Are a garage sale goer? What do you look for? Do you have garage sales? What do you sell? What are your stratagies with either?
I use to go when I was younger and, obviousely, look for a bargain. But then increasingly found people were asking too much for junk. Garage sales exploded in numbers as did attendees/ buyers.
I also use to participate in a neighborhood garage sale. I found it increasingly annoying. People would arrive early in the morning with a twenty dollar bill for a 75 cent item. That would take a big junk of my change. Or they would ask if I would take 15 cents for an item I priced at a quarter. Really? Or they would say some of my items were dirty. No way. I was very careful about what I would put out on a table.
Rule number one of bargaining: never say anything bad about the merch. You can say that the price is not affordable, but never badmouth the seller’s items. This is what my MIL taught me - it works well both in garage sales bargaining and in business transactions.
Stuff that sells well: tools and Tupperware with lids (all the time), household items (before the college dorm move in), kids’ clothes (before the start of school year).
Back in the 80’s and 90’s my in laws were hard core yard sale shoppers. They were also collectors and knew what they were looking for, and how much they were willing to pay. They had a lot of fun.
They also found some absolute gems in terms of gag gifts, which have become well circulated among the extended family… “Who’s got the bear ashtray? We need to give it to Jen at her baby shower.” “Bill’s getting married, we need to give him the wooden skis lamp.” “Make sure you bring the tree painting to Sue’s house warming party.”
I have never made enough money at a garage sale to make it worth my time and effort. We donate everything to various charities and itemize our taxes.
Not into garage sales. One thing that annoys me about garage sales is when folks will have one at their home on a busier street and buyers/lookers stop in middle of road, swing their car doors wide open, and step out into traffic not even looking out for car traffic like they are not in the middle of dangerous traffic. I’ve almost sandwiched passing garage sales a couple of times people swinging their car doors open without them thinking or being more careful.
Our town has an annual community wide garage sale the weekend after Memorial Day. We signed up this year. I didn’t sell much but my husband culled his model train collection and most of his stuff was gone within the first half hour. And he enjoyed talking to fellow hobbyists and exchanging contact information with them. Interesting to me was that although I had specified the scale models he was selling in the ad people showed up asking for all kinds of other stuff.
A few years ago when my daughter and I were shopping for her first apartment (junior year of college with three roommates) we browsed garage sales. The best thing I bought her (for a song) was a 50’s kitchen set (think chrome and red vinyl) in great condition.
I don’t have them and don’t go to them. I walk my dog through a neighborhood that often has yard sales. I am constantly amazed by the behavior of the shoppers. I’ve seen shoppers speeding through the neighborhood, parking in middle of people’s yards, people backing into other shopper’s cars, blocking roads, blocking driveways, blocking in other shoppers. Not the kind of people I’d like to hang around with on a Saturday morning.
I love going to garage sales even though I rarely buy anything (I have my own junk.) But, I’ve gotten lucky a few times. I had one once about 15 years ago. Huge PITA and I’d never do it again. In my area - and I suppose most places - the serious buyers/collectors also show up hours before the stated time and buy up everything good.
I think the most important thing when having a garage sale is not to ask too much if you want to get rid of it.
I prefer going to estate sales. More nice things among the junk.
I avoid going to them at all costs but occasionally we’ve had one, which has been painful, for me at least.
Many years ago we had a garage sale and unloaded a play set that our then toddler daughter didn’t care for. About a year later, that same set came back to us as a gift from our next door neighbor, who frequented garage sales. I’ve always wondered how many times it changed hands during that year! We ultimately took it to Goodwill.
I know people find great deals at yard sales but I don’t have the patience. I had one yard sale when my kid was about 7 and we got rid of a lot of her baby stuff. It was not fun. I now bring stuff to Goodwill.
When my daughter graduated from college and had about a month before she started her job, I told her she could have a garage sale and keep all the cash – but she had to do everything. She did – put an ad in Craigslist, posted signs, organized the junk, sat for hours and sold stuff. She also sold her old bedroom furniture on Craigslist. She made about $600, a nice amount of money that she used to help set herself when she moved.
Never go to garage sale and never hold one either. I don’t like the idea that strangers come to my house. I give stuff away when I need to declutter or move.
I donate to charities- nonreligious when possible/practical (I sure wish religions didn’t control the market on charitable deeds- I want to dissociate the qualities from belief systems since one does not need them to be equally good, generous et al). Perhaps growing up with shabby furniture and hand me down clothes I abhor buying someone else’s discards. I do understand why people try to make some money on their goods, however.
Not me. I just dropped 2 bags and 1 box at Goodwill yesterday.
We also give aways toys to extended families or friends.
I still want to get rid a lot of other things in my house.
Used furniture sells for nothing unless it is high end wood stuff like fine dressers and dining sets. Used upholstered stuff fetches little at estate or yard sales.
Used to live in a neighborhood that was great for garage sales (easy parking, very local). My current location just doesn’t have parking and harder to attract people so haven’t had one in a while.
I’ve had ton of garage sales and it was always worth my while (several hundred dollars). Money and somebody else hauling away my stuff is a good time. The prices were set depending sometimes on how much I just wanted to get rid of the stuff. And sometimes how much I liked the buyer (LOL).
I quit pricing things individually except for large items like furniture or higher priced items which saves a ton of angst and time. Grouping like items helps sales.
Saturday is furniture day–guys are home with the pick up truck to get stuff. It always sold on Saturday–never before.
We (never did one alone) always had a good time meeting people and sometimes haggling a bit on price. Most everyone was friendly and I never had any problems.
No garage sales for me. I mostly give stuff to Goodwill or local “Friends of the Library,” but my neighborhood has a big “free stuff” culture…You just leave it out on the curb with a “free - take me” sign. I put stuff out some and am always amazed at the really junky stuff that disappears quickly. I work very hard not to claim anything, no matter how much it appeals to me at that moment. I am really trying to have fewer, not more, things.
