posted on September 8, 2000 06:48:02 PM
What time is too early to go to a garage sale? I work day shift and do the Ebay thing for spending money (which is important to me). Lately I haven't been finding anything at garage sales. Today there was a neighborhood sale that was supposed to start at 4 p.m. I got off work at 5 and went. One man apologized and said sorry everything was so picked over but that somebody had knocked on his door at 9:30 a.m. and he had sold them almost everything. It looked like everybody else in the neighborhood must have done the same thing. I have a feeling I know who the person was, a local antique dealer. I can't seem to intrude on people like that, but does that mean I am just out of luck from now on? I have tried going to surrounding cities and I know this person can't be everywhere at once, but it seems like they are always where I am! Has anyone else ever been in this situation and do you have any suggestions? I live in a rural area which doesn't have very many flea markets or shops as a backup plan. Thanks for listening!
posted on September 8, 2000 06:56:05 PM
You do need to be early to get stuff and there are some very greedy people who will descend like vultures. If I were running a sale I wouldn't put up with that nonsense. If a sale starts at 10:00, that's when people are allowed in. I go to sales where this one guy grabs almost EVERYTHING in sight pulls it over to a corner and picks through it. Fortunately, he never wants most of the stuff I do, but he is an obnoxious and rude jerk. No one likes him.
Greed has displaced courtesy...you'd think they were giving away Hope Diamonds.
posted on September 8, 2000 07:17:04 PM
I passed a house today on my walk that had a sign for a garage sale tomorrow. THere were two people outside, doing something. The garage was open and was packed.
I just could't bring myself to ask them to look in their garage. What would you do?
posted on September 9, 2000 05:45:19 AM
When I have too much too sell on greedbay I have a yard sale. There are often people who come early as I am setting up. I even have the gate on my fence locked and people are asking to come in...like two hours early. NOT!!! This one guy I know because I have seen him at yard sales I attend. He is a bully and will literally LEAN into you and across you and will even reach down to something you have your hand on and take it. It was time to get even....especially now that he was early and was being nasty saying "if I didnt want people to buy stuff why do I bother haveing a yard sale." He came back and there were a few people there. There was a nice lady there....who I also believed was a dealer (but very nice). He picked up an item and asked rudely how much is this small glass thingy (trying to belittle what I was selling) I said $400.00.....he put it back on the table and the nice lady picked it up and was purchasing some other items that we had already agreed on the price. I said load enough for him to hear and see....Oh you can have that small glass thingy since you bought these other thingys. I have seen him since and he definetly mumbled nastys under his breath. I laughed as if I were a crazy and he just looked at me...of course so did everyone else along with the sellers at that yard sale. But I did get a few good deals at that yard sale! hmmmmm HA HA HA HA H AH HA
posted on September 9, 2000 07:47:52 AM
My mother had an estate sale a month ago. The sale was to be held on Thurs, Fri, and Sat. Well, on the Mon before the sale was to be held my mom heard someone banging on the garage door demanding to be let in! Turns out it was an antique dealer. My mom couldn't believe it but she was very nice and told her that "no, the sale doesn't start till Thurs.. If you are interested you can come back then." If it had been me I probably wouldn't have been so nice. I can't believe the way some people act anymore - whatever happened to common courtesy?
posted on September 9, 2000 08:05:44 AM
Around my way when people put an ad in the paper for tag sale (we don't have garage sales) they just say "no early birds" and most of them stick to it.
When I closed my shop I had a month left on my lease with nothing to sell so I decided to have a tag sale and I put an ad in the papers. I could barely push my way through the crowd to open my shop. The dealers came rushing like a bunch of vultures. They were so incredibly rude and ticked off when I didn't have what they wanted! The only saving grace about it was watching them shove each other around trying to get the best picks for themselves.
[ edited by helnjoe on Sep 9, 2000 08:07 AM ]
posted on September 9, 2000 08:33:41 AM
I had early-birds (vulture dealers for the most part) at a patio sale for antiques ... the all went away REAL MAD when I said "sure, just give me a $100 non-refundable early-bird fee for the hassle of letting you in".
posted on September 9, 2000 08:39:07 AM
I will show up at a sale early to get a good spot in line but I do not ever go the day before. Unfortunately, I have been to many a sale where they have let people in before and there is not much left. The last sale I went to had a bunch of boxes so I dug through and found some jewelry and handed it to my girlfriend to look through, a dealer came up and grabbed the box. I just looked her in the eye and said I got that out to look at and she gave it back. Incredible! I have found you need to stand your ground or some people will literaly grab it from you.
posted on September 9, 2000 08:53:37 AM
well folks, I never thought I would say this but I guess I sure am lucky to live in Southern California, I have never seen a line to get into a garage sale (maybe because we have so many of them and we have them year round). The main "competition" I have when I go to garage sales and thrift stores is Latino families who usually look at clothes and tools, and elderly people just out for a walk or to pick up a household item. It seems consistent because also, every time I myself have had a garage sale (10 times plus in the last 5 years) these two groups make up 95 percent of my attendance. This suits me just fine. The few dealers I HAVE had have been annoying since they pretend not to know what something is worth and also get annoyed when something is priced fairly (i.e. not giving it away). So I guess I'm a lucky gal. Of course I never put prices on anything either which is also par for the course here in california.....I usually have tons of little things and there is no way I would spend time putting stickers on all of them...I know people here have complained about this but if you came to yard sales here you would see that it's hopeless to complain, taking the time to price things individually just doesn't happen in 90 percent of the cases especially since a lot of the time we just decide we're having a yard sale the night before and toss out the tables and signs at 7 am....I just ask.
posted on September 9, 2000 11:17:47 AM
"Early birds will be eaten" started a garage sale ad I saw in our weekly paper.This weekend was our first city wide garage sale.They had room for 400 (a suburb of 80,000 people near Mpls.)sales,and had to turn away over 100 more.The city gave out free maps with addresses and a short decription.They were out of them in most places Wednesday,due to heavy demand.
We laid out our maps and planned strategy.
Since I had to work, (that thing that keeps the kids in diapers,but interferes with scouting for "ebait"I would have to play catch up when I was able to get away.
So,a doctors visit on Thursday,strangely enough,lasted the whole afternoon!Good thing my employer doesn't employ a truant officer...
As the van was in for repairs,my wife took the car and one girl,me,the bike and kidcart,and we were off.
A lot of times,a seasoned "sale-or" says to himself "what could that house possible have that I would want???" And passes by...with 400+ to scout,and a 5 PM deadline,time is short.
A lot of "Great day for a sale,huh?" are exchanged,walking up the driveways.My wife keeps us in yard plastic (ie:little tykes toys)and clothing,while I'm hunting for old beer/pop stuff.
Occasionally,when I find a real score for 5.00,I'll hand em a ten and say keep the change.I love the look on a child's face when you do something like that.Even a quarter on a dime item.
I won't itemize my finds,just wanted to say the weather was gorgeous,the kids were great(especially after the sale with 2 books for a nickel,and I only had a quarter!)and to top it off,our neighbor is having a sale today,and invited our junk,and the "take" has passed the 100 mark.
Aaaah....lifes simple pleasures...
OMG! That's hilarious & VERY clever! I'm going to "borrow" it heavily for my next one.
We even locked the front gates to the farm to try & keep them out before the appointed time. I had some trying to pick the lock!
Now, we just let the doberman run loose in the yard...THAT tends to keep them in their cars until we open the gates. What they don't know (and I'm sure not going to tell them) is that the doberman would probably have a heart attack if one of them looked at him crossly.
posted on September 9, 2000 03:23:32 PM
Hammerchick: I too live in a rural area and it's a 60 mile drive to the nearest city. This means I have to make my garage-sale trip even more worthwhile. I try to stay with the "15 minute early" rule as I think coming any earlier is rude, and it certainly ticks me off when I have my own sale! What does seem to help is to go through the ads the night before and mark the ones you REALLY want to go to. Then make sure you hit these first. Although I really questioned my sanity this morning when I had to get up at 5:15 this morning to hit a 7 a.m. sale, it sure paid off for me today!
posted on September 9, 2000 03:39:43 PM
My best friend is engaged to a cop, so when her family had a yard sell they had him show up in uniform (parked him in a lawn chair and kept him plyed with cokes and cookies)......the early birds showed up alright, but not ONE stepped onto the yard before it was time!
If I ever have a yard sell, Im hiring her cop! LOL
posted on September 9, 2000 03:45:29 PM
I hit a sale this morning--just two minutes after opening and people had begun filling their bags. I did fine. Early is good.
posted on September 9, 2000 06:37:47 PM
This is a funny thread. Who ever said that there is garage sale etiquette? At least as far as when one shows up. While I agree you do not grab stuff outta peoples hands or their pile.....who said you cannot show up early?
Do you want stuff? Do you want good stuff? Antiques? Do you want a lot of it? Go early? Whats early? As soon as the paper it is published in hits the street. No one home at 10AM? Start going about 3 PM. Great finds in the Summer from 6 PM to dark. Have cash, be serious, have a truck and put the Seller out of business. BUY IT ALL! Or.....buy the best that there is and let the quarter and fifty cent crowd have the leavings.
Do you hate getting the 'we are taking bids on that item routine'? Are you a buyer or an appraisal service? You give 'em a price that they want to shop around and the next party that offers 5.00 more will get the same treatment.
Fix 'em up with 'The Sky Hook'. Make a ridiculous offer about 50% to 100% more than a legit one and let the Seller whine when they call you and you say that you are not interested. Your 'free appraisal' is worth every penny.
If your initial offer on large furniture is accepted.....CRIPPLE IT! Take the leaves, a drawer or two, or anything that makes it unsalable, then WRITE A RECEIPT. That way when Uncle Joe the 'expert' says that he could gotten them 'more' or Dear Aunt Bertha decides that she just cannot bear to see that 'leave the family' you can either sell her the parts, or or just take your wares. The police will back you up once you have a receipt.
Does this sound harsh? YUP! THIS IS BUSINESS.
If they want to sell it for real $$$ they can do their homework. If they are not sure that they want to sell it, it should not be in the sales area or marked clearly and accordingly.
The only duty you owe anyone Selling their wares is to be polite. Period. If they say 'no' then say thank you and leave. No one gets hurt by trying. The losers cry while they spend their pennies that the dealers and early birds got all the best stuff. Its true.
Do not take it personal.....there are people making a living at this. Get 'the Dabblers' outta the way.
posted on September 9, 2000 06:41:34 PM
I really hate it when sellers don't mark prices...even with colored stickers. I usually won't ask a price unless I REALLY want the item, so they lose sales...at least to me. Even having a table or box marked "Everything $1" or some such thing helps!
We don't have garage sales ourselves very often, but when we have, we don't seem to have problems with early birds. The antiques and estate sales, I think, have more people show up early or even the day before.
posted on September 9, 2000 07:16:46 PM
I would never show up more than a few minutes early to a sale, and HATE it when I arrive on time to find everything already picked over. I'm having a sale this Saturday, and will NOT let anyone in before the scheduled time!
Hey Bobarrett - We're neighbors (sort of)! I dropped my kids off at school on Thursday and my mom and I spent the day trying to hit all 400 sales. Did okay, but actually did better on Friday and was only out for about 3 hours.
posted on September 9, 2000 07:28:29 PM
We start our sales at 8. We start set up at 6. By 6:05 we have buyers. At least they help get the stuff out of the garage.
The worst lack of etiquette is the theft. One guy filled his arms and then proceeded to load the merchandise into his back seat. I tapped him on the shoulder and said, "I have your license number and witnesses. I think you want to pay me now." He did and I told him if I ever saw his sorry a** again I was calling the police. He left in a real hurry.
How about garage sales advertised to start at eight and when you get there at 8:15 they are still setting up??
Sonsie...You'd hate our sales. Our policy is name your own price. People never believe it even when they read the sign.
Kathy
[ edited by jensmome on Sep 9, 2000 07:30 PM ]
posted on September 9, 2000 09:44:05 PM
In garage/tag sales, there's no such thing as too early. There is definitely a "too-late," and that's anytime AFTER the other guy's been there and taken anything worthwhile.
As DrTrooth aptly described, this is business. Dealers aren't shopping sales early to get your goat. Seriously, you're the furthest thing from their minds (unless you got to the sale before them).
They're crawling out of bed at the crack of dawn (while you're still sawing logs), tracking down the newstand first on the delivery man's route (while you wait for the carrier to bring it to you), driving past every likely sale in a 20-mile radius (while you're still sipping your coffee), and striking up conversations with sellers setting up.
90% of those sellers enthusiastically invite the dealers to shop. They load their van while you're still in the shower.
This is their livelihood, not a pastime. It's business -- nothing more, nothing less.
posted on September 10, 2000 07:05:54 AM
I will go early if I drive by and everything is out, but I wouldn't go knocking on the door asking to look early! Estate sales are even worse in my area - if they advertising on Wednesday that the sale is on Friday, you can guarantee they'll be wiped out by Thursday afternoon.
posted on September 10, 2000 07:57:56 AM
One time, I HAD to put a sawhorse at the end of the driveway because people were trying to come in at 7:30am whereas the sale starts at 9am and it was noted in my flyers 'NO EARLY SALES'
I just don't want pple getting in my way and trying to either bicker about the price or hand me the money while I'm trying to uncover the stuff and putting the large items out.
I had a few people that very considerate to wait though and I thanked them for it
Another I had a gentleman who came two days early and he's after the accordian that I listed on the flyer. He was giving me the sob story about his long trek for his daughter (yeah right). I told him he should have waited until the day of the sale.
edited to correct grammar
[ edited by toomanycomics on Sep 10, 2000 07:59 AM ]
posted on September 10, 2000 03:31:38 PM
This is a fascinating thread, I've never heard many comments on yard/garage sales before and it's interesting to hear everyone's opinions about it. I live in Florida and have only had a few yard sales in my life. Why? I hate sitting in the hot sun all day, haggling over prices(once when selling a children's bicycle, the mother tried to get me to come down, when I said no, 20 mins. later she tries to shame me into it by sending her kid over to give me a sob story about how she doesn't have enough allowance money), watching for theft, and most of all EARLY BIRDS! Fifteen mins. early isn't too bad, but any earlier greatly annoys me. It makes me feel like I can't win. If I go out early and try to have everything set out in time for the sale, the early birds show up and I have to watch for theft, make change, and put my stuff out at the same time. Plus, all the hassle delays getting the sale set up for those who do arrive at the appropriate time. The only way for me to avoid this, is to wait until the sale starts to put stuff out, so I end up not having everything out when the first buyers arrive, which is also not fair to those who arrive at the scheduled time. It absolutely amazes me all the posts I just read by earlybird dealers, who seem to think that just because they're running a business, it entitles them to be rude and forget their manners. To the person who asked what's wrong with being early, and made the statement that there is no such thing as "too early", why do you think people bother to schedule their yard sales? If the sellers didn't care when you showed up, they would put "come whenever" in their adds. Most people having yard sales have families and jobs to worry about, and we aren't going to make exceptions for you merely because you're conducting BUSINESS! If you're in a business where you have to forego courtesy and etiquette to be successful, then I feel sorry for you, and all of us, who have to tolerate you.
posted on September 10, 2000 04:00:01 PM
Gee, magicattic, you better clue in the many sellers who not only accept early-birds, but cheerfully sell to them. Many -- no, most -- sellers I encounter each week are happy to sell, whether it's the appointed hour or not. Most people are having their sale to sell. They couldn't care less if the buyer is a collector, dealer, or otherwise.
I should think it must be difficult to sell your things when you're so preoccupied with who's doing the buying and whether it's 9:00 or 10 minutes 'til. But, being among the troupe of serious buyers you chased away because it wasn't "time," I wouldn't know.
posted on September 10, 2000 04:25:04 PM
If I ever had a garage sale, I think my sense of fair play would have to make me keep the gate closed and the dogs loose until the appointed time.
I guess I don't have the true garage sale etiquette of the "pros".
So it is probably a good thing I don't ever need the hassles of a garage sale.
Heck, if I can't sell it on ebay it gets donated to the church.
posted on September 10, 2000 04:28:51 PM
I don't care who my buyers are, I have nothing against dealers, only buyers of any sort who don't respect my schedule. Another reason I didn't let people in early, is because I feel it's not fair to advertise you're having a yard sale at 8 a.m. or whatever scheduled time it is, and then when people show up, have nothing to sell to them. It ends up being a waste of their time and money. With so many yard sales many people don't have time to attend every one. I respect the fact that they've set aside time to attend mine, and they have the right to expect merchandise for sale that hasn't been completely picked over. Just my opinion.
posted on September 10, 2000 04:45:41 PM
I agree with themagicattic. Especially the part about the ad would have said "come whenever". I did see an ad not too long ago that said "Call xxx-xxxx if you want an early start".
posted on September 10, 2000 06:33:42 PM
Yea Magicattic! Cheer! Clap! Clap! You hit the nail on the head right on. When my girlfriend and I began garage-saleing many years ago on our bicycles, our goal was to "beat the dealer" and peddle those little suckers around town as fast as we could. Through the years the word "dealer" has gained a bad reputation--perhaps because so many of them act like DrTrooth or Fountainhouse. Now that I am one of the dreaded "dealers," I hope I can do my part to change their reputation by being polite and courteous--this means showing up at a reasonable time and not trying to half their prices on everything. The dealer who just figures "business is business" and doesn't care if he bangs on their door in the wee hours of the morning does nothing but hurt himself. In our town we all know who these people are, and from church rummage sales, to garage sales to estate sales, the "good stuff" just doesn't seem to be out there anymore when they come around. Wonder why?
posted on September 10, 2000 07:26:34 PM
I don't allow early birds, yet I have never had a single garage sale that netted less than three figures and often much more. Don't think it's hurt me much. If I miss the dealers---so what?? They are the ones who want everything at half price anyway. My heart is breaking over missing them! (sob).
I also want to say that I was a flea market seller for years before I did eBay, and took my business very seriously, and NEVER, in my YEARS of shopping yard sales, did I arrive early. Not once! If anything I tend to be a "late bird". Strangely enough I was always able to find tons of good stuff and I still do.
I think you have to temper your "business" sense with respect for your sources. Otherwise you will be in the same position that a few dealers who shopped at my old flea market were. They were so rude that a large number of us sellers refused to sell to them at any price. At my yard sales if I spot one of these guys I will not allow them into my yard. They can take their money and move on down the road with their bad attitude and manners. I don't need ANYONE'S money bad enough to put up with rudeness on my OWN property.
posted on September 10, 2000 08:29:18 PM
You ladies are still missing the point. I'll go real slow this time: Most sellers don't give a tinker's damnwhat timethey sell their widgets. They think the sound of the coins hitting the cash box sounds just dandy, whether it's 9:00, 7:00, or a week before the sale is officially scheduled.
You all keep referring to the "rudeness" of arriving early. Since when does shopping early at the invitation of the seller constitute rudeness?? That is a curious definition, and, contrary to your protestations, it is a belief that is not held by the majority of sellers.
You certainly may set the rules for the sales you conduct. You may also stand on your pedestals as you buy (or try to). You may even make some money. However, you'll never know how much serious money walked away from the sale, either in the box of goodies the dealer bought before you got there because you were too busy standing on principle ... or in the pocket of the dealer who knew that there were 10 other sales with eager sellers waiting.
I would have to play catch up when I was able to get away.
Did okay, but actually did better on Friday and was only out for about 3 hours.