newmummy
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Post by newmummy on Apr 25, 2011 13:51:38 GMT -5
Ok ladies, since I'm sure I'm not the only one doing this:
I am planning a monster garage sale, more like a moving sale or estate sale in a lot of ways. Any tips, hints, tricks, etcetera to make sure it's a smash? So far I have:
1) Mark everything - but be ready to negotiate. 2) Advertise, advertise, advertise - not just a sign stuck in your yard the day of, but any intersections of major roads the day before, call in to local radio "swap shop" programs, local Craigslist, etcetera. 3) Move it - if you have a relative or friend willing to let you try this, try and set it up as a two-fer; garage sale at your place one weekend, the leftovers the next at a different place. 4) Plug in anything electric! If it can be seen that it works, much more likely to sell. 5) Easy to see pricing. Tables full of books are ok but make sure price is on all sides of the table, that sort of thing. 6)Have change on hand - you might lose a sale over 50 cents. 7)Clean it before you try to sell it for most things. Cobwebs and dust just make it look old and nasty.
Any other ideas? I can't do it set up room by room like an estate sale since I don't have the house, but I figure maybe grouping like items together is a good idea. We're on a fairly busy pass-through road. I've also been told that sometimes grouping the old kids' outfits together (for example, shirt, shorts, socks) and pricing them as a whole outfit works better in this area than having separate piles of shirts, socks, etcetera.
I've already been told to take the non-costume jewelry somewhere to a jeweler or pawn shop and maybe get a better price on it - are there other items this seems to be true of?
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Post by ty on Apr 25, 2011 13:54:36 GMT -5
Thanx!
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jdnstl
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Post by jdnstl on Apr 25, 2011 14:07:08 GMT -5
i don't know if this is true or not, just my impression, so someone with experience can verify it but electronics - TVs, DVD players, stereos - it seems to me that they would fetch more at a pawn shop or flea market.
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reader79
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Post by reader79 on Apr 25, 2011 14:07:51 GMT -5
My friend sells drinks at hers - a cooler full of Capri Suns, water, and sodas for $1 each. She has had people remark that they just stopped to get a drink, and then ended up buying something.
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shanendoah
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Post by shanendoah on Apr 25, 2011 14:12:05 GMT -5
My mom is the garage sale queen, so this is what I've learned from her over the years:
Start on Friday evening (not Saturday morning), early enough to catch people on their way home from work.
If you have multiple people selling stuff, make sure everything is clearly marked either with initials or a color, or something, so that you can easily keep track of who made what
Do NOT let sentiment get in the way of setting prices. You are selling this at a garage sale because you don't want to pay to take it to the or keep it in storage. You don't have to undervalue stuff, but price it to sell. If you absolutely can't part with something for less than $20 (or whatever amount) re-evaluate whether it should be in the garage sale in the first place.
List big ticket items in the advertising. If you have items that might be of particular interest to a specific hobby, make sure your advertising mentions that, too. My mom sold my step-dad's engine hoist at a garage sale - she had lots of people come by because the engine hoist was mentioned - they didn't want/need the hoist (very few people do) but they figured a garage sale with an engine hoist would have other car related tools.
Have a plan as to what to do with left over items - being able to put them in another friend's garage sale later in the summer is a good one. But know in advance what you're willing to hang on to, what needs to be donated, or taken to the .
Remember, making money is a nice side effect of a garage sale. The real purpose is to get this stuff out of your house.
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mizbear
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Post by mizbear on Apr 25, 2011 19:49:31 GMT -5
Iggy- I love your signature!
When we do yard sales, we have very strict start and finish times (we have diabetics and hypoglycemics in the family- so meals are non-negotiable). We do not accept early birds- I actually put caution tape on the front porch steps to prevent people from ringing DGMs doorbell at 5am for 7am yard sale (yup they do that 'round these parts). About an hour or so before closing, we start a "stuff a bag" promotion- you stuff the bag for buck. Big seller with clothes and books. We also try to get rid of books at bulk rates and anything we have in sets- we mark down if you purchase the set. If it's not fit to be donated- don't put it in the sale. Yard sales are a huge stressor in my family. Usually whatever doesn't sell goes straight to Goodwill. We rarely have anything leftover. We are willing to hold large items if people have to go get a vehicle to pick something up. We have sold many large tix items this way. I also went down on the price of my antique bedroom suit when a friend of my mother's wanted it for her adopted daughter. I knew she would care for it. I didn't want a dealer to get it. We also usually use handyman's pouches or something similar and rotate through the crowd as well as having a stand alone checkout.
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Sam_2.0
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Post by Sam_2.0 on Apr 26, 2011 7:01:01 GMT -5
Skim your cash box every hour or so. Take all the large bills inside. That way if someone grabs your box and runs, they won't get much. But you can still easily make change when needed. I always get $20 in quarters and $40 in ones to start off with. Kids clothes also sell great in lots on Craigslist around here. Sort by size and season, and list for $20-40 per lot. Gets rid of everything at once Cookies are a big hit too. And shamelessly using my niece and nephew to sell them works well I also sell off extra items from my coupling stockpile. Deodorants, soaps, toothpaste and brushes, cleaning products. All fly out the door at $1 each. I made $250 just off that at my last sale!!!
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Wisconsin Beth
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Post by Wisconsin Beth on Apr 26, 2011 13:13:42 GMT -5
My bff set up the furniture into "rooms" so people could get a sense of it.
And if you have an unwieldy glass things, beware of wind. I lost a stained glass thing because I had it set up and the wind caught it, blew it over and smashed it.
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rileyoday
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Post by rileyoday on Apr 26, 2011 14:16:02 GMT -5
Don't let anyone in to use the phone or bathroom.
They might steal meds or jewelry. Its a well known scam.
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Wisconsin Beth
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Post by Wisconsin Beth on Apr 26, 2011 15:33:02 GMT -5
Don't let anyone in to use the phone or bathroom. They might steal meds or jewelry. Its a well known scam. And keep the sale on the front of the house. No walking up the driveway and peeking in windows.
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busymom
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Post by busymom on Apr 26, 2011 15:39:20 GMT -5
(If you can find one) keep your $$$ bills in a fanny pack attached to you! That way if someone steals your cash box, all they'll get is coins.
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mizbear
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Stand back. I have a budget, and I know how to use it.
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Post by mizbear on Apr 26, 2011 17:22:33 GMT -5
Iggy- I had moonbeam help find that avatar. My first sweetie was a fireman and we lost him a few years ago. One thing you may want to check is the rules in your area about food and drink- most places won't say anything- but we know how ignorant some places can be- like the cop who ran off the Girl Scouts for not having a license to sell and the councilman who had the little girl's lemonade stand shut down.
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mizbear
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Stand back. I have a budget, and I know how to use it.
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Post by mizbear on Apr 26, 2011 19:20:13 GMT -5
Iggy-
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jitterbug
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Post by jitterbug on May 17, 2011 12:01:53 GMT -5
I do an annual garage sale with a friend and our goal is to just get this crap out of our house - so we price it fairly cheap.
We each use a specific color of sticker when pricing our goods - then peal the sticker off each item when sold. The stickers will stick to our checkout table as we pack things up so we can add them together - then we put them on notepaper by color.
We have "departments" in our garage sale. We have "housewares" and "man land" and "entertainment". I think it sells better when it's organized.
We hang as much up as we can. We screwed strong hooks into the rafters, then used heavy wire from the hooks down to a long metal rod.
I saw a cute idea the other day - instead of just tacking a garage sale sign to the utility pole in the yard, someone make an arrow out of wood that POINTED to the sign on the pole! Caught my attention for sure!
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reeneejune
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Post by reeneejune on May 17, 2011 12:34:55 GMT -5
When you put up signs, be aware that in some areas you aren't allowed to put signs on utility poles... police/utility workers/etc. will stop and pull them down if they see them. Also ask around with local garage sale-rs and find out if there's an unofficial advertising spot. My home town has a vacant lot that everyone knows to check because that's where everyone posts yard sale signs. Make sure your address is clear and large enough to read from the street, and give cross streets or general directions. Make sure your signs are neat, spelled correctly, brightly colored, but not obnoxious. Neon green poster board is a no... it's hard to read. Closer to your home, attach balloons to your sign, it's certain to catch attention. And just to be on the safe side, if you decide to sell snacks, only sell pre-packaged things. Nobody can gripe too much if the manufacturer sealed it. Home baked stuff, while yummy, can open you up to many, many more complaints and potential problems. One last thing... the yard sale is a great time to get rid of that stockpile of plastic grocery bags lurking in your kitchen. If people have an easy way to carry their new treasure home, they'll be much happier. Also have a stack of old newspaper on hand for any breakable/fragile items. Good luck!
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Mad Dawg Wiccan
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Post by Mad Dawg Wiccan on May 22, 2011 16:03:08 GMT -5
Be sure to check your local laws about putting signs up on things like street sign posts. Some areas outlaw this, and if a cop sees the sign he will follow the signs and cite you.
Also, get an idea of the value of what you are selling and see if it is collectible. My parents just can't seem to understand the mindset of collectors, and have several times sold antique items at yard sales for a song.
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Post by moxie on May 22, 2011 19:07:49 GMT -5
I had a garage sale once...made a little over $200 and gave a guy I knew who had lymphoma half to cover a few bills. I don't know if I would do it again...I think I would rather donate the stuff and get a tax credit. A lot of work went into it. I have people in my family who would take items off my hands too and it feels good to give stuff to someone who could use it and maybe can't otherwise afford it.
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Post by moxie on May 22, 2011 19:09:15 GMT -5
I have picked up some valuable items at garage sales/estate sales...I LOVE going to them! If I can walk away with even one "treasure," then it is worth it!
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Post by moxie on May 22, 2011 19:22:29 GMT -5
I sold ALL of my kids' (boy and girl) gently used, unstained, un-torn baby and toddler clothes, lots of baby equipment (high chair, two car seats, crib, playpen, stroller, etc.), toys, and miscellaneous items to one expecting Mom...she was thrilled! I put one really reasonable price on everything and she came and loaded everything up in her van. She had enough clothes for all four seasons for each sex for the first three years...all of which was in very good to excellent shape and I got rid of the excess. It worked out well for both of us.
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sheilaincali
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Post by sheilaincali on May 23, 2011 9:19:51 GMT -5
If you have the driveway/yard space display it out in the open. DH and I love yard sale-ing but hate having to wander through someone's dingy old cobweb filled garage. If we drive by and most everything is in the garage we don't even bother to stop.
Clean your stuff- wipe it down, dust it, etc. Nothing is worse that going to a garage sale and looking at dirty stuff. Just because you don't want it anymore doesn't mean someone else wants your dust and dirt with their new purchase.
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ohmomto2boys
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Post by ohmomto2boys on May 23, 2011 9:52:06 GMT -5
I just did a garage sale last weekend - huge success....this is what we did.
3 families went together I kept all cash in my pocket. No need for a cash drawer. My sister-in-law had cash in her pocket too. Nothing was priced uner 25 cents. We had a "free" box. We didn't refuse any offer. We put the stuff out to sell and what didn't sell was going to Good Will - why not take $1 for an item listed at $2?? We had ours on Friday & Saturday - started at 8 am.....we were swamped. It was great. People like to get going early. Went to 3 pm. Perfect amount of time. No need to use the entire day because we were open on Saturday for people who work during the week. We cleaned things. Hung up clothing for sale - much easier to look through. Put items along the driveway to "drive bys" could easily see.
Have fun!
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