Garage Sale Saturday 8 to 1

[Begonia]

Oh Good Lord, what was I thinking?

Already turning out to be a royal pain in the @$$...

People emailing and wanting me to commit to only charging $2 for a cooking pot they haven't even seen yet.

Yeesh.

C'mon, tell me your garage sale stories. Do you all have to worry about thieves as much as we do? People will rob you blind where I am. They work in groups to distract too.

 

[rainwood]

I've had two yard sales, netting about $1100 on the first one and about $900 on the second one. The first thing I learned was how to thwart the early birds - the people who want the first shot at the merchandise so show up at 8:30 for a 9:00 sale, demanding to come in. I had the sale on our front enclosed patio so was able to prevent the early folks getting in by putting a chain through the gate. Otherwise, they'd have been crawling all over the place before I was even set up. My advice is to have a plan for how to control that problem.

Another thing I learned is that the first people in are the pros - the ones who know what they're looking for and will try to drive a hard bargain because they want to resell at a profit. I learned not to discount much in the first hour or two.

As for thieves, I made sure the more expensive stuff was in clear sight of whoever was staffing the cash box, and farthest away from a quick getaway. It helped that we had an enclosed area with only one way in and out. Make sure you have two people working the sale at all times if you don't want some stuff to disappear.

The thing that surprised me most is how people wouldn't buy the true bargains - the $200 item marked down to $30, but went wild for cheap stuff that I put out for $1 that was probably worth half that. And some of the stuff I was going to throw away was what sold first. I learned you can't predict what will be popular so when in doubt, put it out. It also helps for your items to be clean, priced, and neatly organized and displayed as if it were a shop. I think that's why we made money.

 

[JewelFreak]

When we had a garage sale in San Francisco, some turd tried to steal my dog! She wanted to be in the middle of things of course, so I tied her leash to our gate, 3 ft from me. I noticed this slob quietly starting to untie her, leaned over his shoulder & asked, "Mmm, anything I can help you with, sir?" Without a word, he turned & walked away. I still get weak thinking about it.

I try to set up so nobody gets too near the house -- have a fear someone will case it out & decide to return later to see what's inside. Maybe I'm paranoid.

It is weird how people will go nuts for your junk & leave the real bargains. Sounds like you cleaned up, Rainwood!

--- Laurie

 

[amc80]

I've got a good buying story. I went to a garage sale where everything was marked, but there was a sign saying at a certain time it would switch to $10/all you can carry. We were early, but right when we got there the lady made the announcement that the $10 thing was starting. We got a Le Creuset oval dutch oven, two giant Silpats, a slice-o-matic (DH made fun of me for this, but I love it), and a bunch of other random stuff. $10 for everything!

 

[Dee*Jay]

When we had a garage sale in San Francisco, some turd tried to steal my dog! She wanted to be in the middle of things of course, so I tied her leash to our gate, 3 ft from me. I noticed this slob quietly starting to untie her, leaned over his shoulder & asked, "Mmm, anything I can help you with, sir?" Without a word, he turned & walked away. I still get weak thinking about it.

OMG -- this is just beyond words.

 

[blackprophet]

The thing that surprised me most is how people wouldn't buy the true bargains - the $200 item marked down to $30, but went wild for cheap stuff that I put out for $1 that was probably worth half that. And some of the stuff I was going to throw away was what sold first.

I would just like to addess this point. This is probably because of over pricing. The garage sale crowd generally are not looking for $30 items. They are on the hunt for <$10 items. Doesn't matter what it is, they gravitate towards them.

As well with anyone (not just garage salers), things that are <$5 are just so much easier to buy. Even things you may not want to have or need.

Anything priced over $20 that is not a big ticket item (such as a table or a couch) will either get passed over or haggled aggressively.

To extend a point someone else made, my advice would be to open early. Like before 8 early. The garage salers (the savvy ones previously mentioned, who as well are most likely to buy as well) are all out by 7. They want to get the jump on the good stuff. The garage salers in my family are typically back home AFTER shopping by 9 am. After 12pm you probably wont sell much.

 

[Sky56]

My yard sale jewelry story: There was a baggie full of costume jewelry and it was marked $1. The customer holding it was angry because the seller would not reduce the price to 50 cents. My interest was piqued by the baggie because I wanted to see what was inside as I often use pieces of costume jewelry in my craft work. I also thought that the customer was a total ass.

I pick up the baggie after she angrily stormed away and looked through it and I definitely knew I would buy it for a dollar. As I looked further into it, I saw in with the junk was a heavy pair of earrings that were stamped 14K. I said to the seller, "Are you aware that there are valuable 14K gold earrings in this baggie?" She told me she was aware of it...and I bought the baggie for $1.

I wore the earrings for a while but the dangly round coin design shape did not flatter my face, so I eventually sold them to a gold scrap guy and made many times over what I paid for them.

I am a night owl so I always get to yard sales in the afternoon, and I still often find great beads and stuff for my hobbies.

 

[Begonia]

Gawd I love these stories!

5 people showed up this am (earlybirds), trying to buy the freezer. 24 hours early???

Yeesh.

Good suggestions all, especially being ready early. We advertised 8-1, but will be ready by 7 (didn't want them showing up at 6!). The pickers/flippers are irritating I find. Ya want the lead crystal vase for 25 cents?

Yeesh.

 

[rainwood]

The thing that surprised me most is how people wouldn't buy the true bargains - the $200 item marked down to $30, but went wild for cheap stuff that I put out for $1 that was probably worth half that. And some of the stuff I was going to throw away was what sold first.

I would just like to addess this point. This is probably because of over pricing. The garage sale crowd generally are not looking for $30 items. They are on the hunt for <$10 items. Doesn't matter what it is, they gravitate towards them.

As well with anyone (not just garage salers), things that are <$5 are just so much easier to buy. Even things you may not want to have or need.

Anything priced over $20 that is not a big ticket item (such as a table or a couch) will either get passed over or haggled aggressively.

To extend a point someone else made, my advice would be to open early. Like before 8 early. The garage salers (the savvy ones previously mentioned, who as well are most likely to buy as well) are all out by 7. They want to get the jump on the good stuff. The garage salers in my family are typically back home AFTER shopping by 9 am. After 12pm you probably wont sell much.

I think the early crowd, especially the pros, tend to be the people who want to buy cheap regardless of the fairness of the price. The afternoon or casual shopper was more likely to buy the more expensive items that were still value priced and didn't haggle so I learned to be patient and most things were purchased at the marked price. We take really good care of our stuff so everything was in great shape and that allowed us to charge more than maybe the average sale. The expensive items I didn't sell (like my set of copper pans) were sold on eBay for more than the yard sale price.

There was also stuff I viewed as people paying us to haul our stuff away so priced it accordingly and anything left was given to Goodwill. We had luck with the oddest things - a man bought a pair of shoes for his wife who wasn't even there. Brave man.

 

[packrat]

OMG if you guys coulda met my Gramma with the Kitties when she was alive...holy moly. That woman lived for her annual garage sale. She was from the days when you don't throw an-y-thing away. Not nuthin. You keep it and somebody at some point, is gonna neeeeed it you know. Like when you by a piece of pie at the bakery and it comes in that little pie shaped plastic thing. A set of those all together for like 5 cents. With a little note on a scrap piece of paper explaining what you do with it. "Put a piece of pie in here and you can take it with you!" Bras where the straps had broken or were all stretched out, but safety pinned back down, used to be white but were now that weird sick yellow color from age...with a note pinned on them "still works!"

I swear to God I could write a book about her garage sales. And hoooooo boy don't you try to talk her down in prices either, cuz you will *hear* alllll about it, lemme tell ya. Get all up in your face, this short little less than 5ft tall woman, bowlegged and hunched over, shaking her finger at you and you'd just either give her the 25 cents ("really, it is *twenty*FIVE cents mister, that is ridiculous you can't pay me no twenty five cents just git"

She gave me this thing that she got from...I dunno, some random place, like it was a treasure..it was a duck looking thing, with a clothes pin for its beak. It had been on her garage sale umpty-dozen times and nobody bought it. Still had the note stuck in its beak "put notes for people to read in here". Talk about horrendous looking. We used it tho...sat on the counter and we did stick notes to each other in it..we called it the Scary Duck. "We need milk, put a note in the Scary Duck". I don't know what happened to it tho.

Gramma was a card.

 

[Begonia]

 

[Begonia]

Shame about the scary duck going missing...

 

[Begonia]

Okay WTF?

You would not believe how early the early birds are. At least 10 people showed up today and the damn thing starts tomorrow. Definitely pickers, and holy moly are they pushy. With a capital push.

One guy just couldn't accept No, not ready today. No, you can't come in my house and see that little side table. No. No. Still no. Off you go. Bye bye.

One guy asked if I would be having jewellery. I said yes. He asked if I had it appraised ??????? I asked him why in hell I would be selling it a a gs if I'd had it appraised?

This is far out.

But interesting at the same time. My sociologist friend has gs all the time. Probably gives her plenty to sink her teeth into.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Sooo, how much did you make?..

 

[canuk-gal]

Okay WTF?

You would not believe how early the early birds are. At least 10 people showed up today and the damn thing starts tomorrow. Definitely pickers, and holy moly are they pushy. With a capital push.

One guy just couldn't accept No, not ready today. No, you can't come in my house and see that little side table. No. No. Still no. Off you go. Bye bye.

One guy asked if I would be having jewellery. I said yes. He asked if I had it appraised ??????? I asked him why in hell I would be selling it a a gs if I'd had it appraised?

This is far out.

But interesting at the same time. My sociologist friend has gs all the time. Probably gives her plenty to sink her teeth into.

No Cartier, then?

Hope it all went well. Gotta have steely nerves!

cheers--Sharon

 

[TooPatient]

Love the stories!

Hope it all went well. Or at least as well as a garage sale can


I remember setting up a yard sale when I was little. Like <7 years old.
Not sure exactly what I sold or how much I made, but I remember being in trouble because I was selling for super cheap (like a nickel for a hat) and some random stuff from around the house that wasn't mine.
Looking back it is funny but I got lucky that nothing happened. My parents didn't know about it so must have been inside drunk?

 

[monarch64]

Packrat, you crack me up! That was hilarious.

 

[Begonia]

We made just over five hundred, which I was tickled about, as it was a pretty small garage sale when I think of years gone past. It was good, as my boys (11 and 15) helped and they got a some of the proceeds. The learned set-up, arranging, cleaning, pricing, haggling, customer service, security. More important than the cash really.

Hey, I'm all about selling what ain't mine too LOL. Sold the kids water guns and skateboards. If it ain't used in a year, I'm selling it! Well things that are getting in my way at least, and those damn skateboards were.

The jewellery creep showed up again with his loupe. Checked everything over and then wanted me to leave him alone with the jewellery while I helped another customer. I took the tray with me. He then asked in his creepy, soft voice if I had any more jewellery in the house? I wore old clothes and no jewellery to this event and so told him no there wasn't any more and I don't wear jewellery.

Yeesh.

Mind you, I did meet some very nice folks. We are new to the area and met some of our neighbors. One old gal was 89. Tiny, fragile little bird. What my Mum would have been like had she lived 10 more years.

People did steal too. I can't imagine going to a gs to steal. Hey Honey! Look what I nicked from a family gs today, a pair of boots and a chair! Score! Makes you wonder what else they go through life taking from others...

As interesting as it all was, I can honestly say I will never have another...

 

[ame]

I am like the anti-garage sale. I don't usually want someone else's stuff. DH loves them, looking for specific gems usually. I don't want to have one, I don't want to go to them. I generally want no one in my house or on my property, I don't mind my immediate family and my immediate inlaw family in there because they're used to us and we're used to them, but otherwise, no. I hosted two "events" at my house, ever, and that was enough for a lifetime. I just don't like to host things. Maybe if the house was clean?

Bras where the straps had broken or were all stretched out, but safety pinned back down, used to be white but were now that weird sick yellow color from age...with a note pinned on them "still works!"

OMG.

 

[Snicklefritz]

When we had a garage sale in San Francisco, some turd tried to steal my dog! She wanted to be in the middle of things of course, so I tied her leash to our gate, 3 ft from me. I noticed this slob quietly starting to untie her, leaned over his shoulder & asked, "Mmm, anything I can help you with, sir?" Without a word, he turned & walked away. I still get weak thinking about it.

I try to set up so nobody gets too near the house -- have a fear someone will case it out & decide to return later to see what's inside. Maybe I'm paranoid.

It is weird how people will go nuts for your junk & leave the real bargains. Sounds like you cleaned up, Rainwood!

--- Laurie

Wow, that's horrifying.

We usually put "No early birds" on our signs, which, in our area, seems to work fairly well.

 

[autumngems]

I really need to have one but am leary as well. I don't want the early birds and such pestering me and don't want to fight over fair prices.

 

[ruby59]

When we had a garage sale in San Francisco, some turd tried to steal my dog! She wanted to be in the middle of things of course, so I tied her leash to our gate, 3 ft from me. I noticed this slob quietly starting to untie her, leaned over his shoulder & asked, "Mmm, anything I can help you with, sir?" Without a word, he turned & walked away. I still get weak thinking about it.

OMG -- this is just beyond words.

He is lucky he did not try that with my dog. He would have been flat on his back with her standing on his chest, growling in his face.

In my neighborhood, yard sales are not allowed - one of the Homeowners Association rules. But people like the jewelry guy would make me real nervous that he might decide to come back when I was not home.

 

[packrat]

Hahahaha my gramma was a card, truly. One time my brother and I were over visiting and she got all wound up about these collector bottles of booze she had, that grampa opened. She was just a screeching about how they weren't worth anything anymore "and he prolly din't even DRINK any of it he just LICKED IT! He LICKED IT is all's he did, I'm sure of it!! What a waste!"

For all of the craziness about the garage sales tho, that woman could pack the people in. People used to call my dad and ask if it was getting close to time for it. I wonder now if people were coming for the note-entertainment.

We've had two. Made a few hundred bucks. No funny stories tho, dangit.

 

[monarch64]

Ame, we are the same way. My husband loves a good "tag sale," and I refuse to partake. I don't get that high others do finding some treasure after digging through a bunch of junk.

Our HOA allows only two dates per year as yard sale days, one in spring and one in fall. I love that setup because it isn't completely restrictive, and it makes for better sales since it draws buyers to one neighborhood for the morning. We've had one, but oops, I had to work that day!

 

[Begonia]

I think I could go for those British 'boot sales' my sister-in-law told me about. Put your odds and sods in the trunk (boot) and go off to a pre-arranged boot sale site (or something like that). Having to fit things in your trunk would make one get rid of things more frequently.

Yup, creepy jewellery guy is what turned me, forever, off gs's. Told hubbie to put some more and letter locks on the doors and windows, I was that creeped out. When you have that many folks in your garage and yard, you are bound to get a few who have dishonorable intentions. Not worth drawing attention to yourself for $500 bucks is what I've realized.

Having said that though, one year we had one which turned into a community event somewhat like packrat's gramma's shindig. I had coffee, cookies, and had split and divided my perennials and so it was a plant sale as well. Made around $900, and met so many interesting and kind people that year. This was pre-picker times. I loathe pickers, or at least the really obvious and pushy ones. So many came to the sale and told me what they were going to give me for the items. When I haggled, they got really angry and asked loudly, why I wasn't being flexible? WTF? It's called negotiating dude. Sure, go ahead, take the 14 kt garnet studs for a dollar, I'm fine with that.

Yeesh.

 

[momhappy]

I had a garage sale this past weekend too. I made about $1000. It was mostly kids toys, books, clothes, supplies and home items/decor. Lots left over too. I think that I will post on Craigslist for some extra sales/money. I will say though that it was a TON of work - gathering, tagging, setting up. I'm not ready to do it again any time soon!

 

[luv2sparkle]

I give stuff away. All of it. I am sure I have given away very valuable items. I don't care. I hate garage sales with a passion.We have held 5 or 6 over the years and even made a fair amount of cash, but the people make me insane. We have had people get furious because we wouldn't sell a car repair manual for .25 cents instead of 1.50. Every time we have had one I swore I would never do another. So far so good.

 

[diamondringlover]

Labor day is a hugh time for yard sales in our community..we usually have a yard sale every couple of years (we are having one starting tomorrow) A couple of years ago I decided to try and sale some jewelry at my yard sale, which really is stupid on my part, but water under the bridge at this point. But anyway this one year I had a couple of 10K gold rings and some costume rings, well the costume rings were priced around a $1.00 where as the black hills gold ring in 10K and a 5 point diamond had a $35.00 price tag on it (yea I know I gave it away) and some old lady switched the tags and then went up to my husband to pay for the ring, not me him, we think that was on purpose...he said hey honey you want to come look at this to see if its priced right...lol I was like uh NO that ring is not a $1.00 its $35.00 she was pissed she said the price tag said $1.00 well you guessed it she switched the tags and I told her no I would not sale that for $1.00 then she proceed to say are you sure its gold..yes its marked 10K, then how about the diamond is it real?, I was like come on its only $35.00 even it is was CZ it's worth that, but yes the diamond is real, anyway she did end up buying it, but I was much more careful after that.

Then my 2nd story was many years ago after our youngest son was born, we had one of those exersaucers walker things (i can't remember how it was spelled) it cost around $75.00 new and was barely used, I think we had a $15 or $20 price on it and some older women in a brand new Cadillac Escalade SUV stopped to look at it and wanted to give me $5.00 for it...I was like are you kidding me and she would not budge and she was being very pushy about it, she wanted it and she said I had it way overpriced..well she left without it...I refused to give in...I hate pushy people..I never haggle over prices, I just pay what they are asking....so now let the fun begin tomorrow..we never really make a bunch of money I think a couple of years we made around $400-$500 but most years its more like $100-$150...but its a good way to get rid of junk and make a little money to boot.

 

[Begonia]

I must be a glutton for punishment, but...

I'd love to hear how it went and any funny stories that may occur.

 

[luv2sparkle]

After reading the thread about donating to goodwill, I am thinking that maybe I should just have yard sales after all and donate the money to the causes I love. All these things just seem to bring out the ugliest greed in people.