primitives discuss garage sales

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1018637654

Oh my.

snagglepuss (9,999 posts)    Thu Jul 10, 2014, 03:17 PM

Any advice for someone planning her first yard sale? For instance is it better to price each item or ask people what they think is a fair. I've read both points of view on line so I'm wondering if anyone here, whether as a buyer or seller, has yard sale experiences they like to share. I'm all ears.

NightWatcher (24,524 posts)    Thu Jul 10, 2014, 03:20 PM

1. Price it 25% higher than you think it should be

That way, when people talk you down 25% you still come out on top. I love when people try to negotiate on something that you are practically giving away.

snagglepuss (9,999 posts)    Thu Jul 10, 2014, 03:26 PM

2. Pricing high to offset inevitable negotiatation is probably a good idea.

i'm just worried someone might look at the price and walk away.

OriginalGeek (7,319 posts)    Thu Jul 10, 2014, 05:03 PM

6. My father-in-law probably visited thousands of yard sales in his time

My wife used to complain all the time because he'd go almost every weekend and bring back the most useless junk you can imagine and then get mad at her because he would try to give it to her and she didn't want it. Dirty dishes, kid's toys (even after our kids were grown), tools we didn't even know what they were for, broken furniture...but man he loved going and didn't stop until his physical ailments wouldn't let him get out of bed any more.
 
And if you had something priced for a quarter he'd offer you a dime and be willing to pay 15 cents. If you wouldn't budge from asking price you were a "Sorry sunnuvvabitch who must not want to sell nothin". But if you dealt with him and even if you got more than he offered as long it was less than sticker you were a "Good man".
 
I think he pretty much saw the entire world as either sorry sunnuvvabitches or good men.

LynneSin (91,295 posts)    Thu Jul 10, 2014, 03:54 PM

3. When people are buying at yard sales, they feel better about themselves when they negotiated

and can brag to their friends how they talked the price down to a lower price.

So make your prices a bit above what you want to get for it so you can give folks the thrill of negotiating.

Mr.Bill (2,175 posts)       Thu Jul 10, 2014, 04:09 PM

4. Put prices on the item

but put up a large sign saying Make Offer On Any Item. Some people are shy about negotiating, some thrive on it. This way you have both ends covered. You can always say a price is firm, or tell them to check back later when you may be lowering prices if the item is still there.
 
If you advertise in the newspaper or online say it is your first garage sale ever. Believe it or not, there are pros who do nothing but shop yard sales and resell. They pounce on unseen/fresh merchandise. They will be there in the first hour you open. Expect them to male lowball offers, but they do come to buy.
 
Another tip is to say No Earlybirds in your ads. This eliminates the annoyance of people knocking on your door before you open (no matter how early you open) or even the days before the sale.

Ahpook (1,247 posts)    Thu Jul 10, 2014, 05:30 PM

9. Good advice

You can count on people showing up earlier than the listed starting time though. List a starting time of 8am and you'll have people there at 6:30 or 7

sammytko (2,454 posts)    Thu Jul 10, 2014, 05:13 PM

7. Give yourself plenty of time to get organized

Have help. Have lots of change, small bills and coins. Keep an eye on your money. Someone will try to walk off with something. If you are concerned about that, keep small items close to your table.
 
Have a table for your supplies, pens, plastic bags, hangers, water, trash can. Be comfortable.
 
I like to price everything. Remember this is used stuff, so price accordingly. Visit other yard sales to get ideas. Kids stuff sells faster.
 
If there is stuff you just want to get rid of, have a free box.

rug (60,264 posts)    Thu Jul 10, 2014, 07:04 PM

13. The one and only yard sale I had, someone asked who was being evicted.

Be neat.

HeiressofBickworth (1,672 posts)    Thu Jul 10, 2014, 07:42 PM

14. And a safety note

do not allow anyone inside your house -- even if they say they just want to use the bathroom. You can't watch them all the time, and this is how things are lost either from the house or from an unwatched sale. It is also how more disreputable people case houses for later burglaries. You can direct people to a more public restroom nearby (like the corner grocery or gas station).

libodem (15,161 posts)    Thu Jul 10, 2014, 09:17 PM

16. My friend does ebay

And garage sales are her bread and butter. I used to go quite a bit but I collect the junk I find and I have no more room.
 
If you can find tables to it is off the ground and laid out I find that better. And do price stuff. Masking tape pulls off nicely. Man some stickers are a drag to get off. You have to resort to Pam or goo-begone when Awesome won't work. Oh yeah its nice if the stuff is clean, too.
 
I've been to some were they just threw a bunch of toys on one blanket and the clothing on another. No prices. Yuck.
 
I hate to dig through boxes. But, obviously I have.

I really don't like the no price just ask approach. I feel like the seller knows you want it once you pick it up so they can charge you more.

Lars39 (18,976 posts)    Thu Jul 10, 2014, 09:38 PM

17. Sell cans or bottles of soda from an icy cooler.

You can make a steady little profit if the weather is pretty hot.

seaglass (5,825 posts)    Thu Jul 10, 2014, 10:21 PM

18. Good luck. I had my 2nd and last yard sale 2 weeks ago, it was a horrendous experience.

We priced as much as we could beforehand but it got to be too much work so we did put us signs for like items (for example all lamps were x price). We priced stuff very low but the people who showed up wanted stuff even cheaper. Yuck. I wish I had just donated all the stuff it was so not worth it. If you have any emotional attachment to the items you are selling it is very hard.

[franksolich]

snagglepuss (10,006 posts)    Fri Jul 11, 2014, 03:38 PM

24. I've been selling some stuff on craigslist and the other day someone wanted me to

drop the price from 10 to 5 for a very nice Samsonite backpack that was practically new. I think my expression alone told her that she was nuts to think I would sell for 5. She did a whole routine of handing me back the pack and walking away only at that point to relent and angrily hand me over 10. I'd rather drag stuff to Goodwill than to give into to people who expect to pay next to nothing. I suppose it might be diifferent at a yard sale.

^^^must've been visited by the old tightwad the vindictive primitive.

MineralMan (65,255 posts)    Fri Jul 11, 2014, 01:30 PM

20. Here's a tip: Price stuff low and accept any offer.

If you're selling stuff at a garage sale, it's probably stuff you don't want and don't need any longer. So, what you get for it is free money, most of the time. My goal at every garage sale I do is to unload the junk and get some cash. I put low, fair prices on items, and then sell them for what is offered. The result is an empty driveway and cash in my pocket.
 
My last garage sale netted over $900, and I got to clean my house and garage of stuff I hadn't used in over a year. Good riddance to it all, and the cash paid my property tax payment. Good news all around.
 
Make your goal an empty driveway and sell your stuff as quickly as you can. It works.

[Carl]

When in doubt throw it out.

Unless you just want the experience your junk will bring what it is worth,nothing.