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How did you decide what prices to charge?
Garage Sales
- Thread starter boykinlp
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How did you decide what prices to charge?
writerinmo
US Veteran
I dont do yard sales anymore. For the work involved and the hassle of dealing with stupid people, I sell what is worth anything on ebay or craigslist and donate the rest to a church or charity for them to try and get a few bucks out of for themselves. Between the thiefs, the idiots who want to chew you down even lower than the already rock bottom prices, to just the hassle of cleaning everything at once, getting it out, watching it, then putting it back up just aint worth it...
Black_Sheep
Member
Prepare yourself, when we held my brother's estate sale this summer the cheapskates were out in force. I told an abrasive "buyer" to leave when he insisted a buck for an unopened gallon of Prestone was too much. The older Hmong women were cheap too but they were so fun to haggle with I didn't mind.
Pricing is pretty subjective. Generally speaking, half the price of new is a good starting point and be prepared to go down from there, even if the item is brand new. If you aren't willing to let stuff go cheap you might as well stay home because you'd be wasting your time...
Pricing is pretty subjective. Generally speaking, half the price of new is a good starting point and be prepared to go down from there, even if the item is brand new. If you aren't willing to let stuff go cheap you might as well stay home because you'd be wasting your time...
Maddog 521
Member
---------We just ask a fair price which is usually more than what we actually want. Then when the buyer offers less we haggle and settle on a price. We weren't selling second hand clothes and worn out shoes. We collect glass ware, cast iron cook ware, weird stuff from the 60's and 70's. We try to collect the unusual. There is nothing worse than going to a garage sale and all that is available is worn out baby clothes. Good luck and have fun.
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I have one every summer. I enjoy it. Me and a few friends lump our old junk together, buy an ad and wait for the festivities.
REAL HE-MAN YARD SALE
NO CANDLES, NO POT POURRI
NO BABY CLOTHES
FREE CIGAR TO THE FIRST 10 CUSTOMERS
I have a few cheap toys for the kids that always seem bored to death.
"How old are ya, kid"?
"Nine"?
"You're our first 9 year old today.(Doesn't matter if he was the 20th 9 year old) Have a parachute guy. Your mom might have to explain how that works"(I knew full well she was "grandma")
Little girls get a cheapie coloring book or soap bubbles.
At the end of the day, we have cleared out some unwanted huntin' and fishin' stuff. Some people got good deals on servicable items. And my neighbors have all their suspicions about me confirmed...
REAL HE-MAN YARD SALE
NO CANDLES, NO POT POURRI
NO BABY CLOTHES
FREE CIGAR TO THE FIRST 10 CUSTOMERS
I have a few cheap toys for the kids that always seem bored to death.
"How old are ya, kid"?
"Nine"?
"You're our first 9 year old today.(Doesn't matter if he was the 20th 9 year old) Have a parachute guy. Your mom might have to explain how that works"(I knew full well she was "grandma")
Little girls get a cheapie coloring book or soap bubbles.
At the end of the day, we have cleared out some unwanted huntin' and fishin' stuff. Some people got good deals on servicable items. And my neighbors have all their suspicions about me confirmed...
BLACKHAWKNJ
Member
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2006
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I have made out like a bandit at garage & yard sales in recent years. Especially when I find items I can resell at a profit!
Beemer-mark
Member
I used to do garage sales but with today's internet you can only give stuff away at garage sales. I quit a couple of years ago. If I don't want it and it's not extremely valuable it goes to goodwill. It if has some value, like a tool box, then Craigslist. Really valuable then I post it on an appropriate forum. Garage sales are too much work to deal with too many rude people to make $10.
rburg
Member
We had one about 10 or so years ago. It was fun. The problem was my wife underpriced everything to move it. It was the Saturday of a Memorial Day weekend. We didn't advertise, we live on a state highway with plenty of parking. We just started moving stuff out to the drive at maybe 8:00 in the morning. By 11:00 we were sold out. Everything was sold.
One woman lived down the road (up the hill) a few blocks. She paid but didn't have a way to move the corner cabinet she bought. So we put it in my pickup truck and I hauled it for her. Free delivery. My wife saw the woman last weekend - she still has the cabinet. And is happy.
If its junk, I toss it. If its something someone might like, I put it out at the curb. We've got hundreds of hillbillies a day driving past. Anything we put out vanishes pretty quick. Even scrap metal. Go figure.
When visiting other peoples garage sales, if you see anything hunting or gun related, ask questions. Be very polite, but ask if they've got any more hunting/shooting/gun related. Many women don't even consider that anyone would like that kind of thing. Some don't even know if its legal to sell the stuff. But a polite question sometimes reveals a lot of stuff underpriced.
Take special notice when you see reloading dies!!
On the issue of your own garage sale, don't leave any hints you have guns or shoot. Its an invitation for thieves.
One woman lived down the road (up the hill) a few blocks. She paid but didn't have a way to move the corner cabinet she bought. So we put it in my pickup truck and I hauled it for her. Free delivery. My wife saw the woman last weekend - she still has the cabinet. And is happy.
If its junk, I toss it. If its something someone might like, I put it out at the curb. We've got hundreds of hillbillies a day driving past. Anything we put out vanishes pretty quick. Even scrap metal. Go figure.
When visiting other peoples garage sales, if you see anything hunting or gun related, ask questions. Be very polite, but ask if they've got any more hunting/shooting/gun related. Many women don't even consider that anyone would like that kind of thing. Some don't even know if its legal to sell the stuff. But a polite question sometimes reveals a lot of stuff underpriced.
Take special notice when you see reloading dies!!
On the issue of your own garage sale, don't leave any hints you have guns or shoot. Its an invitation for thieves.
