people who *buy* garage sale remnants?

[mafibisha]

So as I was hauling another load to Goodwill, my neighbor told me about people who bought her sister's garage sale remnants! (out of state)
I haven't had a garage sale, although I could with all the stuff I'm purging!

So I thought I'd ask y'all if you ever heard of that kind of thing, if you used one, or where to find one. Sounds intriguing !

 

[mum2simon]

ooooh...I am interested in hearing about this too! We are planning a fairly large yard sale as we just purged our shed, basement, bedrooms, office and toy room....we are hoping to sell a lot, but I know it won't all sell

 

[Purseval]

Look on Craigslist in the garage sale section there are people who buy garage sale leftovers

 

[hambirg]

About 2 years ago, I had a guy in a truck pull up and offer me $200 for everything I was loading up for Goodwill. I took it. . .. I have no idea what they do with it, but he didn't have any teeth.

 

[cm8]

About 2 years ago, I had a guy in a truck pull up and offer me $200 for everything I was loading up for Goodwill. I took it. . .. I have no idea what they do with it, but he didn't have any teeth.

The concept is like buying storage units that have been seized. They all take the goods and sell them at their own yard sales, and/or online.

 

[mafibisha]

Look on Craigslist in the garage sale section there are people who buy garage sale leftovers

You're right! They're there!

However, it says offering .25 cents per pound to pick up. So do they literally weigh everything? And secondly, that really isn't very much... or is it?

 

[Purseval]

You're right! They're there!

However, it says offering .25 cents per pound to pick up. So do they literally weigh everything? And secondly, that really isn't very much... or is it?

It's better than nothing and they haul it away for you. If you think you have something that is worth more than 25 cents/pound put it aside and save it for another day. However keep in mind that if it's still hanging around after the yard sale is over the public is telling you it was either overpriced or worthless.

 

[mamaLori05]

I haven't heard of that, but my first guess would be that you would be able to take a larger tax deduction by taking it to good will than they would give you cash. Interested to find out more myself though!!

 

[mamaLori05]

It's better than nothing and they haul it away for you. If you think you have something that is worth more than 25 cents/pound put it aside and save it for another day. However keep in mind that if it's still hanging around after the yard sale is over the public is telling you it was either overpriced or worthless.

not necessarily. It may just be you didn't have the right person looking for it. We recently had a garage sale and along with all my "junk" I was trying to sell a 1 yr old kitchen table and an eliptical machine. Not to many people at the garage sale even looked at it, so I took some pics of the items while they were sitting outside and posted them on craigslist. By the end of that day I had sold both the table and eliptical to people who wanted it off craigslist. I actually raised the price on craigslist (compared to what I had it priced at the rummage) because I knew I could get more on there and I did. Both people purchased the items at full price. I've done the same with the larger kid toys in the past and the same thing happened. My advice, if you are having a rummage, take pics of the larger items and post them on craigslist as well under their specific category. (ie..furniture instead of rummage). Now, if it doesn't sell at the rummage AND no one shows any interest on craigslist, then yes, you either have it priced to high, or no one else wants it either.

 

[Purseval]

not necessarily. It may just be you didn't have the right person looking for it.

That is true. If you're willing to hold on to it you can sell anything eventually. However most people who have yard sales aren't looking for the best price they are looking to declutter. If you are looking for the best price and have nothing but time there are many ways to sell other than yard sales.

I haven't heard of that, but my first guess would be that you would be able to take a larger tax deduction by taking it to good will than they would give you cash.

Nationally only 1 in 4 families itemize deductions which means most charitable contributions aren't worth the paper the receipt is printed on.

 

[friend2Figment]

Usually they are the people who buy it dirt cheap and then turn around and make a profit. I personally would not sell to them, I would donate to someone in need first. I hate it when I am looking for stuff for my kids and someone gets the item and you know they are the ones who buy it and turn around the next weekend and have it at the flea market for over 100% mark up. I acutally said something once as I remembered the lady selling the stuff from our rummage sale. There was a toy that when the price tag was taken off part of the toys sticker came off and she commented to her husband oh now we aren't going to get very much. Ok hello you were only paying 25 cents for this little toy and you guessed it they wanted $1.50 at the flea market.

 

[swilshire]

I have no issue with people doing this. They work pretty hard and spend time doing it. If people are willing to buy at their prices, what's wrong with that? The buyer didn't take the time to get out and find the item at your yard sale for the lower price. A fellow at Harbor Freight was telling us in line that he buys their sale items and sells them for more than twice as much at the flea market. I don't shop at flea markets.

I will admit that when I had small children, it bugged me to no end to show up at opening time at yard sales and find that resalers had grabbed all the good stuff. If they are buying the leftovers, though, it seems like a win win for all.

Sheila

 

[mafibisha]

Nationally only 1 in 4 families itemize deductions which means most charitable contributions aren't worth the paper the receipt is printed on.

Okay what are you saying exactly? For those of us who are the 1 in our nearby 4, it DOES mean something. ??

 

[brerrabbit]

While I have heard of people doing this I think it is a mythical holy grail of garage selling. How assume would it be to have someone pull up at the end of your sale and basically pay you to haul it all away. We have had numerous garage sales over the years and have never had this happen. As far as deductions go I agree with an earlier poster that says so many don't take advantage of the deduction anyway. We have given tons of stuff to Goodwill but I am parinod about taking more than the $500 deduction because going beyond that means you have to itemize with values what you gave to charity. My paranoia of an audit prevents me from ever taking more than the $500.

We have had people that pull up with trucks full of stuff and look over our junk and buy certain items. What we found out after visiting several Flea markets in our area is that a lot of those type buyers are just stocking their booths with your stuff. The idea of a garage sale is to make a little money getting rid of your junk on one Saturday. The idea of a Flea Market is selling the same junk for a lot more money but they are willing to do it over a longer period of time and willing to wait for the right buyer to pay the higher price. Since I am wanting to get rid of it quick I will sell it cheap.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

I did this when we inherited my moms house. I found a guy in the paper. He came and looked at everything that was left and just offered us a flat rate. He had to clean out what was left of a 13 room house, attic, basement and garage and shed.

I only did this also after I had an antique guy come in, I also took what I wanted for myself and had 2 garage sales and of course the various relatives asking for stuff etc.

With 3 kids, inheriting my 90 yo grandma then too and living out of state and just recovering from almost dying myself I didint care if he did if for free at that point. It was practically broom clean for the new buyers etc.

Best of luck to you.

 

[Purseval]

Okay what are you saying exactly? For those of us who are the 1 in our nearby 4, it DOES mean something. ??

So for every 4 people you give that advice to 1 gets a deduction and 3 get nothing. Another way of putting it is that for every 4 people who could have made some real money selling their leftovers 3 walk away with a worthless piece of paper. That means something to the people who could use the money, don't you think?

 

[mamaLori05]

So for every 4 people you give that advice to 1 gets a deduction and 3 get nothing. Another way of putting it is that for every 4 people who could have made some real money selling their leftovers 3 walk away with a worthless piece of paper. That means something to the people who could use the money, don't you think?

well, at least my advice helped some people then. I come on the dis to help people and give advice, I'd rather share the advice and have it help some than keep it to myself and have it help no one. All of our friends do the itemized tax deductions, but hey, guess that's just the group we hang around.

 

[mamaLori05]

That is true. If you're willing to hold on to it you can sell anything eventually. However most people who have yard sales aren't looking for the best price they are looking to declutter. If you are looking for the best price and have nothing but time there are many ways to sell other than yard sales.

Nationally only 1 in 4 families itemize deductions which means most charitable contributions aren't worth the paper the receipt is printed on.

My point was that if you are doing the rummage anyway, posting it on craigslist as well at the same time can HELP you. Everything is already out and ready, all you have to do is take a pic of it.

 

[WendyLovesPeter]

not necessarily. It may just be you didn't have the right person looking for it. We recently had a garage sale and along with all my "junk" I was trying to sell a 1 yr old kitchen table and an eliptical machine. Not to many people at the garage sale even looked at it, so I took some pics of the items while they were sitting outside and posted them on craigslist. By the end of that day I had sold both the table and eliptical to people who wanted it off craigslist. I actually raised the price on craigslist (compared to what I had it priced at the rummage) because I knew I could get more on there and I did. Both people purchased the items at full price. I've done the same with the larger kid toys in the past and the same thing happened. My advice, if you are having a rummage, take pics of the larger items and post them on craigslist as well under their specific category. (ie..furniture instead of rummage). Now, if it doesn't sell at the rummage AND no one shows any interest on craigslist, then yes, you either have it priced to high, or no one else wants it either.

I am one of "those people" that doesn't trust "other people" I don't know
So, if its a larger item do you meet in a neutral place for craigslist transaction. Or I guess I want to know how you deal on craigslist. I would feel funny about strangers coming to my home esp with children. But, I wouldn't want to haul a kitchen table to the neutral mall or shopping center meeting place either

 

[snarlingcoyote]

So for every 4 people you give that advice to 1 gets a deduction and 3 get nothing. Another way of putting it is that for every 4 people who could have made some real money selling their leftovers 3 walk away with a worthless piece of paper. That means something to the people who could use the money, don't you think?

It means that if you don't know whether or not you're going to itemize your deductions in the coming year, you might need to take some time out and take a financial planning class. Most of us know whether or not we're going to itemize before the year even starts, and all of us should know.

So if you itemize, taking the deduction on the resale shop value of the items you donated (make sure you keep track of each and every item, btw) usually nets you more money than selling the items at a garage sale. (You get about .33 for every dollar donated, depending on your tax bracket.)

If you don't itemize, then selling everything at a yard sale will, quite obviously, be the better option, as donating the items nets you nothing on your tax returns.