time and brought in $765 between us. The up side is, I am slowly cleaning out a storage unit we rent because when we moved Hubby packed stuff I would have donated or thrown away. Hubby is a professional mover,Note self never let Hubby pack if we move again. Wish me luck I'm going to need it.

[katgib13]

I have one about every other year. With growing kids, stuff accumulates so quickly. Last year I marked a brand new/never been used $130 bread maker with a $20 sticker. I let it go for $15, but I had some guy offer me $5 for it. I said no way. It was a really nice bread maker and I just thought that was too low. The baby items go fast. If you mark it a little high, most people will ask if you will take less. It's up to you to decide. Last summer, I put in a little outfit we'd bought for my son. It was a Tommy Hilfiger shirt, jean shorts and matching denim hat. It was a cute set and it cost about $50 when we bought it. I had all three pieces pinned together for $3. Nobody bought it. No stains. It was in perfect condition. Everything else went, though. I thought for sure that that outfit would be the first one gone. Shoes do sell fast, though.

I found both of my quilt racks at garage sales. I paid $3 for one and $5 for the other. Theyare really nice, too. I get a lot of my books at garage sales, too.