Advice for 'future' yard sale.

[couponmommyof3]

Hello!

I have always lived in apartments(in my adult life) and in July I am FINALLY moving into a house!!! I see that some people on here do yard sales to make some extra money. Here are a few questions:

1. Do you donate anything? or do you just hold onto everything until you have a yard sale?

2. What do you consider a good yard sale item price? Obviously, if I can get something for free (other than tax) that would be a good item to get.


3. What is your typical price that you sell things?

4. IF someone asks you-how do you get all this, or where it came from what do you say? Honestly, I think I would feel sort of bad that I got something for free and here I am trying to charge for it, but then again, DH's job barely gets us by, I need any money I can get!

5. Do you keep your yard sale items with your regular stockpile, or do you have a separate place?

6. What DO you sell? Would trying to sell food be too weird?

I don't plan on doing this until next year but I want to learn everything I can so I can have successful yard sales next summer!!!

Thank you so much for any advice or suggestions!!! And if there's another thread you think I should check out please point me in the right direction!

[crazy4clipping]

Well for me I tell people that I buy in bulk and get a good deal and that is how I can charge so low, which is kinda what I do :) As for prices if the items is FAC I usually charge $1-$2 for most items (body wash, deoderant, shampoo ect) other items I go based on value I had one of the Dr. Nightguards that was free at Rite Aid a while back that i thought someone could use and no one wanted it, it is pricey $34.99 retail I just put it out this weekend for $8 sold it for $7. I kept most items low cost, which kept the sales rolling and people coming back numerous times with their family to buy more! I didnt do any food this year but I sold about 30 boxes of Crystal light on the go and Tasters Choice those sold out the 1st day.

As for where I keep it, I put it all separate the things I know I am not going to use neither is my family but is a MM I store it in the blue storage bins I get on clearance at Walmart or Target.

As for donations, I stick to mostly food and feminine products that is what they always seem to be out of at my local center. Hope my rambling helped a bit.

[JulieDB]

I tried a yard sale twice. At my house (on a bus route but not a major street) and then again at my friend's house on a more major street. I would never do it again!

We got sunburned. People only seemed to come when we had to use the bathroom or get something to eat or drink. They didn't want to pay our prices. We had some free things that they wouldn't take. Most things were priced at 25 cents. I had some clothing and shoes. Those didn't sell at all. Had a few knick knacks. Those sold right away. A few kitchen items. Those sold but to my friend. I would have given them to her, but she insisted on paying. The most expensive thing I had was a kitchen table. I wanted $10 for it buy the one guy who was interested in it thought I should give it to him for free because it was for some poor family of illegal immigrants he was trying to help. I had originally paid $10 for it and it was never used. I used to work at K Mart and could really get some good deals on stuff.

I think both days combined I made about $30 and my friend made a little more with his stuff, only because at his house some guy asked about a typewriter. He did have an old one (this was in the days before most people had computers and there was still a market for those things). He didn't have it out for sale but it was in the house. He went in and got it and sold it to the guy and that was where the bulk of his money was made.

We both decided it was just too much work. All the making of signs, putting them up, taking them down, setting it all up and in the end hauling all the remaining stuff to Goodwill. At least my friend had a truck and could do that part.

Now I just take things to Value Village. They are a chain of shops in this area that sell new and used items and the proceeds go to help blind people.

There is also a little consignment shop near my daughter's dance studio. I have been told I should take things in there because they will sell them for me. I think I might take her bike in there. She has gotten too big for it. Mostly we need to get rid of clothing now. Daughter is soon to be 13 and has gotten rid of most of her toys. The consignment shop mostly seems to have antique furniture and kitchen items. But they also have baby stuff, fishing items and once in a while, clothing.

As for other things that they won't take, I will take them to the food bank if they will take them. I recently took in a dozen body washes. They were not old. It's just that my daughter tried it, liked it and then said she needed some more. It was a coconut scrub wash. So I bought her more. And then every time we went to Target, she was wanting more! I just thought she was using waaaay too much of it at one time which she has been known to do. For a time I would only let her use that which I could get for free or for cheap at Big Lots and the like. But... No! Turns out she wasn't putting it away. That's another thing she has been known to do. She will stash something in some weird spot rather than take the time to put it where it goes and then she doesn't remember doing it. Or won't admit to it. Sooo... When we did our Spring cleaning I unearthed the body washes. She no longer even uses that kind. So off it went because I don't use it either. We also have quite a few toothbrushes that I have gotten for free either with toothpaste or at the dentist. I have discovered that the food bank will take those things so soon they will be getting them as well. Of course I also give them food. I often buy things at Costco that are more than what we need before they expire, but are still cheaper than getting them at the grocery store. I then donate the extra.

I have seen people post on here that they sold beverages and snacks, often things that they acquired for free with their coupons. We didn't do that but we did have pitchers of ice water and paper cups because as luck would have it, both of the days we tried to do the sale, it was super hot. Here in the Pacific Northwest we don't usually get a lot of hot weather.

I was just talking to a lady the other day that does rummage sales all the time. The money from those sales goes to help dogs that are ill and need medicine or an operation of some sort and their owners can't afford it. They used to run a small store that sold pet supplies and also had a set place (indoors) for their rummage sales. Alas, the building where the sales were held was torn down and the shop had to close because their rent became too high.

She said they are still doing the sales and very close to my house. She found a person with a big garage that is willing to let them use that. She said that is important in this area. People like to shop where it is covered, especially with the chilly an rainy weather we so often have. And it is on a busy street. She said that is important too.

[Macaela25]

I do very well with yard sales. People are happy to buy MM stuff I can't use for half of what they would pay in a store. I've done really well with candles, Glade stuff, feminine products, HBA, air fresheners, that sort of thing. People are more hesitant here to buy food. Baby/kid stuff that is in good condition does well here, as does bigger items that people may need but may not be able to afford new. Knickknacks do not do well here, nor do adult clothes. These and all my sale leftovers I donate to a domestic violence shelter where families are set up in apartments.

I usually try to wait until our subdivision has their annual yard sale = way more traffic, and I don't pay to advertise. I keep a large container in the garage marked "yard sale" and as I see something that needs to go, in it goes. If you do a search, there is an extensive thread somewhere here on yard sale pricing.

I think it all depends on your area. I see you're in FL - Southerners truly love a good yard sale!

[abond0017]

Hello!

I have always lived in apartments(in my adult life) and in July I am FINALLY moving into a house!!! I see that some people on here do yard sales to make some extra money. Here are a few questions:

1. Do you donate anything? or do you just hold onto everything until you have a yard sale?

I try to sell everything and donate what is not sold at the end...there is always stuff that doesn't sell.

2. What do you consider a good yard sale item price? Obviously, if I can get something for free (other than tax) that would be a good item to get.

I only sold my stockpile stuff once, but like a pp said..free's or mm's get sold for about $1 to $2 depending on what it is. Other things you just have to guage the market price in your area to establish a price.

3. What is your typical price that you sell things?

Nice shampoo (Pantene) will probably sell for $1.50-$2. Deodorants $1 to $1.50. Toothpaste probably about $1. Box of tampons probably $2.
You kind of also have to gauge the price based on the item's need and available substitutions as well. People don't generally need to buy deodorant every month...but women sure do need to buy tampons every month. Also, all tampons are relatively expensive and closely priced...but there is a greater price range in deodorants. So with those kind of factors, they may be more likely to pay an extra .50 for tampons over deodorant, even if the retail price for the two is the same...kwim?

4. IF someone asks you-how do you get all this, or where it came from what do you say? Honestly, I think I would feel sort of bad that I got something for free and here I am trying to charge for it, but then again, DH's job barely gets us by, I need any money I can get!

I didn't feel bad at all and I told them with coupons...and even offered up this site's address to learn for themselves if they were interested or gave me funny looks.

5. Do you keep your yard sale items with your regular stockpile, or do you have a separate place?

6. What DO you sell? Would trying to sell food be too weird?

I gave away my food before I moved. I didn't think people would trust it...I wouldn't.

I don't plan on doing this until next year but I want to learn everything I can so I can have successful yard sales next summer!!!

Thank you so much for any advice or suggestions!!! And if there's another thread you think I should check out please point me in the right direction!

One important thing to remember about selling non stockpile items is to make sure you aren't selling junk. I can tell you as an avid yard sale shopper myself...nothing has me walking on by a yard sale faster than seeing stuff that someone has no business trying to make money off of. It makes me think all of their stuff must be junk and not worth my time looking. If a goodwill won't take it...don't try to sell it (if you want, put it in a "Free" pile kind of off to the side of your sale). And along the same lines...clean the stuff you are trying to sell. Wash clothes/linens...dust off knick-knacks....wipe down furniture...etc. Nothing makes your good stuff look like junk more than dirt and grime. Also, displaying your items well will help them sell. Use sheets/cloths over tables and set things out neatly and it will help convince buyers that you have nice stuff worth setting up nicely. Most importantly though...no matter how nice your stuff is you can't over price it...you won't sell it...plain and simple. So, getting the prices right is very important, and also sometimes quite challenging. Lastly, advertise for free on craigslist and with homemade signs (cut up poster board and marker) and you can save a lot of money. Many people scour craigslist for yard sale postings.
Yard sales do take a lot of work...but if you do it right you can make a good amount of money.
Good luck.

[ari'smom]

I haven't done a yard sale in a while, but when selling anything I try to think like a buyer, not a seller. So I look at an item and think how much I would be willing to pay for it, taking into account the venue where I am selling it. So if you are selling it in a yard sale, you might charge a little less than you would sell it at a flea market, and less still than you would sell it if you had a small discount dollar type store.

For me I would be happy to see items like toothpaste or soap for 50 cents, deoderant and shampoo at a dollar, maybe packs of razors for two. It is a yard sale and yard sales aren't really for "making money" in my view, so I expect prices to be lower. I don't know how long all of your things have been sitting in your home, where they have been sitting, are they still good/fresh etc. At a flea market I see you a little more as a business person, because you have spent the money for your table or booth, have had to cart all your merchandise there, possibly rented a table etc. So I might be willing to pay a little more. And of course a little more still in a store because you are paying rent, advertising, etc.

I admit I get a little irked when I drive all the way to someone's house for a yard sale and feel they've overpriced their items. Yard sales are a hobby and a fun thing to do. You drive around all morning/day long because of that, and you expect to be rewarded when you get to a destination, not fleeced lol. If I want to pay flea market, dollar store, or consignment store prices for something, I will go to one. Does that make sense? Good luck, and congrats on your new space!! :)

[couponmommyof3]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I hope to hear some more thoughts from other people!

I am not worried about overpricing, I'm worried about underpricing. LOL

I don't have much right not to sell other than my stockpile, but who knows maybe in a year from now I may have some more stuff. I do have a TON of baby gear...hmm, now that I think about it, maybe I can do a small yard sale a little later this year.

[sunnie_skys]

"most" adult clothes do not sell. I kinda think adult clothes at a yardsale is a waste of time. Baby clothes sell like hotcakes. I always hung up my baby clothes, had the sets together and everything priced. There is nothing worse than having to rummage through the clothes and then asking how much. Makes people stop looking since it is cluttered. Keep it organized and price everything. Going to yard sales where you have to keep asking how much gets really annoying..lol. I am super OCD so I know mine are totally anal..rofl. I also do not put things on the ground. older people do not like to get down to look. People like things at waist level. This will be my first year with stock items i have bought so this thread is helping me as well. So thanks for posting OP. Reps to ya.

[ari'smom]

There are always people looking for baby items! You can often do well with them at children's second hand consignment stores. I used to save all my kids outgrown items and take them to the consignment store in season. It was pretty easy to do and I'd use the money to buy new clothes lol.

[ari'smom]

Oh, I don't know about adult clothing. I have sold a lot at yard sales and some online. And I am always looking for myself. But it's tough because of sizing issues, taste, condition, etc. But if I find something in my size that I like, and it is priced right? Bam, I am there lol.