posted on June 26, 2001 05:04:40 AM new
I rarely have garage sales--but it was the Saturday before moving (6/23), and I had a lot of unsold Ebay stuff, household items, & furniture. Well, about half of the cars just drove by without stopping. The rest of the clientele wanted everything for fifty cents or a quarter (I'd rather give to charity). NONE of my furniture sold (even at $20). I let the Salvation Army truck pick up everything at 1 p.m. WON'T EVER DO ONE AGAIN!! I'm still wondering what happened.
posted on June 26, 2001 05:24:07 AM new
What was the weather like?
I have been finding that most people come to Garage Sales on Thursday now. We had one a few weeks back, and sold approx. $200 on Thursday, $6.00 on Friday, and didn't even bother to open on Saturday.
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posted on June 26, 2001 05:35:35 AM new
It's true people are looking for deals at yardsales. I have three young cats, so when I find a sofa for $20-25 I snatch it and get rid of the one they've turned into a scratching post. And if it's something for me, I rarely haggle on the price. But for resale, I have to be very tight with my money.
I think it's harder when we sell our own stuff. I've had two friends who were selling primarily upscale baby/toddler clothes at theirs who literally ended them early because of the nickle and dimers, and drove the stuff to Goodwill.
Some folks have the stomach to give yardsales and some don't. I haven't had one for years, and plan one for summer's end. Guess I'll see then about my stomach.
posted on June 26, 2001 06:37:48 AM new
Personally, I am tired of Garage Sale Sellers who want to charge eBay prices...Some will even tell you "That Sold on Ebay for XXXX". I always ask "Why don't you sell it on Ebay then?"...They never have an answer.
posted on June 26, 2001 06:52:11 AM new
Last year about this time, I had a one day yard sale and made $700.00 This year I had a two day yard sale, advertised as "swap meet sellers clearance" and made $50.00. Anymore, people want to pay .25 for BRAND NEW NEVER OUT OF THE BOX $8.00 retail stuff. What??? I will never do a yard sale again, either. If I think it's worth the bother, I will run it on ebay, if no sale, it will go to charity, and I will take a tax write off. Tennis rackets for 25 cents anyone? Or how about cabbage patch dolls, like new? 10 cents? Okay, I will let you have it for free. Or, I will pay you to take it off my hands, how's that? Geez........
posted on June 26, 2001 07:11:08 AM new
Man-O-Man...
I WAS planning on having my moving sale this weekend, now I'm wondering if I should bother!
Could it be the reason folks are trying to nickle and dime you to death, be that they are ebayers looking for a steal? It seems everyone is doing it these days.
posted on June 26, 2001 07:30:33 AM new
i find most sellers have rather high expectations,they compared their items which are not in good condition to those new ones in stores.
or if it were a multi family sale,they dont have nice things,most households seem to have a lot of junks,may be after 50 years they will be worth something like depression glass.
posted on June 26, 2001 08:15:36 AM new
Some friends of mine asked me to help them have a garage sale last week and I reluctantly agreed. When they pulled all their boxes out of the attic and garage and I sorted through them, I suggested they donate it all and be done with it.
But NOOO, they wanted to garage sale it first. I spent an entire day pricing things and all they did was argue with me. I'm talking about total worthless junk: drinking glasses, dusty and ugly decorative items, stained baby clothes, musty books, chipped pottery, etc. I tried to be honest and tell them what little they would get but they kept insisting that an item was "old". I tried to explain that OLD does not equal VALUABLE, especially when the OLD item is chipped or cracked!
They ended up running the sale 3 days and made about $140.00, ($40 of which was for a snowblower). So when clean-up time comes, I suggest again that they throw away or donate the leftovers. They actually reboxed everything and plan on doing another sale next month!
posted on June 26, 2001 09:12:11 AM new
I manage about 10-12 garages sales per year, and each makes great profits. The key is to schedule them for the 3rd or 15th of the month, (hence paydays for most people), Sales do not do well this time of year (may thru Aug), seems like most all types of sales are down at that time as well. Above all, remember that garage sales must have garage sale prices. You may get away with high prices the first go round, but people will not be back the next time. Its a lot of work, and hassle, so don't attempt it if your not up to it. Good Luck
posted on June 26, 2001 09:53:17 AM new
In the good old days, people in my neck of the woods, myself included had garage sales to GET RID OF EXCESS CLUTTER in their homes. Prices were cheap, as the objects were items no longer wanted. I held three garage sales after relatives died with excellent household merchandise most priced under $1 or $2. Usually made between $500 - $700 and had lots of fun.
Now after Antiques Roadshow, Martha Stewart, EBAY, etc.etc. etc. Everyone is a dealer and thinks their nicked, chipped, stained, missing parts, crazed, cracked, garbage is worth a fortune.
I think at some point, the prices will drop back down because people will not pay new or retail prices for something stained, chipped cracked no matter how old it is and a customer just doesn't think it is valuable because your grandmother owned it and brought it over on the Mayflower even though it is a piece of Homer Lauglin.
posted on June 26, 2001 10:28:28 AM new
Thanks to everyone for their input. Answer: The weather was nice. Here's one example: Like new fan (retail $25)--people looked at me in disbelief for asking $8. Phillips-Magnavox compact cd/cassette/radio player "blaster" with handle (retail $59)--couldn't get $20 for. I might still do occasional swap meets (much better results)for household items, but garage sales--NEVER AGAIN! Oh, one more odd thing. For one week I ran these items in classified ads of paper: 3 bookshelves $70; couch $50; sofabed queen $65; computer desk $50. NO SALES! So I had to give them all to Salvation Army (moving). Somebody said it was a bad time of the month for people having money (19th thru 25th). But come on, we don't ALL get paid once a month on the first, do we?? Thanks again for contributing.
posted on June 26, 2001 11:29:05 AM new
I've noticed since I'm a regular garage saler when I have a garage sale a lot of the other regulars don't even stop by. They think I'm selling a lot of stuff I bought at other garage sales cheaply and am just marking it up to make a profit. Around here the regulars very seldom attend each others sales. Could it be a jealousy attack as to why they don't come or they think we know everything and won't have any good buys?
By the way some of the best buys I've made are at other regular garage salers sales. Like the time I bought 4 jadite grill plates for $2.00, the cutest wall pocket for $2.00, Tammy doll $1.00, the Griswold breakfast skillet for $3.00 and so on. You never know...
And really the stuff I sell besides household excess is what I didn't want in that box of junque that I got at an auction that I only wanted one thing from. And most of my stuff is priced a quarter or fifty cents. I don't want to see it again. After the sale I always put up a sign that says everything is free. Most of it is gone by the next day. To me the point of a sale is to get RID OF JUNQUE! Come on over nickle and dimers!
posted on June 26, 2001 11:59:50 AM new
If I have a garage sale, I schedule it for Friday and Saturday. I live in the country and the pickings are slim on Saturday when there are so many in town. However, garage sales can be profitable. Our house had burned up or down (which ever way you want to say it) in 1997. In order to save money we opted to salvage the parts and pieces ourselves before the house was torn down. Now these were nice pieces before the fire, but after, well. There were doors that were scorched and bubbled, half burned furniture, sad looking light fixtures, half-burned pieces from the front porch, etc. etc. My husband wanted to have a garage sale. I told him not to insult the intelligence of people and try to sell this junk. Well, we made almost $800 that day. I couldn't believe it. I would have driven up, surveyed the area and turned right around. people ya gotta love 'em.
[ edited by llama_lady on Jun 26, 2001 12:00 PM ]
posted on June 26, 2001 12:39:14 PM new
Where I live the majority of the garage sales are visited by people receiving welfare. Therefore the best weekend to have a garage sale is the first weekend of the month.
Not my name on ebay.
posted on June 26, 2001 12:44:40 PM new
Although, now that I think about it, I stood in line at the grocery store behind an older woman and a younger woman who were putting items on the conveyor belt according to priority. The wrapped meat and other perishables were left on a table in the aisles. They paid for their groceries with food stamps. The younger woman was wearing a cute, new outfit in the latest style and had a gold ring on each finger. The older woman also had mega jewelry on her hands. Maybe this working for a living isn't all its cracked up to be. I guess I'll quit my job and go on welfare, buy good stuff at garage sales, and use food stamps for groceries since this means I can have lots of jewelry and cute clothes. 'Cause I sure can't afford them now.
Not my name on ebay.
posted on June 26, 2001 01:19:48 PM newI have been finding that most people come to Garage Sales on Thursday now.
i've noticed people here talking about garage/yard sales starting on thursdays, and seen them advertised in the classifieds this way. when did this start, and why? are there now a lot of people who are no longer at work on thursdays and fridays? used to be garage/yard sales were always on saturdays and sundays.
posted on June 26, 2001 01:31:27 PM new
I love havin' yard sales...I don't advertise, just make excellent signs, leadin' folks right to my place. I price low, but with some room for those who like to barter. I love meeting people and shootin' the bull with those comin' & goin'...I usually run 'em Fri/Sat and by Sat afternoon everything is half price/ buy one get three free/ or just plain free, depending on my mood. I love it when folks ask "how much?" and I respond "free", they just look at ya kinda weird and ask "how much?" again, once they get the FREE part they usually grab a bunch of stuff, that I will NOT have to haul back into the house or out to the curb.
This time around I'm thinkin' about advertising and actually runnin' an ad something like "eBay seller liquidating inventory - don't miss this one!".....
As for ads in the local papers for merchandise, I think that part of the problem is that there is no way to know what the things look like before you schlep to the house & have to turn it down if it's not what you were looking for...Next time I run an ad for larger pieces, I just might take some pix, upload them to my aol space, and list the URL in the ad. Will be interesting to see if there is increased interest.
posted on June 26, 2001 01:52:14 PM new
Rancher: I had the same thought, and tried that with my (second ever, and last) garage sale last weekend.
The newspaper ad read:
"We're tired of selling on eBay and it's time to clear it all out! Quilts, textiles, old linens, lots of books, old magazines - some dating back to the 1950s. World War II safety instruction records and film strip sets. Collectibles and much more! Some household items including a queen-size sleeper sofa, a headboard and bed frame, and a 6-foot bookcase, but no tools and no clothing. Saturday, June 23, 2001, 8 am to 2 pm only! The sale will be inside, so come even if it's raining!
(street address deleted) How to find us: www.-----.com/sale"
I had about fifteen hits on the web site, three (count 'em) people to show up. No sales at all.
Very depressing, and the local charities are going to have a lot of stuff to haul away.
Sigh.
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SilkMoth only on the message boards
[ edited by silkmoth on Jun 26, 2001 01:53 PM ]
posted on June 26, 2001 03:13:08 PM new
Hey, silkmoth and rancher,
Why don't you just put your pics on your web space and offer it to other ebay sellers? List it under wholesale lots and who knows? I've seen what I believe were cherry picked pallets selling on there with several bids.
I've seen furniture listed with "must be picked up" in the terms and they had bids, too.
You never know what people will buy. As they say, there's an ass for every seat!
posted on June 26, 2001 07:42:32 PM new
You could try a consignment auction instead of taking your stuff to goodwill or the salvation army. I have a friend who has done better on some of his things at a cosignment auction than on ebay. I don't think they would take your clothing, but they will take bedding and linens. If you have collectibles or antiques put them in an antique auction.
posted on June 26, 2001 08:21:30 PM new
Thursday got put in peoples head because of the pickers who are always calling a day ahead. I've lost out on my share of sweet deals because of this. See the auction house folks loading up the truck the day before a sale. Particularly furniture. The large, heavy old pieces. By the lot of it.
Same thing about early sales, everyone always trying to get there first.
posted on June 26, 2001 08:34:57 PM new
The sales in my area have been pretty slow the last week or two also, (maybe because there's so many of them?), but I've gotten some great deals because of it. More than a few times recently I've walked into a sale and been told "Everythings half price", or "Make me an offer", and this was on the first day of the sale with a garage still full of nice stuff.
posted on June 27, 2001 07:06:52 AM new
silkmoth, I suppose great minds think alike!! That is NOT a good thing to hear that you didn't generate business with that ad..hmmmm, might have to rethink my strategy.
pwolf, I would love to sell it ALL in one big giant lot. Oh, and I do mean GIANT lot: I've got a 40ft trailer full + a 16'x29' shed (YIKES!), unfortunately, I was stupid, stupid, stupid and when having one of my "got to get rid of all this clutter" moods, I even included some of my personal belongings, so NOW I have to sort through it all before I sell it off.
posted on June 27, 2001 07:20:55 AM new
Silkmoth, I hate to say it, but as a yard sale goer myself, your ad would not have put your yard sale on the top of my "must hit" list. Saying that you're a seller (whether antique seller or ebay seller) and listing some very specific collectible items tends to turn me away from yard sales for the simple reason that I'm not expecting to find bargains at those sales. If you want to draw people try this: advertise as a MOVING sale! Everybody loves those sales because they know the sellers really want to (or have to) get rid of the stuff, thus we know that the prices will be seriously slashed. Don't worry about truth in advertising - you can rationalize it by saying you're just trying to "move" the junk from out of your garage!
[ edited by holdenrex on Jun 27, 2001 07:21 AM ]
