What are people looking for at yard sales?

[3smithboys]

We are having a multi-family yard sale this weekend, and I have no idea what to even put out to sell? I am going to go through my house this week - I know I've got a lot of junk, but what exactly are people looking for? Those of you who love going to yard sales, what are popular or sought after yard sale items?

Also, how do you decide what to charge? Thanks for any help or advice!

 

[Cantw8]

We are having a multi-family yard sale this weekend, and I have no idea what to even put out to sell? I am going to go through my house this week - I know I've got a lot of junk, but what exactly are people looking for? Those of you who love going to yard sales, what are popular or sought after yard sale items?

Also, how do you decide what to charge? Thanks for any help or advice!

Right there is why I don't do yard sales I got enough of my own junk, I don't need yours. Here's my theory on yard sales...If you don't want it, why would I?

 

[Robinrs]

Everyone wants something different. Put out a variety of things and if you're serious about getting rid of them, price them fairly. People are looking for what they want but they want to pay YARD SALE prices, not retail prices.

And my own pet peeve... I don't CARE what you paid for it. I just know I'm paying the number I think it should be.

I mostly buy household items. My uncle loves tools. My son only wants dvds. My sister is a fanatic for shoes and purses. My niece, sports stuff. My friend is always buying baby stuff. Like I said, everyone likes different things.

I do a LOT of yard saling, go almost every weekend. I like the displays to be neat and excessible with prices on everything.

Have fun! I have to go to Craigslist and get my list together!

 

[3smithboys]

Right there is why I don't do yard sales I got enough of my own junk, I don't need yours. Here's my theory on yard sales...If you don't want it, why would I?

Lol, you are right... I didn't really mean junk. Just stuff I don't want any more. Like high chairs, baby seats, and other baby toys... (my kids are 9 and 13) I have a tiffany style light that is really nice, but when I re-did my kitchen, it just didn't fit in... but are these things that people come to buy at a garage sale? if so, how do I know what to charge?

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Put a coffee can out there with a sign that says, "You're on your honor. Put your money in here & take what you feel you've paid for". Then stick all your junk out in the driveway, lock the doors, and go to the movies. If you're lucky, when you get home it'll all be gone - including the coffee can

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Lol, you are right... I didn't really mean junk. Just stuff I don't want any more. Like high chairs, baby seats, and other baby toys... (my kids are 9 and 13) I have a tiffany style light that is really nice, but when I re-did my kitchen, it just didn't fit in... but are these things that people come to buy at a garage sale? if so, how do I know what to charge?

The point of yard sales is to get money AND get rid of your stuff. How bad do you want something gone? Price it to sell and have a "FREE BOX" as well.

People like old stuff esp. kitchen and garage stuff. The older and more rusted the better, seriously.

DH and I do flea markets, garage/estate sales, and my sister does auctions as well.

You will find that your baby items and kitchen stuff goes first. Old cookie sheet that has seen better days? It will be the first thing to go.

Now personally, DH and I look for books, My Little Pony (for my dd), clothes, gardening, garage/tool.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I make jewelry so I look for jewelry items that I could take apart to use in jewelry making.

I also like chandelier parts - I can't think of what they are called but they hang on chandliers and are usually clear. I make things to hang in my trees in the backyard. They sparkle and shine.
I look for cross stitch stuff and disney items. And finally I look for books and anything else that catches my eye.
Last year I was looking for patio furniture. I also looked at purses for my DD who loves them.

When I did a garage sale the kitchen stuff was the first to go - pots, pans, dishes, ect.

I hope you sell everything!

 

[Art 1]

Watches that people don't know the value of. One can find $300 watches for $10 often.

 

[3smithboys]

Thanks for the great advice!

 

[Janepod]

All I want is Lego and 1950s detective fiction. Got any?

 

[Wadecool]

The best selling items we have had were baby clothes. People bought those up like crazy last summer. When I'm out looking, I like to find anything golf or camping related.

 

[3smithboys]

All I want is Lego and 1950s detective fiction. Got any?

No 1950's fiction, but we've got tons of lego; however, my 9 yr old twins would be going home with you if you took it!

 

[Que_Sarah_Sarah]

For pricing ideas, check your local goodwill or thrift store for some ideas. How much to charge for clothes, housewares, etc. is easier when you know what a local brick and mortar location charges for similar items.

 

[debbiedana]

I have sold everything at garage sales, from furniture to a bag of my old socks. Seriously. I put the socks out as a joke with my mom...I told her I could sell anything, even my old stinky socks. I put ten pairs in a gallon ziploc, marked it $1.25 and it sold within the first hour. I had to go inside because I was laughing so hard. Hilarious.

So you can literally sell ANYTHING at a garage sale LOL

 

[lemondog]

You just would not believe what people buy, so throw it ALL out there and you will probably be surprised. Last yard sale my friend had the very first thing to sell was used undies, I kid you not. She also sold all her half-used tubes of high-end lipstick.

 

[wdwmom0f3]

You just would not believe what people buy, so throw it ALL out there and you will probably be surprised. Last yard sale my friend had the very first thing to sell was used undies, I kid you not. She also sold all her half-used tubes of high-end lipstick.

I guess it's true that people will buy just about anything. I normally put what ever out that I have and haul off what is left after the sale. I love to have a yard sale to just clean out the house. My kids hate them though, especially now that they are older. They get embarrassed to easy.

 

[luvmy3]

I haven't been yard sale-ing in a very long time but when I did I was always on the hunt for Little Tikes outdoor toys. I don't think I ever purchased one at a store, and I had enough to turn my yard into a pre-school amusement park

If I were to go today I'd be on the look-out for vintage Le Creuset pieces, or any modern ones too.

 

[maslex]

Like a previous stated before. People will buy just about anything. What might be junk for you, might be something they've been looking for forever. You never know.

I've had a few yard sales over the years. I've sold everything from clothes, dishes, household items (pictures, frames, bedding, towels, shelves, just stuff) to tools, furniture, games, toys, craft stuff. You name it, it's been in my yard sale. LOL I would have to say the things that went the quickest (and I mean QUICK) was the table full of half used cleaning supplies. I kid you not. The week before the yardsale, I was cleaning out under my kitchen & bathroom sinks. I had a HUGE bag of cleaners, sponges, etc that I was just going to throw away. (I either had doubles or just didn't care for the stuff) I'm talking a garbage bag full of stuff. Then a lightbulb went off in my head and I decided to price it at 50cents a bottle if it was like 1/2 full and $1.00 if it was almost full. Then I went through the house and gathered up all my 1/2 used candles (like the Yankee Candle jars). I'm serious, don't laugh. If it was a big Yankee Candle jar that was about 1/2 full, I priced it at $2.00. If it wasn't Yankee Candle and just something I picked up at like Walmart or something, I priced it at $1.00 On that table alone, I probably made $50!!! I'm telling you...they buy everything!!!

 

[java]

Another tip ask people what they are looking for, you may have it inside. I had someone looking for old vinyl albums, I hadn't put them out, but he bought my C&C Music factory

 

[NaLisa]

What I'm looking for always seems to be changing. For a while it was kids stuff-clothes, toys, baby supplies. As a PP said, I bought lots of outdoor Little Tyke stuff (SOOOOO much cheaper than new in the store, plus the stuff lasts forever and families are always growing out of it). When we moved into a larger home, I wanted funky decor. And I'm always on the lookout for books, both kid and adult.

I work for a church religious education program and lead a Girl Scout troop, so I always need craft supplies. I might have bought that bag of socks when we made sock puppets a couple of years ago! Right now I'm working on a Hogwarts summer camp and looking for decor--pretty much anything Halloween (though out-of-season holiday stuff doesn't usually seem to sell well) like cats, witches, bats, spiders, cauldrons, etc. I'm also looking for wierd posters and portraits that look like they belong in Hogwarts and old hardback books that we can recover and turn into Hogwarts textbooks.

Last week I attended a recycled fashion show, and most of the designers (60 of them!) had bought their materials at yard sales and thrift stores. There were dresses made of pantyhose, ballet shoes, old art and craft supplies, bottle caps, etc. You never know what someone might want or why!

As someone else mentioned, I like things to be neatly displayed and everything priced. Borrow tables from friends and neighbors so you can have all your "junk" on display. Don't have boxes of stuff people have to sort through. Make it easier on yourslf by priceing all like items the same--e.g. all paperbacks 50 cents, hardbacks $1, DVDs $2, children's clothing $1--and make small posters for those items instead of pricing everything individually.

I also read once that people expect to pay 10-20 percent of the retail, new price. I know that sounds low, but if you're serious about selling all of your old stuff I'd definitely underprice rather than overprice.


Good luck.