posted on October 8, 2005 06:16:12 PM
I know there are people that have yard sales regularly and after this weekend - I am bewildered how? A friend of mine just bought a house he is planning to renovate and flip. We realized that as downtown dwellers we finally had a place to have a yard sale. A bunch of us got together cleared the closets and the "evil corner of doom" that we all seemed to have of perfectly good stuff that either wouldn't sell on ebay or that you have no desire to find a box to pack and ship it in if it does (admit it - we all have that corner), the remnents of our Ikea furntiure shopping days (there were two identical wall units from there being sold but the funny thing was that all of us had once owned one of them) and had a two day yardsale.
I'm exhausted! I don't think I like people enough to want to deal with them like that on a regular basis. Plus - there some really ANNOYING people that show up at yard sales. One of the guys had large bags filled with construction bits and pieces. Electrical outlets & covers, Locksets with keys but that the boxes had fallen apart on etc. This woman comes up, looks at the bags and starts complaining about the price. $5 for 5 locks/deadbolts... at a yardsale? I can buy them new... I admit it, I finished that sentance for her... for about 8 times that at Home Depot - did you need directions?. I don't understand that mentality - if you want it and you think it's too high, negotiate, if you don't, shut up but what do you accomplish by being rude?
In the end we got rid of everything (the last box of stuff went to the last person that pulled up - we told them everything was free, only condition was they had to take the entire box.) and did about $1500 between us but I don't see how anyone can do that more than once every 5 or 10 years.
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An intelligent deaf-mute is better than an ignorant person who can speak.
posted on October 8, 2005 06:22:39 PM
I've probably had about 15 or so yard sales in the last 20 years. I skipped this year - planning on just sending things to auction.
I enjoy most of the people. But I always end up with stuff left over. I can't imagine having a sale where you get rid of everything.
posted on October 8, 2005 06:41:52 PM
In my opinion, the only reason you have a yard sale it to get rid of everything. Unfortunately, as an occasional yard sale shopper, most people are trying to retire on their yard sale earnings.
I have a $0.10 table, a $0.25 table, a $0.50 table, and a $1.00 table with the big stuff priced to go and the stuff flies out of the yard. fenix03, I do exactly what you did at the end of the day. I have only had yard sales when we move and one or two others and I too echo the frustration with some people.
At my last yard sale I did get rid of everything but not before two women came to blows over a vegetable steamer, some 40 year old idiot picked up the BB gun I had for sale and started testing it out by firing around the garage, (I didnt realize that I had left a few BBs in it!!!) Then there was the guy that waited till I was waiting on several folks and handed me a five for a $1.00 purchase, then claimed he handed me a twenty. My wife stays in the house , if it was up to her, shed take it all to Goodwill.
posted on October 8, 2005 06:52:55 PM
Cherished - we had good stuff (lots of electronics) and we were easy to negotiate with. There is one thing that came home - I had an old set of luggage that I was selling and when I actually opened one of the pieces I found an old Saudia Airlines carry on bag. No way was I going to sell that...too much fun could be had seeing the expression on the faces of fellow passengers when I fly (When I came home I looked it up on ebay out of curiosity - found one exactly like it that sold for $42)
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
An intelligent deaf-mute is better than an ignorant person who can speak.
[ edited by fenix03 on Oct 8, 2005 06:53 PM ]
posted on October 8, 2005 07:01:29 PM
The last 2 day yard sale we had we started at 6:30 AM on a Friday morning with plenty of big signs at all the intersections in the neighborhood. There's an elementary school about 2 blocks from us. When the "Mommies in minivans brigade" started bringing their angels to school, they saw the signs, kicked the rug rats out in front of the school, and headed to our place, adorned in housecoats, curlers and fuzzy slippers. They came, they bought fast, they loaded their treasures in the minivans, and they got the hell out before someone they knew saw them in their very casual attire. We did fantastic on Friday. But on Saturday, the dealers, welfare recipients, wannabee powersellers, shoplifters, cheapskates and asylum parolees all started showing up. And Fenix, they're the same here as they are in San Diego. All the stupid and insulting remarks. That's when you start picking your brain to try and recall some of the one liner comebacks that Tomwii, Classic or Jackswebb has come up with in the past on these boards. I've also found that a glass of orange juice helps settle the nerves and relieve the tension. Laced liberally with Smirnoff, of course.
A $75.00 solid state device will always blow first to protect a 25 cent fuse ~ Murphy's Law
posted on October 8, 2005 07:07:47 PM
In 1999 we had a garage sale. Not too much stuff, but we got a few hundred dollars that day. Most of the the things sold, but whatever didn't went to charity.
Last year we tried to have a garage sale. Lots of stuff this time, good quality and very reasonably priced. Most people came and left without buying anything. Those that did wanted to haggle on an already low price (like something that's $40 new, we had listed for $2 and they wanted it for $1). And it was almost like new! I saw another guy (about mid to late 50s) STEALING some things.
To hell with it! No more garage sales. If it won't sell on eBay, I list the things individually in the Buy & Sell. If there are no takers, then I used to give it to the Salvation Army or Goodwill, but they're so ungrateful. Now that I know about freecycle, I just get rid of it that way.
posted on October 8, 2005 07:11:19 PM
Forgot to mention, I think people were just getting a little too complacent with a "buyers" market out there. What with 0% financing on just about any major purchase, big box outlets, dollar stores, eBay, warehouse outlets, manufactuer's outlets, etc people were getting a little too stuck up.
If these high gas prices lead us into another recession, maybe people will start thinking a bit more economically and buy used items again, be it cars, household items, whatever.
posted on October 8, 2005 08:54:00 PM
I've had one yard sale - in 1979, when we were going to move from Vegas to Utah. Never again. If you watch the Clean Sweep-type shows, no matter how good the stuff is at the family's yard sale, there's still a ton that is "swept off to charity" in a big truck. We'd much rather donate to a charity and take an honest writeoff on the value. Yard sales are messy and time-consuming.
However, if we were in a position where we needed fast cash, I suppose that would be the time I'd do it again. Here's hoping not.
posted on October 9, 2005 05:27:00 AM
Roadsmith, if you have to get rid of a lot of items, try freecycle. I just discovered it, and got rid of every last item I listed. The charities are getting so picky and ungrateful that I don't want to be bothered with them. In my area, there's also an "easy sell" type website run by the local organizer of freecycle, for items you want to get money for. Finally there's craiglist, haven't tried it yet.
I watch "Clean Sweep" sometimes too. Some of the families make a few hundred dollars, but some only make $100 or so from the episodes I've seen. If they weren't in a hurry, they could probably eBay some of the things, or sell the rest in the Buy & Sell.
So, I don't see myself having another garage sale either. Too much work for not enough money, and the hagglers that want perfect items for practically free, even when it's already a downright bargain (like a $40 item for $2 and they offer $1).
posted on October 9, 2005 05:46:52 AM
Did anyone see the news special (forgot which network) last week that traced American charity donations to Africa? It seems that big money is made on our donations every step of the way and it's not the charity that makes most of it.
I certainly wouldn't mind donating clothes so people in Africa can have them for FREE but that's not how it works!! Many of the clothes we lovingly donated to the victims of Katrina are already on their way to Africa. Seems the charity sells them in bulk to brokers who sell them to distributors in Africa who sell them to other distibutos and finally some entrepeneur from an African village pays his life savings for a 50 pound lot and then takes it to his village and makes what he can off of it.
It rankles me when I think about donating some of my designer clothes(thinking I don't need them for ebay selling but some soul who needs some "interview" suits to get a job and a new start could certainly use them) were thrown into a lot and sold by weight and ended up in Africa where they would have NO MORE USE for a business suit than the man in the moon!
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posted on October 9, 2005 06:11:29 AM
Neglus - Donate your suits to a battered womens shelter. The ones I have donated to clean and sort the clothes then put them on racks right there where you make the donation (whih is not at the shelter itself) When a woman needs something the shelter send them down with a voucher to pick out what they need. Your donation really will go to the purpose you intended. They also accept household items and kid stuff for when they get the women out on their own to help them set up a household.
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
An intelligent deaf-mute is better than an ignorant person who can speak.
posted on October 9, 2005 06:47:45 AM
Cherishedclutter, the Buy & Sell is a free classified newspaper. It's free to place a non-commercial classified ad, but people have to pay to buy the paper. It comes out once a week and contains only ads. There are of course commercial classiifieds and display ads from businesses as well.
I've bought and sold a lot of things through papers like this.
posted on October 9, 2005 07:34:51 AM
Morning,
I'll chime in my $.02. I stopped having garage sales years ago when they became Ebay worthy in my neighborhood. If I can't sell it on Ebay, give it to one of my neighbors, I then offer on Freecycle(I think that some of the people pick up it stuff for the swapmeet, Ebay or a store). All clothes, I donate to a shelter of some sort. I stopped donating to the huge box thrift stores when I read not so nice articles about them in the news. They don't help any organizations any longer but themselves. The Red Cross is truly the only organization that helps more than any other.
Sparks, I loved your last sentence, you are too funny!!!
posted on October 9, 2005 09:21:18 AM
Powerweb: I just saw a news segment on one of the cable shows yesterday about Freecycle. Seems it's very big in Europe, too, where people have even more incentive to recycle.
posted on October 9, 2005 10:58:25 AM
We did a garage sale (2 actually) in 2001 before we moved to Oregon - We did great, but I wouldn't have another unless I was moving out of state. It is a lot of work, and you deal with some interesting people! I think we did well because we decided the stuff we were selling was not moving with us, so we donated whatever didn't sell. I was really easy on the negotiating, because I thought it was better than goodwill. I'm a much more active ebay seller now, there are things that I do want to put in a garage sale. My mother in law just moved up to Oregon, I am thinking of having her run a garage sale and giving her a portion of the money made on these items. That way, I can move things and not run the garage sale.
posted on October 10, 2005 02:08:41 PM
When I first started antiquing I did a flea market every week - it was like having a garage sale every week, but having to pack up all that crap and set it up at another location.
I had some great customers, but some would just make your hair curl. I had one pick up a huge yellowware mixing bowl that was $25 and throw a quarter at me and try to walk off with it. When I told her it was $25 she slammed it back on the table and stormed off.
It really hardens you to the customers selling in that type of venue.
Last time I moved I took most of my stuff to a general merchandise auction - I didn't make as much as I'd hoped, but it got it out of the house.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Caroline
posted on October 10, 2005 02:39:12 PM
I had a neighbor back in MN that had a yard sale every month. She & her mother would go to neighboring towns & buy at yard sales, then bring it all back & sell it once a month.
, if it was up to her, shed take it all to Goodwill.
(When I came home I looked it up on ebay out of curiosity - found one exactly like it that sold for $42)
Caroline