Garage sale things that annoy me....

[Kit'smommy]

1. People who show up at the very beginning with only a $20 to but a quarter item. if you are going to garage sales take some change or small bills

And then when you break a few people's $20s, the next customers complain because you have no change....

 

[maddhatir]

I must be really naive- It never occured to me that people would actually steal at a yard sale.

I have had many yard sales- I wonder if anyone stole anything- I never keep track of all of my items or saw anyone take anything before.

That is just pathetic.

 

[minnie1012]

Great timing! My development is having one next week and these tips will help! Thanks everyone. I'm not sure how to price things any suggestions?

 

[Disneychix]

my pet peeve is when you get multiple families selling at one house and they all don't know what the prices of eachother's stuff is or they won't sell you something from another 'families' area when that person clearly isn't around or is busy. This makes it so hard for the buyer.

I also don't like when there's no batteries in items. How the heck am I supposed to know if it works or not? At least have some available to try out even if you don't want to sell an item with batteries.

 

[MomofCKJ]

We just had our first yard sale ever last weekend. My kids and the neighbor kids had a small table with lemonade, cookies and muffins. They made $16 and all of it is going to the local animal shelter (I am taking them this week to bring it) and that was marked on their signs. Not everyone bought but they enjoyed doing it for a good cause.

My pet peeve? I had a Mega Blox Castle set up (huge blocks that make a castle about 3 feet high that you can then play in). Several times people let their kids play around it and they knocked it over. "Ooops, sorry". Of course no one knows how to set it back up. Irked me.

Then a neighbor up the street had asked to leave a few things to sell. Fine. She brings down a chair for $30 and a snow suit (LL Bean) for $20. She tells me no price dropping on the snow suit. I basically tell her good luck as we (the other neighbor and I doing the sale) are selling all our clothing for $1 a piece. Whatever.

So later on she is perusing our clothing and says "$1? I was at a sale this morning where all the clothes were .50 a piece". Coming from the person who wants to sell her snowsuit at a yard sale for $20! Crazy woman!

Allyson

 

[DisneyNic]

I get annoyed with "junk" sales. Ya know, like barbies missing feet or heads, or items missing essential pieces.

I was looking at the Disney Version of Trivial Pursuit(sp) at a yard sale the other day. It was priced at $5 so I was excited until I opened it and it was basically just the gameboard. All the game pieces were missing.

OR- (sorry- I yard sale almost every weekend- I have lots of pet peeves) someone pulls up AND STOPS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD AND GETS OUT! This just happened last Saturday. It was a very tiny road. One lane. On a regular day 2 cars would not be able to pass each other. I pull over all the way to the side and this car pulls up and parks, right in the middle of the road. People were trying to get by, the postman was trying to deliver mail- what is wrong with people!?

I was at a yard sale at a police officers house on Sat. His squad car was parked next the curb out front. Two cars double parked (triple parked??) next to him. I know he was off duty, but I never could have done that.

I also don't like when there's no batteries in items. How the heck am I supposed to know if it works or not? At least have some available to try out even if you don't want to sell an item with batteries.

We always have some batteries at our yard sales to test things out because I have been to sales where they didn't have batteries. We also run an extension cord from our house to try out any items that need to be plugged in.

 

[LWatson]

I havent been to a yard sale in a while I usually do our "yard sale shopping" at the local yardsale website if I do any. BUT, I have set up a yard sale here and I wont do it again. I've even stopped selling on our yard sale site because people are trying to rip me off there (its the location we are in). They asked me if I would take $20 for over 100 pieces of clothing (jeans/jackets/polos...etc) so they could take it and resell it...LOL NO (btw I was asking $40 which is less than $0.50 a piece). Then they asked me if I would take $5 total for a handmade blanket, 2 pictures in frames, a set of dishes and such so that they could take them and resell it over the border. Again I laughed and said no. I dont mind selling stuff for cheaper, but dont try to rip me off either so you can cross the border and resell for more. I dont participate in Post Wide Yardsale anymore because of this.

 

[connorlevismom]

I just stopped at one and it made me think of this thread. The woman was selling a lot of kids clothes but they were WAY over priced. Now I am someone who has no issue with paying $2 for a pair of shorts or anything like that. But this lady was selling t-shirts for $5.00! Granted they were Gymoree and still had tage but $5 for a t-shirt? I don't think so. I walked away when I ran across t-shirts that she gets for FREE from her daycare center and she wanted $3 each for them.

Kristine

 

[C.Ann]

I do not like it when the people follow you around telling you about every item you pick up. If I have a question, I will ask.

Why do the people running the garage sale let their kids run all over the garage while your trying to look? I have been to a number of them just last weekend where the kids were roller skating or biking in the garage while people are trying to look. Most people would leave because they are annoyed.

Dirty stuff.

I hate prices that are not marked

ITA prices not being marked bugs me.

Also, people who overprice their stuff majorly. Most garage sales around here I can get cute girl clothes for around $1/piece. But when people price them at $4-$5 per piece there's no way I'm buying it when I can just go down the street and get the same thing for $1..

All of the above - and:

Stuff laying on the lawn (and no, I don't care if it's on a "tarp" - it's still on the ground)..

Stuff left out overnight - which is then wet in the morning from the dew..

Ridiculous prices for books: $1 for a paperback, $3 for a hard cover.. Sorry - the next sale they are 25 cents and 50 cents..

The owners dogs roaming free.. You may think he's cute and "wouldn't bite a soul", but I don't know that - nor do I necessarily believe you..

Not having a good supply of change and bills on hand..

Not having bags available..

Last but not least, leaving their signs up ALL summer!!

 

[Colinsmom]

Stained clothes - hit two garage sales last weekend for baby clothes, and both had so many stained items that I stopped looking. Don't think that people will dig and find the clean stuff worth what you've tagged it - they will see the dirty stuff and give up. (Oh, and stained baby outfits aren't worth $2, no matter what the brand.)

Expired, disgusting car seats - $50 for a dirty, expired Britax Roundabout. Sure, it was once a nice seat, but now it belongs in the garbage. Sorry.

Items not marked with prices.

People who show up early - before I open - and expect me to come way down on my prices. Sorry, the steepest discounts are available when I'm getting ready to pack up!

Stealing and price-switching (they are one and the same).

People who want to return things. You paid 50 cents for an item of clothing and 10 minutes later change your mind. You want return privileges, shop at Target - and pay 10x the price (or more).

People who want me to hold items without paying for them. I don't do that any more; too many of those people never show up again and, guess what, I'm stuck with the item at the end of the sale.

Groups of 10 or more people who swarm the garage and try to distract me. I hate to profile, but we watch those groups very closely.

Once a father allowed their baby to chew on an item we were selling (several dollar item). Yuck!!! I was far too nice and asked them to either pay for it or put it down - had I been in a fouler mood, I would have asked them to pay for it or leave.

 

[Kathymcbain]

I may be strange, but I don't like garage sales at all. Whenever I see one it looks like someone's house threw up.

Thrift stores on the other hand, I love.

 

[duffy]

I hate:

If I'm the only customer, and the entire crew working are talking comfortably with each other...and then they spot me. Silence. Dead silence. They all watch me like a hawk. I get very uncomfortable being the center of so much attention, and they make it clear that they are putting their conversation on hold, so I usually get the heck out ASAP.

"Are you looking for anything in particular?" Uh, a good bargain on something I can use??

Sales that are 2 or more families together. Inevitably, if I want to haggle on something, "oh, it belongs to Sue, and she's not here. I can't take less."

Same concept, lots of families and they want to keep all the profits separate. "Let's see, that's $.25 for Sue, and $.50 for Amy, and $1.50 for Emily, and $2 for Bob..." and I just want to say, "here's my $4.25. Can I leave now?" Oh, and of course, I can't just ask "will you take $4?" so I don't have to fish out a quarter, because of course, Sue isn't there!

I love the lemonade stands, but they lead to my biggest pet peeve: overbearing moms!! Here's what happens: I ask adorable lil Jimmy how much for lemonade. He lisps cutely, "$.25." I offer him a dollar and say I'll take one. Mom swoops in, pours my lemonade, grabs my dollar and gives me $.75 while Jimmy sits there motionless!!

I now say I'll buy lemonade, but only from the child selling. I actually tell the parents that if they remain silent and let their child figure out the change, and actually serve me, I will buy. If the parents say, "Jimmy, her change will be $.75," forget it. I'll give Jimmy a dime, but I refuse to reward parents who won't give their kids a chance to actually sell lemonade!!

Rant over.

 

[AftertheSunset]

I just stopped at one and it made me think of this thread. The woman was selling a lot of kids clothes but they were WAY over priced. Now I am someone who has no issue with paying $2 for a pair of shorts or anything like that. But this lady was selling t-shirts for $5.00! Granted they were Gymoree and still had tage but $5 for a t-shirt? I don't think so. I walked away when I ran across t-shirts that she gets for FREE from her daycare center and she wanted $3 each for them.

Kristine

I am probably a guilty party of having stuff overpriced and that's fine by me. At my last sale, I had SEVERAL items that were brand new with tags, including a baby snow suit, orig. $50. I had it priced at $10. Probably too high for "garage sale standards", but I'm not going to give away a $50 snowsuit for 50 cents.

I also had several Gymboree items, NWT, that were originally $35 each. People scoffed at my $7 price tag. Ack, so be it.

I had outfits, basically worn once or twice, priced at $5 an outfit....shorts/nice top...All name brand: Osh Kosh, Carters.. I had a few people make comments about their price, but then an hour later, I had a lady who bought them all up. Her house burnt down and she needed good clothes for her kids.

I would much rather donate items to my local church where I KNOW people need it, so if my "high priced item" doesn't sell, it goes to a great cause.

I may be strange, but I don't like garage sales at all. Whenever I see one it looks like someone's house threw up.

Thrift stores on the other hand, I love.

I don't like garage sales either and maybe that's why my pricing wasn't "proper". I've always been a "new" kinda gal.

 

[momofrrr]

I don't do garage sales for all the reasons that you have all posted but I hate it when my neighbors do have them. It drive me crazy at 7:30 on a saturday morning when the kids are all outside screaming and carrying on in my yard causing my dog, who is an inside dog, to bark and go nuts. Then when I get ready to go run my errands, because I have worked all week and have Saturday to do that in, I can't get out of my driveway and down the street for all the cars that are parked all over the place.

 

[christymarie]

I love having and going to garage sales but I have learned to avoid Multiple Club sales that are very popular here in the chicagoland area. I sell children clothes for around 50cents and then lower prices to 25cents the last part of the last day. I go to these moms of multiples sales and see onesies for $5.00 each or baby shirts for 6-8 dollars. I asked why the prices were so high and was told that it was because they were so expensive to begin with. I understand that it's frustrating to pay as much for a baby shirt as you pay for one your size but STILL? Let it go, people! It's still used clothing and admit it, most infant sizes were bought for your baby at the baby shower.

You can always tell within seconds of arriving at a garage sale if they are trying to get rid of stuff or if they are trying to make money. If you are trying to make money, try ebay.

 

[bjscheel]

What annoys me is the fact that before I go to a batch of sales, I have already built them up in my mind as having fabulous stuff. I am usually disappointed! But now and then I hit the jackpot and that makes it all worthwhile!

This afternoon I am going to one advertised as name brands, most things .50, and the specific sizes DD needs. I'm hoping I will find her all kinds of great stuff when I get there which unfortunately is 2 hours after it starts!

I also don't like early starts. I arrived at one 10 minutes before start time to find people swarming all over already. She had had 76 gymnastics leotards out and I got the last 3 (2 were GK so it was good stuff!). Sure wish they hadn't allowed early sales and I would have gotten a chance at more.

 

[Trixie15]

I love having and going to garage sales but I have learned to avoid Multiple Club sales that are very popular here in the chicagoland area. I sell children clothes for around 50cents and then lower prices to 25cents the last part of the last day. I go to these moms of multiples sales and see onesies for $5.00 each or baby shirts for 6-8 dollars. I asked why the prices were so high and was told that it was because they were so expensive to begin with. I understand that it's frustrating to pay as much for a baby shirt as you pay for one your size but STILL? Let it go, people! It's still used clothing and admit it, most infant sizes were bought for your baby at the baby shower.

You can always tell within seconds of arriving at a garage sale if they are trying to get rid of stuff or if they are trying to make money. If you are trying to make money, try ebay.

Not everyone feels the same way, though. Reselling children's upscale clothing is a great way to recoup the cost of those clothes - and then you and your kids can enjoy them for next to nothing because you know you can get all your money back from them by selling them later. I know this because I own and run a consignment sale in the Chicago area that only accepts upscale brands.

Women make literally thousands of dollars selling their kids' used (but name brand - no Carters, etc.) clothes at our sales.

To each their own, kwim?

 

[maddhatir]

Tomorrow is Saturday- and that means yard sale day!

Even though it is a holiday weekend I managed to find a few in an area that I love. It is a very old town and we usually find things like, lace, linens, tablecloths, antiques, things to add to your garden and less kids stuff My house is decorated in Early American and I love finding old treasures.

I will report back if I see something "new" that annoys me, if that is at all possible, I think we covered everything here already- but you never know!

 

[C.Ann]

i am probably a guilty party of having stuff overpriced and that's fine by me. At my last sale, i had several items that were brand new with tags, including a baby snow suit, orig. $50. I had it priced at $10. Probably too high for "garage sale standards", but i'm not going to give away a $50 snowsuit for 50 cents.

This is what I would consider reasonable - for a brand new item worth $50 with the tags still on it..

i also had several gymboree items, nwt, that were originally $35 each. People scoffed at my $7 price tag. Ack, so be it.

I would pay $5 tops - if never worn - and it was outfits that were exceptional..

i had outfits, basically worn once or twice, priced at $5 an outfit....shorts/nice top...all name brand: Osh kosh, carters..

People would never pay those prices for outfits here that were used.. I used to get name brand outfits for my dgd - basically like new - for $2, at the most..

i would much rather donate items to my local church where i know people need it, so if my "high priced item" doesn't sell, it goes to a great cause.

This is a good idea - because it sounds as though garage sales are really frustrating for you.. Better to donate than fuss and fret over it

 

[TotalSnowWhite]

Not everyone feels the same way, though. Reselling children's upscale clothing is a great way to recoup the cost of those clothes - and then you and your kids can enjoy them for next to nothing because you know you can get all your money back from them by selling them later. I know this because I own and run a consignment sale in the Chicago area that only accepts upscale brands.

Women make literally thousands of dollars selling their kids' used (but name brand - no Carters, etc.) clothes at our sales.

To each their own, kwim?

We were at a sale last week, and this lady had a bunch of baby clothes. I asked how much she wanted for the whole box (friend just had a baby). She asked for $30 since they were all "name brand." They were all Carter's!! I thought I was the only one who didn't consider Carter's a name brand.