Professional garage saler

[Sam_2.0]

My grandparents were what I would call garage sale pros. They would go to sales abd buy things they knew they could flip at their own sales or flea markets. They pretty much funded their retirement by "junkin" (as they called it). A friend and I were talking today about our own adventures in garage sales and had fun daydreaming about doing it full-time

Know anyone who makes actual money by selling at garage sales, flea markets, etc?

[TheHaitian]

Are you guys handy enough to "pimp" things out? Crafty?

I know one person that makes money of it but she is really handy/crafty, a few things I know she made a boatload off:
- old school chairs that she re-upholstered that look brand new.
- old school desk that she refinished, fixed some of the quirks and sold

But for her this is mostly a hobby/part time thing she does on her days off/evenings etc. I haven't seen her posting anything new before/after pictures on Facebook since they had their baby last December so she might be taking some time off from it.

[Sam_2.0]

We made $500 one sale just on things I got out of the trash I borrowed my dads truck and drove around on trash day for a month, picking out of what had been set to the curb. kids toys were cleaned up and sold for $5 or so. End tables, coffee tables, chairs were scrubbed and painted and sold for up to $50. It was fun to do in the evenings for me. I love being crafty painting, sewing, drawing, crochet.

[Sam_2.0]

Ive also thought about going to the sales in the summer and putting together wardrobe boxes for kids. Like a thread up deal. $60 for a box that includes 2 pjs, 4 pants, 8 shirts. Name brands, good quality used. I would like to have something like that personally and I think others would too. Minimal wardrobe but things go together. Maybe selling those on Craigslist or Ebay.

[alabamagal]

My grandfather was a flea market "pro" back in the 70s and 80s. His specialty was tools. He had a machine shop in his garage and would buy, fix up and resell all kinds of tools

He retired from the military at 50 and did his swap meet business for 20 years. He made enough money to live comfortably on his pension and side business. My GM never worked outside home.

I think it was good to keep him busy working as much as he wanted during his retirement. He employed my cousins working Saturday swap meets during their teen years. My GF was the type who would never pass up someone selling stuff on the side of the road.

When GF passes away, my dad and uncle sold his shop and inventory for $50k.

[flamingo]

Growing up, my parents had garage sales at least 2x a year (usually beginning and end of summer). You would have loved coming by. Our philosophy was sell everything for whatever someone would pay so we wouldn't have to take the crap back inside or to Goodwill. I remember once we were selling an old washer/dryer. We had marked them $75 each I think. Someone came by and offered $75 total. I was 12, and mom had left me in charge while she ran to the store. This was before cell phones,so I couldn't call and ask if that was ok. I told the lady, sure, no problem. My gramma (who was sorta helping out) had a fit. My mom came home and told me good job and that I could keep the money! 

To mom and I, the thought of hauling this stuff somewhere else if it didn't sell was a fate worth than death. To gramma, we weren't being good businesswomen. So, people like your grandparents would have made a killing off us

One time, I bought a $5 tv stand at a garage sale. It wobbled a bit, but held my tv/dvd/assorted crap well enough. It lasted through college, law school, and the first 4 years with my DH. Best $5 I ever spent at a garage sale.

[Anne_in_VA]

My DSD sells a lot of stuff she and DBIL pick on trash day.  She mostly gets gently used kids toys that people toss when their kids outgrew and they can't be bothered donating.  She funded the family vacation doing this and supplements the family income too.  

Most at of the stuff she gets are gently used and just need to be cleaned up some.

[cronewitch]

My aunt raised her kids on garage sale finds. She is 87 now and has a farm with several storage sheds and a barn or two filled with treasures, she wanted own a antique shop but never got it done. When she dies I imagine her kids will swiftly dispose of all the treasures dirt cheap. Her daughter in law has already gone through the house and boxed up a lot of extra treasures to store in other buildings. China cabinets maybe 4 in her living room were stuffed full of wonderful things so you couldn't even admire them now displayed many fewer per shelf.
I helped mom down size and we had yard sales, stuff didn't get much like one box of kitchen stuff her boyfriend asked what she wanted and she said $1 so he sold the entire box of stuff for a dollar instead of a dollar each piece, things like vases were marked 5-10 cents and not selling. I have stuff to sell and rather donate than deal with it but some stuff is worth the trouble. I couldn't be a junker, I see junk not treasures.

[Deleted]

Well, now I know who's been picking up all the free stuff I put on Craigslist!

Seriously- I love seeing things get recycled and reused instead of thrown out.

[cronewitch]

Colleges in the spring are a good way to get cheap furniture free students don't want to haul it home, even other times everything is cheap since at least the school my great nephew goes to is over 100 miles from anything and only poor students are buying cheap stuff.

[CCL]

Jul 15, 2015 16:44:34 GMT -5 @athena53 said:

Well, now I know who's been picking up all the free stuff I put on Craigslist!

Seriously- I love seeing things get recycled and reused instead of thrown out.

Yeah my stuff is gone within 15 minutes when I put it on there.

[Sam_2.0]

Jul 15, 2015 17:27:29 GMT -5 cronewitch said:

Colleges in the spring are a good way to get cheap furniture free students don't want to haul it home, even other times everything is cheap since at least the school my great nephew goes to is over 100 miles from anything and only poor students are buying cheap stuff.

Where I went to college, several people made a killing off this. They would pick up everything that was set out in May, and in August they would have a giant sale. I knew people that would set stuff out and take the chance on buying it back the next year so they didn't have to pay to store it

[Ombud]

Look at Hobbies then Junky to Funky::

Those items could bring a tidy profit especially the picture frame  

[joemilitary]

I'm always skeptical at how much people "make" doing this

Seems they to me they don't really factor in the time / amount of work some of it takes

---time spent at a garage sale (to include travel time)

--gas

--time / amount of work it takes to re-furbish the item

--time / effort it takes to sell the item

[Ombud]

joemilitary, normally I'd agree with your reasoning with the time / amount of work / gas / supplies the same as any other overhead. Unless we're talking about retired or underemployed / unemployed. Especially with time being valued differently (like $0 for retired)

DB loves woodworking and creates absolutely beautiful vases, bowls, cutting boards, urns but they just stack up in his garage bc his 'day job' running a company with 14 trucks, 43 FTEs, 2 warehouses takes over his time. Once his son steps in, he'll have time to sell. I've thought art shows would be a good option but the booth charge is $500 & he doesn't think that would be net positive. (I disagree with what they'd bring in Walnut Creek)

[Sam_2.0]

Jul 28, 2015 21:04:38 GMT -5 joemilitary said:

I'm always skeptical at how much people "make" doing this

Seems they to me they don't really factor in the time / amount of work some of it takes

---time spent at a garage sale (to include travel time)

--gas

--time / amount of work it takes to re-furbish the item

--time / effort it takes to sell the item

Very true. But if it's also a fun hobby, then one may not mind spending the time. I like going out to the garage after the kids are in bed and tinkering around for a bit. If I can sell that product later and make back more than I spent on supplies, then awesome. I don't count my time because to me it was "free" Now to actually make a living or supplement my income seriously then I would definitely consider the time.

I also love to crochet. I made a Christmas tree skirt last year that I loved! It took me 3 days of solid stitching to make it. I've had several friends ask me to make them one, and I am torn on offering it up for sale. Even using the cheap yarn (actually works out well because the skirt lays better), it costs about $20 in supplies and at least 30 hours of stitching. I can't sell them for $40 and make it worth my time. I would have to charge at least $80. I would rather just give them out as gifts.

[Waffle]

Sam_2.0 Maybe your friends who want a tree skirt would be willing to pay for the supplies.

[Works4me]

Jul 29, 2015 10:46:52 GMT -5 Sam_2.0 said:

Jul 28, 2015 21:04:38 GMT -5 joemilitary said:

I'm always skeptical at how much people "make" doing this

Seems they to me they don't really factor in the time / amount of work some of it takes

---time spent at a garage sale (to include travel time)

--gas

--time / amount of work it takes to re-furbish the item

--time / effort it takes to sell the item

Very true. But if it's also a fun hobby, then one may not mind spending the time. I like going out to the garage after the kids are in bed and tinkering around for a bit. If I can sell that product later and make back more than I spent on supplies, then awesome. I don't count my time because to me it was "free" Now to actually make a living or supplement my income seriously then I would definitely consider the time.

I also love to crochet. I made a Christmas tree skirt last year that I loved! It took me 3 days of solid stitching to make it. I've had several friends ask me to make them one, and I am torn on offering it up for sale. Even using the cheap yarn (actually works out well because the skirt lays better), it costs about $20 in supplies and at least 30 hours of stitching. I can't sell them for $40 and make it worth my time. I would have to charge at least $80. I would rather just give them out as gifts.

FYI - as someone who is a bit older and financially established in a HCOLA, I could see spending $80 for a hand-made Christmas Tree Skirt for myself or as a gift for a dear friend who has everything.

[zibazinski]

Jul 29, 2015 10:27:07 GMT -5 Ombud said:

joemilitary, normally I'd agree with your reasoning with the time / amount of work / gas / supplies the same as any other overhead. Unless we're talking about retired or underemployed / unemployed. Especially with time being valued differently (like $0 for retired)

DB loves woodworking and creates absolutely beautiful vases, bowls, cutting boards, urns but they just stack up in his garage bc his 'day job' running a company with 14 trucks, 43 FTEs, 2 warehouses takes over his time. Once his son steps in, he'll have time to sell. I've thought art shows would be a good option but the booth charge is $500 & he doesn't think that would be net positive. (I disagree with what they'd bring in Walnut Creek)

I love looking at the things made out of wood at shows/art fairs but the prices are so horrendous that I can never buy any. A $500 fee might explain it. But I would think pricing more reasonable might help sell more. I guess if you only sell a few expensive items it all works out. I'd rather sell more and not haul it home.