Garage/Yard Sales!

[Mishetta]

I haven't had a Garage Sale in years & I'm actually the only one in my community having one starting this Thursday thru Saturday! (Because it is very late in the season ~ of course, this could be to my advantage!)

I'm seeking advice here.....what makes for a successful garage sale? I've been working so hard on this. Tell me if I've missed anything or what I can do to add to the anticipated success:

1.) I have not only washed but ironed any piece of clothing going in the sale. (Everything was stored away clean but after knowing it sat in my basement a year or more, I re-washed!)

2.) Everything currently out in my garage has been washed/cleaned, etc...all infant & toddler toys have been cleaned spotless too. (If I go to a garage sale & see dirty stuff ~ I usually leave. One garage sale I went too, I picked an item up & it felt like a film of grime or grease on it ~ YUCK! This particular sale had an 'odor' too.) Anyway, clean, clean clean....

3.) I think my prices are very reasonable if not insanely reasonable. I have Disney Store Kids coats (with embroidered Woody or Buzz on each coat & I paid $40 for each coat ~ I'm thinking of asking $8? What do you think? They look new still too since my kids have the "school coat", "church coat", & "play coat!") Gently worn toddler & infant sneakers from 10 cents to 25 cents & Italian leather toddler shoes for $1 (I paid $50 for those years ago).

4.) Some silver pieces that I'm selling were polished last night & are shining brightly. Haven't priced those yet...have a set of 4 coasters (crystal & silver) & a silver wine set (4 wine goblets with tray) which I'm still not sure how to price. Any ideas?

5.) I have colorful (plastic) tableclothes on each table since I read that somewhere.

6.) There will be a sign at the end of my street (which I live right off a main road with lots of traffic), & I've advertised on our city's website & it is also posted on our city's local TV channel since it's free. I would have placed an ad in the paper but its quite pricey.

7.) All the big infant/toddler toys will be out on my driveway for people to see immediately & hopefully draw drive by's.

What am I missing? I know there must be something someone can suggest for me to have this all be worthwhile!

TIA!

Rose

 

[TnKrBeLlA012]

Everything sounds great. My sister and I sold items at a mom to mom sale last week. People don't pay much for childrens clothes. I had some really great gymboree clothes. My sister wanted to put a higher price on them I said keep it low or no one will even look. I was right. I was lucky I got 7.00 for a complete outfit that I probably paid 50.00 for. When I go to a garage sale I will not pay that much for an item unless I really want it. The couple of sales my sister and I have had, we did okay. In the end I just figured I would rather go low in the price and get the stuff out of my house. The reason I responded to your post was my sister is a garage sale nut. She goes crazy for them. I don't really bother. Anyways,when I saw your name at the end of the post I laughed because her name is Rose. I just thought how ironic. Good luck!

 

[cardaway]

In my experience people will offer half of whatever price you put on the item. I'm talking even offering you a dime for things you have priced at a quarter.

If you don't want to take half of what you think it is worth, sell it another way, like eBay.

And IMO you wasted time cleaning everything, if anything is left put it out as is. You're not aksing enough for things for people to expect it to look good. They will likely not offer more because it's clean.

IMO the new rules are only put out items that it wouldn't be worth selling on eBay.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Wow, it seems like you are really organized and have a great plan. Just wondering if you are willing to negotiate in any pricing, that could make or break a deal, do you plan on keeping all your stuff after the sale, donating to charity etc. Wishing you good luck. I am also in charge of our school 8th grade tag sale and we have had to postpone it for the last 2 weeks but its finally happening sat. I have priced about 2 shed fulls of stuff. Nothing is over $10 so far. Give us an update after your sale. Do you have a little free box that will keep little ones busy while moms shop, like cheap happy meal toys etc.

 

[Mishetta]

luvmarypoppins ~ hadn't thought of the free box but do have some stuff I can make one up with! Thanks for the idea!

cardaway & TnKrBeLlA012 ~ I bet I could do better on e-bay but I've never sold stuff on e-bay before & I also don't know how to post pictures (I should also find that "embarrassed" smiley!) Naturally I will come down on most stuff (not all) & whatever is left, I will donate ~ at least I'll be able to get a tax write off! Oh & TnKrBeLlA012 ~ if your sister lives near Lakeside Mall ~ send her over!

Anymore ideas/suggestions out there?

 

[blowinbubbles]

I read on a website somewhere that yard sale items should initially be priced at 1/5 of what they would retail. I kept that in mind when I priced things for my recent yard sale, taking into account age and condition of the item.

This was actually my best yard sale! I usually tend to underprice things, but this time I got a little bold and priced things a little higher. I sold so much, mostly at the asking price! I had an unopened "Finding Nemo" video, and I planned on pricing it for $5.00. My 11 y/o son put $10.00 and it sold with no question! So, you never know what people will pay. Some people won't haggle, they'll just walk, and those are the ones you might want to say something like "Oh, I don't know if that is price right. . .do you want to make an offer?"

Also, you may want to go to Wal mart and buy a few packages of those white hangers, about $1.27 for 13. I rigged up a rack with two ladders and a pole and hung a bunch of clothes and jackets. I sold so many of them!

Of course, your mileage may vary depending on where you live. I live in a fairly rural area where yard sales are *big*!

Good luck!

 

[Mishetta]

Hi blowinbubbles!

I'm doing the 2 ladders & a pole thing too for hanging clothes but all I have is a mop handle! I took the mop off but it's really not that long. What type of pole did you use? I hate to hang the excess clothes on the ladders themselves because they are yucky painting ladders. They just don't look good! And to think....a few months ago, I was at a garage sale where someone was selling several clothes racks that they have at stores but I thought "why would anyone need one of those?" Dummy me!

Unlike you, I live in a very populated area with a huge mall just one mile away, as well as every other store you can think of! (Within 2 years & 2 miles, we'll have high end shopping here too.....Nordstroms, Sax, Nieman Marcus, etc..) So, I don't know if that will help me or not.

Well, I'd best get back to pricing!! I hope I'll get a few more ideas while I'm trying to figure out what I want for our old big bulky camcorder!

 

[CathrynRose]

I

What am I missing? I know there must be something someone can suggest for me to have this all be worthwhile!

TIA!

Rose

Prices - Prices - Prices..... Nothing more frustrating them walking up a driveway, packed with stuff, and seeing "store" prices on everything. You'll make more, and get rid of more, by charging less....

I had read about 10% of retail value is Garage Sale Pricing...

Good luck - i'd love to hear how it went on Monday

 

[blowinbubbles]

I tried using a pole that I removed from a push broom, but it was too short. I found a long bamboo pole that my husband cut from the roadside, and that worked well!

When I say I'm rural, there are lots of farms around my house. However, I do have an upscale mall only 18 minutes away, in addition to a huge outlet mall 20 minutes to the south. So I"m not *too* much in the boonies!

Pricing can be tricky, but you do want to make it worth your while! I usually net $100 or under.. this time I made $200! Now *that* was worth my while!

Hi blowinbubbles!

I'm doing the 2 ladders & a pole thing too for hanging clothes but all I have is a mop handle! I took the mop off but it's really not that long. What type of pole did you use? I hate to hang the excess clothes on the ladders themselves because they are yucky painting ladders. They just don't look good! And to think....a few months ago, I was at a garage sale where someone was selling several clothes racks that they have at stores but I thought "why would anyone need one of those?" Dummy me!

Unlike you, I live in a very populated area with a huge mall just one mile away, as well as every other store you can think of! (Within 2 years & 2 miles, we'll have high end shopping here too.....Nordstroms, Sax, Nieman Marcus, etc..) So, I don't know if that will help me or not.

Well, I'd best get back to pricing!! I hope I'll get a few more ideas while I'm trying to figure out what I want for our old big bulky camcorder!

 

[we3disneygo]

good luck! I always make sure things are clean--merchandising is always a good idea!! I usually sell more the cheaper it is.....I just wanna get something out of it????

 

[Mishetta]

cathrynlrose ~ I believe I'm priced well. I have so many 10 cent items out there, I'm wondering if this is going to be worth all the work! I still have to price my larger Little Tykes toys.

Another thing is that the stuff I'm selling which still have the original boxes, I have the item set on it's box. I hope that will make something more appealing too.

blowinbubbles ~ I had to laugh when you said your husband cut a piece of bamboo! The only thing we could cut down around here is someone's little wooden flagpole (& it would be shorter than my mop handle!)

I hope on Monday that I'll be posting that I made about $500 ! Although, some of the junkier garage sales I've stopped at, I hear the owner talking to a family member saying "yeah, we made $600 so far!" I'm in shock! My cousin's friend says she rarely nets under $1000 when she has her garage sales & she mainly puts out her kids clothes!