I had a Yard Sale!

[uummm]

Had a yard sale today with my friend. Another house was supposed to join in but she didn't bother-probably better for me since she would have given me some competition.

I sold $229 worth of stuff! The most expensive thing was $5 and that was the BROKEN elliptical that I told my husband to "Drag that thing to the street, it is NOT coming back into this garage." He paid $1500 originally BUT we got it replaced FOR FREE under warranty so $5 is $5 and now we don't have to drag it to the dump....

I sold nuts in the shells (they were the first things to go!), cans of soup, rice, baking mixes, deodorant and my best seller glade, airwick, neuta air...I always sell so many of those things!

Anyway, we put the money into our vacation fund and hope to go somewhere nice this summer...who knows. There is almost $500 from the beginning of this year...but the rebates have slowed down so it won't grow as fast now. I want to go to the Outer Banks or south of that to the beach. We have never really stayed AT the beach and have only been to Myrtle Beach (barf) for a weekend for a 150 mile charity bike ride outside of Florida (not a fan of most Florida beaches).

Now I am worried with the price of gas sky rocketing that people won't be yard saling as much especially since where we live unless there are whole subdivisions doing it they get kinda far between. I think I have until the beginning of May to gather up enough stuff for the community yard sale.

Also let me add...2 years ago I NEVER would have thought to bother selling this stuff at yard sales. I thought "Who buys this stuff at a yard sale?" Well almost everyone that stopped bought at least one thing from me that was new and purchased from a retail drug/grocery store, items I never would buy from a yard sale, but then again, I KNOW I can get them for free or super cheap....I did have a few ask why I have all this stuff...I just say "I have a shopping problem." they laugh...

I feel I must also mention, I am not one of those people that goes and buys vitamins just because they are a money maker, or buys 1000 toothbrushes because they are free. It takes me 4-6 months to accumlate enough for my yard sale, and I like to do it with someone else to make it look like more stuff. I had all of my NEW stuff on 2 6ft tables and she had a few items thrown in too. I do not usually buy more than 5 or 6 (if that many) of the same item a week. I only shop CVS and RA for my HBA, and only one store each. I pulled out some stuff I have had for a year or two that I don't like (HE shampoo/conditioner, Nivea bodywash...). It always surprises me what sells, plus the fact I put 7:30 on my signs and CL but they start showing up at 7am.... I also let my friend take a few items (toothbrushes, deodorant, maxi pads) to make up feminine type bags for the homeless shelter-she offered to buy but I just told her to take them.

[everprincess]

That's awesome! I need to this for extra money though I highly doubt we are going to take a vacation this year.

[3timesoccermom]

I bet gas prices just put a hold on a LOT of vacations this year.

Congrats on your successful sale uummm!!

[uummm]

I am so glad we don't drive that much however #1 does drive to school 4 days a week and it is about a 35 mile trip one way. He is already complaining about gas prices...I let #2 drive himself to school, so I am here all morning 4 days a week with no car...and if I can't shop first thing in the morning, I don't like to go...so HOPEFULLY we won't be hurt too badly and when IF we go anywhere this summer then at least we can say "but we hardly go any where." We did so much traveling (for us) the last quarter of this past year that we don't feel like going anywhere for a little while.


AND we are hoping maybe other won't want to travel and some of these places will lower their rates and it will be more enticing for us to go there-aside from the gas.

[~~Who,Me?~~]

Awesome! You're lucky you're where it's warm enough to do one already. We still have snow on the ground here, probably wouldn't get many shoppers. I'm jealous, I sooo need a small boost of cash.

Great job!

[faeryedark]

I'm looking to do a few yardsales this spring and summer for the vacation fund. I have about $200 so far mostly from refunds/rebates.
We plan to take a couple of daytrip bus trip type things as we have animals that we don't want to mess around with boarding..sowe have a lady come over and let them out and feed them for the day.
good job!

[jkljkl]

Can I ask what you do, if a customer wants you to knock the price down?

I've had garage sales, and way too many customers who want something for nothing. Many aren't even willing to pay one dollar for anything. Its been a huge problem in our area. We used to have neighborhood garage sales, and quit having them due to this problem. We also had customers coming to us and asking us to give away our stuff, so they could "donate it to charity". So, I haven't had a garage sale in five years, even though I would love to have one.

If I place an ad online, should I specify that nothing will be free at my sale? It may come off sounding kind of rude, but honestly, I can't get up at 6 a.m. on a Saturday morning, spend hours moving things outside and pricing, and tagging them - and then have people show up to ask if they can "just have it for free". It would be easier for me to just haul the stuff to Goodwill.

[uummm]

I didn't have anyone ask for anything for free...Yes they did ask if I would give them a bargin like "WOuld you do 6 for $5?" Not many people asked me to lower my prices, but I did notice that some people wouldn't pay $2 for a BIG thing of listerine, I mean the 1ltr size, but yet for the smaller ones they would pay $1...it doesn't make sense.
I have no problem saying no when someone ask for something for free, though they didn't ask this time. I might knock a little off if I felt it was a good sob story. I wouldn't let someone else just donate my stuff for free WHEN I CAN DO IT AND GET THE TAX WRITE OFF! That is just stupid on their part. Craig's List has a free section for that. With the price of gas now a days I don't think that if someone was REALLY hard off they would be wasting gas on driving around on the possibility of maybe getting a good deal.

[reezz]

Can I ask what you do, if a customer wants you to knock the price down?

I've had garage sales, and way too many customers who want something for nothing. Many aren't even willing to pay one dollar for anything. Its been a huge problem in our area. We used to have neighborhood garage sales, and quit having them due to this problem. We also had customers coming to us and asking us to give away our stuff, so they could "donate it to charity". So, I haven't had a garage sale in five years, even though I would love to have one.

If I place an ad online, should I specify that nothing will be free at my sale? It may come off sounding kind of rude, but honestly, I can't get up at 6 a.m. on a Saturday morning, spend hours moving things outside and pricing, and tagging them - and then have people show up to ask if they can "just have it for free". It would be easier for me to just haul the stuff to Goodwill.

Ive stopped doing them for this very reason.....its ridiculous. I already have excellent prices on my stuff and to ask me to lower my things to mere pennies is insulting!

I just tell them prices are firm.

[uummm]

I remember when we lived in Base housing in CT I had a yard sale...I had a skirt in the yard sale and was asking a QUARTER....this woman came up and asked if I would take a DIME...I thought are you kidding me? I said no and she didn't buy the skirt!
I HAVE noticed that people of a certain nationality just want to bargain down, I guess that is how they do it in their country.