"Make Me An Offer" Yard Sale?

[becka]

Our neighboorhood is having a community yard sale and I think I am ready to get rid of most of the baby stuff (plus lots of other assorted junk we have lying around here). I HATE getting ready for a yard sale. While it is nice to make a little extra money making the maximum amount is not important to me. I am thinking about pricing a few of the larger items but having the rest of our stuff out with a sign that says "Make Me An Offer". That way I don't have to price anything and hopefully stuff will go.

What do you guys think? Have you ever done this? Did it work well?

Any opinions would be great!!!

Thanks!

 

[powellrj]

I did a fill the sack sale a few years ago. I was getting ready to go back to work after maternity leave and wanted to have a yard slae, but didn't feel like doing anything big. It was a HUGE success. I started at $5 a sack and the last hour it was down to a $1. I made several hundred dollars with no fuss.

 

[CEDmom]

You might end up spending a lot of time going back and forth with people. Also, people might not want to bother figuring out what to offer w/o a starting point. If you have a lot of little things maybe you could put out paper lunch bags and charge $x for everything that'll fit in it.

BTW, I probably like garage sales as much as you. I usually end up just donating stuff and taking a tax rightoff.

 

[CEDmom]

I did a fill the sack sale a few years ago. I was getting ready to go back to work after maternity leave and wanted to have a yard slae, but didn't feel like doing anything big. It was a HUGE success. I started at $5 a sack and the last hour it was down to a $1. I made several hundred dollars with no fuss.

Hey, I guess great minds think alike . Looks like we were typing at the same time.

 

[EthansMom]

What do you guys think? Have you ever done this? Did it work well?

I've never done that and never seen it done, but think you might get some screwballs who'd really try to lowball you and some honest folks who'd just have no idea what price you'd want and so wouldn't bother with offering.

Personally, I might box up similar items and then price them as a box lot. For instance a box of girls size 18 months clothes for $X. Or I would put a colored dot on each item and make a sign that says red dots $0.50, blue dots $1, etc... Then, people will have an idea what price you hope to get and will dicker accordingly.

Edited to add: I like the price per bag idea that other posters recommended too.

 

[kilee]

Just for me personally, I don't go to sales where items are not marked. My idea of what something may be worth and the sellers might be far off. I don't feel like asking for each item I'm interested in, so we always leave if items are not marked. Others may not mind.

 

[TheDisneyTraveler06]

Those are great. I personally get frustrated when people want rediculously low prices for high quality items. That's why I always have my items clearly marked.

 

[Daxx]

Just for me personally, I don't go to sales where items are not marked.

Ditto here! If it doesn't have a price I won't ask ... unless I'm super interested in it. If they say "make me an offer", I will walk away b/c I am super uncomfortable w/doing that.

 

[babiesX2]

I get uncomfortable "making an offer." It is super annoying to have to stand in a line of people asking the sellers how much an item is if it is not marked. I went to a sale like this about a month ago. I picked up what I was interested in (even though I was highly annoyed) and had to wait for them to tell me the prices they expected. What I thought was too much I turned around and put back where I had picked it up from and they looked at me like I was a devil. It is truly easier in the end to put price tags on items.

 

[becka]

Well it seems the general consensus is not to do it. I really hate doing this but I guess I will have to after all. Maybe I can at least do the clothes with a price per bag?

 

[Mrs.Toad]

Darn it! I'm planning yard sale and I wasn't going to mark anything either, (except maybe the large items), because last time I had one... I marked every single item, and still, most people would ask, "how much do you want for this?"

I figured, if they're not going to look at the price tag, why bother with one? But now it sounds like I ought to.

 

[ksjayhawks]

If you have similar items, group them together with a sign that says, for example, all t-shirts $1 or socks 10 cents a pair. I do that alot and have no trouble getting rid of--I mean selling--items! Also make a sign to have at your table for when they pay.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I have had many garage sales and the people HATE items not marked. They like to see a price and talk you down a quarter and feel like they scored a deal.

In fact, I always have "FREE BOXES", and I had had many people pay me for the stuff so they feel like they got a deal.
I am not kidding.

 

[poohandwendy]

I have had many garage sales and the people HATE items not marked.

This is so true. There are a few reasons:

a) I don't want to have to ask what each item is, over and over again and spend time having a conversation about something I am only mildly interested in. Typically, you ask how much something is and the answer starts with "Oh I got that back in 19whatever from my aunt for a birthday present" OR, even worse, "That was $25 new"...I really don't care how much it costs new, it is not new and if I wanted new, I would be at the mall.

I am not an unfriendly person, but sheesh...I don't want to be there all day. Just give me a ballpark figure, preferably via a sticker with a price tag on it.

b) I feel that when the items aren't marked and I ask what they want for it, the price is automatically going to be higher than if they marked it because they know I am interested. It just 'feels' dishonest ...not upfront. That may or may not be true, but it is a factor that works against the person having the yard sale because I will not bother.

c) If I am going to root through your junk, the least you can do is price it.

I go to yard sales and spend only a very small amount of time where there are no prices. (just long enough not to be rude, LOL)

People who want to lowball you will do so whether there is a price tag or not. They just are like that. But most regular people just want an easily visible price tag so they can determine if it is a deal or not.


So, my advice is to mark things either individually or place things in areas by price (easy to see price). Once you get started, it really isn't that much work. I guarantee you will make more money if you give a clear idea of how much things are. (like the 'fill a bag for $" idea)


Good luck with it, it is so mice to purge your house of all the unwanted junk! More room for more junk!

 

[luvdzne]

I also do not go to garage sales that do not have their stuff marked. If stuff is not marked I turn around and leave. I don't mind if there are all kids clothes x amount and if you have something really nice you can add unless marked. All puzzles x amount. That I don't mind, and have done my self. It works quit well, although you will still get those that don't read and ask how much is that.

Have you tried taking things to a consignment store? I have done this many times when I don't feel like going through a garage sale.

 

[CathrynRose]

some honest folks who'd just have no idea what price you'd want and so wouldn't bother with offering.

.

Thats me. As much as the "make me an offer" sounds like a good idea - Im always so uncomfortable as to what to offer, I offer nothing.

The pay per bag- is a really great idea.

Or, and Ive seen this when I go garage sale'n - price items, just really cheap. People buy stuff they dont need when it's super cheap, and you end up with a LOT of sales, no garbage left-overs and making a nice chunk-o-change.

 

[kilee]

I don't mind signs that might say all coffee mugs- $0.25, or all toys in this box $0.10. Or even the fill a bag for a set price. As long as there is an indication of the price that's expected, I'll stick around and shop. Btw, the prices are just an example.... .

 

[liamsaunt]

Why not seperate the items on tables or sheets on the ground by price? You could dump all the clothes in one area and have a sign that says "everything on this table, $1," for example. It will save you the hassle of having to price everything individually, but people will appreciate seeing the price listed. Some people are too shy to bargain.

 

[becka]

Thanks for the replies. I guess I was just being lazy!

I will probably just group things like clothes, books, etc. and mark them cheap. I really was not trying to rip off people with the offer thing because I think I would have accepted any offer except for some of the big stuff like stroller, etc. and those would have a price.

By the end of the sale most of it may be FREE just to get it out of my house. The only thing worse than pricing and dragging all that unwanted stuff outside is to have to bring it back inside and find a place to put it!!!

 

[yeartolate]

I don't mark things (other than major items) and my garage sales are very
successful.

I find that when the feeding frenzy is going on folks are making offers and I wheel and deal --- when that is going on, others seem to join in.

It never dawned on me to mark all the items.

I always tell folks "group the things together that you want and we will make a deal" --- that generally goes real well.