Help with yard sale pricing- do you use a set % of if it was new?

[DisneyAndRedSox]

Next month we are having a big yard sale- it is the entire neighborhood and we get a really good turn out. I am excited that this year DD is getting very involved with getting rid of toys she has outgrown. Of course I want her to get as much as possible w/out being overpriced.

When pricing items, do you use a % of what it sells for new (i.e. 25%)? I would love to get feedback of what works for you and what you would ask for some items. THANKS!

Here are a few things for example, all are in very good condition:
Ikea platic rocking toy- sells for $9.99 new
Princess scooter- sells for $29.99 new
Fisher-Price Tea Party Set- $16.99 new
Barney DVDs

Also, how do you price things that are NIB or NWT?
I have an Intex easy set pool that we didn't set up (NIB), ended up joining a local pool. It sells for about $70 to $80 new and I have some new spare filters for it.

 

[java]

Toys are tough. Tea set,rocking chair, lucky to get $2 on. The scooter, maybe $5imho.
NIB stuff generally I priced at about half off. But with a pool I would say maybe start at 25% off and see how it goes.

Good luck. Remember garage salers are looking for a bargain.

 

[mjkacmom]

You are lucky to get 10% here. I had clothing marked at 25 cents a piece, and people would off 10 cents. I just give everything to goodwill now.

 

[brymolmom]

It really depends what you want out of it. If it is truly to get rid of stuff and have to haul a lot less to Goodwill, then IMO not % - just very, VERY cheap is the way to go. Now that is what I do except for a few items that literally have never been used or only once - then I might attempt to get 30% or so for them to start - and lower my price before the end. But only for like 5 or 10 items in the whole sale!

Most toys that are used we sell for the $1 - $3 range. We sold a princess scooter in pretty good shape (3 wheels with a basket in the front) for $2 and someone actually offered $1 for it!

If you have something that is worth in your opinion more (either because it is like brand new or because it is a big ticket item) - you are going to do much, MUCH better on Craigslist. But to avoid that hassle if I'm having a sale - I just keep it cheap.

Oh yeah - and around here DVD's don't go for more than $1 and even then you might have trouble getting rid of them unless a parent of a HUGE Barney fan happens to stop by.

Sounds like a main goal here is to teach your dd about getting rid of unneeded stuff....So I would recommend keeping it very low prices for most/all things. She might get discouraged and think it's better to just keep them if things aren't moving well. Also, when I stop at a sale - if most things are 'overpriced' (which, for me is more than a few dollars) - i usually leave instead of offering lower - since those people obviously want way more than 'garage sale pricing' for their stuff I figure they'll likely keep it or end up Craigslisting most of it. So, IMO it is important to give the appearance that you're ready to see it all go! So that people will stop, look and offer.

Good luck.

 

[rszdtrvl]

When pricing items for a yard sale, I try to think about what I would be happy to pay for them if I was the buyer, and what would be a good deal if I was the buyer at my yard sale.

We are having a yard sale as soon as the weather gets somewhat nice, and I have been pricing a lot of items.

 

[happygirl]

usually when I have a yard sale, I price stuff to get rid of it. I don't think anyone would pay almost new prices for used toys, I know I wouldn't

 

[CJMickeyMouse]

By the time you haggle with people who want to pay a nickel for a $2 item that originally cost $50... you might be better off just taking it to goodwill and teaching your daughter about donating to good causes.

Just my opinion, and I speak from experience.

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

By the time you haggle with people who want to pay a nickel for a $2 item that originally cost $50... you might be better off just taking it to goodwill and teaching your daughter about donating to good causes.

Just my opinion, and I speak from experience.

Funny you mention that, she has been doing that for a few years now- we keep a hamper in our spare bedroom closet for stuff to Goodwill, a bin for books to the library, and she brings extra stuffed animals to the local animal shelter. My biggest fear is that one day she is going to walk out the the animal shelter with more than she came in with! LOL <meow, woof>

 

[C.Ann]

When pricing items for a yard sale, I try to think about what I would be happy to pay for them if I was the buyer, and what would be a good deal if I was the buyer at my yard sale.

We are having a yard sale as soon as the weather gets somewhat nice, and I have been pricing a lot of items.

This is what I would do.. I used to be a serious garage saler - out on Friday, Saturday, & Sunday every single weekend once they started..

Let's say someone had a brand new (or "next-to-new" condition) hard cover book that I was interested in.. If it was very recently released, I would pay $1 for it - maybe.. If it had been out for awhile, I would expect to pay 50 cents at most - and would probably think twice before doing so.. If it was more than that, I would pass it up - knowing that there was a pretty good chance I would find it at another garage sale for 25 cents - or maybe in one of those deals where you get an entire box full of books for a dollar or two..

Unless I purchased a piece of furniture - or a brand new, never used small appliance in a garage sale - I try very hard to never spend more than one to two dollars on any item (not including entire "boxes" of items for a flat price of $2 or $2.50).. Most everything I purchase will be in the 25-cent to $1 range - regardless of what it is..

Good luck - and I hope you have good weather!

 

[redandblue]

I need tips as well I am planning a garage sale this summer. I am looking to get rid of stuff so I am going cheap on prices. I am talking $1 an outfit for kids clothes maybe $2 if they are name brand. DD is 1 and DS is 3 and I have all their clothes from NB on as well as the toys they grew out of.

One trick I have been reading on some garage sale sites is to have a few big ticket items to draw in people. Like maybe an old chair or coffee table people will stop if they see furniture. Somebody even suggested putting a couch out on the driveway and put a sold sign on it just to have something big for those people who will drive by.

 

[brymolmom]

I need tips as well I am planning a garage sale this summer. I am looking to get rid of stuff so I am going cheap on prices. I am talking $1 an outfit for kids clothes maybe $2 if they are name brand. DD is 1 and DS is 3 and I have all their clothes from NB on as well as the toys they grew out of.

One trick I have been reading on some garage sale sites is to have a few big ticket items to draw in people. Like maybe an old chair or coffee table people will stop if they see furniture. Somebody even suggested putting a couch out on the driveway and put a sold sign on it just to have something big for those people who will drive by.

Interesting ideas...but in your case - with NB - 3 clothes and baby/toddler toys, I would instead put a crib or high chair or exersaucer as your 'big ticket' items to draw people in. People who stop at sales with furniture and tables (often people looking for antiques) are often NOT the same ones who actually buy things where you're selling mostly baby stuff. You want to try to draw in the people looking for the type of stuff you're selling.

One other tip I forgot - PRICE YOUR ITEMS. There is nothing more annoying than going to a sale and having nothing marked. Then when you ask 'how much is this?' and getting the 'what are you willing to pay' for every SINGLE item you pick up is very, very annoying. To save on teh marking individual things - since we have mostly 2/$1.00, $1.00 each and $2.00 each items - I have large tables with items and make a sign that says ' EVERYTHING ON THIS TABLE $1.00 EACH' and similar.