Do you think it's "right" to sell items you get for free after coupons and deals?

[ravenhart]

I haven't read all the posts yet on this but I have done this my garage sales. I feel that I put the work in getting the products at a discount plus I tell the few people who ask why I would sell new items that I found a good deal on it and want to help others save $$ too! I rarely have any stockpile from my garage sale leftover!! Just my 2c

[disabledvetswife]

The one thing I've never really understood:

Why do some people justify it as okay when you're donating it, but it's not okay if you're selling it? It's a little holier than thou to me (although I am not knocking donating, I donate too). There are plenty of people for various reasons who *could* go to the donation places to get their stuff, but don't. Maybe pride. Maybe lack of transportation. Maybe embarassment. Maybe they don't think they're "in need" enough or someone else is "needier". The same with food stamps.

People who say....don't get the monitors if you don't need them, leave them for those who need them...blah! You're assuming EVERYONE who NEEDS them is shopping at that one chain because they saw the sale flyer or knew they were going to be on sale. If they're on sale at Walgreens, and wiped out, then go to CVS if you need them (or Wal-Mart or Target or anywhere that sells them).

I do buy the monitors and I do not need them. I, in turn, sell them at my yard sale for $3 each. I have a large hispanic community in my area and hispanics have a high proportion of diabetics. Unfortunately, these same people are uninsured and cannot afford to buy a monitor for $14.99 - even if it is giving back $14.99 in ecbs. They just don't have it. They do not coupon, so it would still cost them $14.99 up front. They WILL snarf up the monitors for $3 and the toothpaste for $1.

Do I care if someone buys something at my yard sale for $3 and then turns around and sells it to their neighbor for $6? No. Do I know they're doing it? No. Is it my business? No. But what if they bought all of my stuff and resold it for a profit and then the next person comes to my yard sale and really really needed it, but I don't have any left? Go to the next yard sale.

As a pp posted, a lot of the people who come to my yardsales (mainly migrant workers) buy EVERYTHING from garage sales, Goodwill, etc. They will not go to the food pantry, etc., because they are embarassed. They believe they can "afford" to pay $3 for the monitor, so they will leave the ones that are "free" at the food pantry for someone less fortunate than they.

Not everyone coupons. Most of the time, in order to get something for *free* you had to have had RRs or ECBs to spend to begin with. If you are poor, even buying 1 newspaper for $1 is a luxury you cannot afford, even if there is a coupon in there for a free monitor or a free roll of Marcal paper towels.

I also do not believe that we are getting the items for "free". We are paying with a coupon. Between the coupon, gas, time, effort, stamps, envelopes, etc., it is not free. If we were getting the item for "free", the store would not be reimbursed the face value of the coupon. We are paying -- with a coupon, with which the store will receive the full value of.

I do donate items and am not knocking that. If it comes down to a right or wrong issue, donating it doesn't make it any more "right" than selling it either. It's like saying, it's (insert whatever bad deed here) okay because I went to church on Sunday (I do btw).

[mamajenny2]

I completely agree with everything the pp said.

[tranquilmama]

I don't think there is anything wrong with selling items that were purchased with coupons. There was a Glade deal going on at one of the grocery stores around here a couple summers ago. It amounted to a ton of flameless candles and a ton of glade plugins for tax only and it was worth for me to buy them because I got catalinas back to spend on groceries. Lots and lots of groceries.

I was sick of the scents and tired of having them in the basement so I set them out at the yard sale. Oh, I also had the glade scented oil holders that I got free during Kmart super doubles. One woman bought them all for a dollar apiece and was absolutely THRILLED. It quite literally made her day.

On the subject of shelf clearing, I have no qualms about clearing shelves BECAUSE I'm getting stuff I need at the moment or will use in the future. If the store is OOS and it's a great deal, I ask for a raincheck. I have been faced with many bared shelves while trying to do deals and I'm happy for the people that got the items, even if they are just stockpiling to sell.
For the record I cleared CVS's shelf of raisin bran today because it was the only CVS that had it in stock and my kids go through cereal like a box every other day. I'm sure they will get more in before the sale is over though so I'm not worried.

Plus, it's not always couponers that clear shelves. Other people have to shave and so they, not just couponers, buy razors. Other people brush their teeth and so they, not just couponers, have to buy toothpaste & toothbrushes. Other people care about their appearance and hygiene so they, not just couponers, buy shampoo, soap/body wash, hair styling products, etc etc etc. And other people also eat, usually daily, and so they buy food.

Even the stuff that goes on sale.

<<<gasp>>>....

Yep,

you guessed it, not. just. couponers. Okay, okay. Sarcasm wasn't exactly my intention, I'm just trying to be funny.

[anbfraz]

Once I purchase an item it belongs to me and what I do with it is my business. Use, donate, sell...makes no difference. Whether I pay with cash or coupons is irrelevant, both are legitimate forms of payment!

I am looking forward to having my first surplus stockpile sale! I can't decide if I am going to have a yard sale or go to the local flea market...but I need to decide soon! We're running out of room!

[trudibeth77]

Originally Posted by cintinative I don't personally sell anything, and don't really have a problem with it, except in this case: there are some people that clear shelves and buy hundreds of an item free or nearly free and sell it. I don't like this because basically they make it impossible for those of us who are just trying to stock our household to find the items. But perhaps this is a whole other topic--shelf clearing.

Ditto!!!!! Exactly how I feel-- I don't re-sell my items... that's not to say I wouldn't.... but I just don't have the time to fool with it with my full-time job. I "attempt" to be reasonable with my stockpile (not overdo it) and give away what I won't use. Though if something is giving mad overage, all bets are off!

Anyway-- I have heard stories from other posters about people coming into their stores when the doors open and clearing the shelves- then re-selling at the flea market that week. THEN I think it is NOT ethical or cool. But for those who have just accumulated items over time (esp. freebies or overage items-- it's easy to overstock on those!), I say "go for it"-- again, as long as it's legal (not purchased at commy, etc). Maybe I'll try it one day... who knows?!?

EDIT: Let me also add that these chronic shelf-clearers have also apparently NOT endeared themselves to the stores and are creating extra problems for the rest of us couponers. The specific thread/ example I can remember is from a Target store- the guy would clear the shelves first thing in the morning, first day of sale- then re-sell at the flea market and no one else would get in on the deals. Therefore that particular Target starting limiting the number of coupons per transaction. I DO believe in Karma-- I don't begrudge anyone being entrepreneurial and finding creative ways to make a living, esp. in this economy. But when it negatively impacts so many other people, time to get those creative juices flowing and find another source of income!

[trudibeth77]

Hmmm... after re-thinking-- let me re-state... actually, it probably IS wrong to re-sell. You can probably get away with a few things here and there-- but should you? Probably not. I haven't read all of the posts here, so I don't know if our good friend "IRS" has been mentioned in any of the posts. Since you are buying and re-selling "new" items, esp. if you make a habit of it, you are technically a retailer or re-seller. You should be paying taxes on the income. (on the flip side-- you can "write off" all the costs involved) IN addition- most of your states would want a piece of the income, too- in the form of sales tax. Granted, you most likely paid sales tax on the item to begin with- in which case you would need to file the appropriate form quarterly and write off the sales tax you paid (you shouldn't have to pay sales tax twice). I have been a re-seller of children's clothing on Ebay- I have always claimed the income (which is normally a loss anyway) AND I have to file a state sales / use tax return quarterly. PITA!!!!! I do the same thing- buy DEEPLY discounted retail (not wholesale) clothing items and re-sell on Ebay- I often pay sales tax on the front end. I contacted my state dept. of revenue and asked if I "really" needed to file and the answer was yes- even for re-sell of retail items.

SO-- this is another side of it-- it probably is NOT ethical, truthfully, unless you are claiming everything appropriately on your taxes. I'm not judging anyone- could care less if anyone resells- but giving another side of it.

NOW- I can just hear the protestations "BUT I'm NOT buying for re-sell-- I'm only selling items that I didn't use from my PERSONAL stock" Ok, fine, we can certainly justify it anyway we want to- but if you really want to have a "clean conscience" about it- have you cleared it with the IRS? (like saying "Officer- I wasn't ROBBING the bank, I was just BORROWING the money- it's all a misunderstanding!") I would venture to say that if you are selling new, unused items with any frequency (1 or more times/ year), the IRS would consider that re-selling and will likely want their piece of it, as well as your state.

Sorry- not trying to be a buzz-kill, just trying to present another side of it. Again- I (personally) could care less if anyone re-sells, as long as you are leaving plenty for me on the shelves!!!!!!!!!!!

[Kana16]

I agree with what was said about clearing the shelves just to re-sell those items...

but other than that I don't see anything wrong with it - stores get reimbursed for MFQ (which is used most of the time) so... *shrug*

I sell on eBay and that'd be like saying it's not "right" to re-sell clothing etc for profit when I get it really, really cheap.

[blossomed]

I have bought many things from stockpile yardsales - and I loved it. I just didn't want to take the time to buy the paper, clip the coupons etc etc.

I had no issues with it.

[dionada]

Originally Posted by trudibeth77 Sorry- not trying to be a buzz-kill, just trying to present another side of it. Again- I (personally) could care less if anyone re-sells, as long as you are leaving plenty for me on the shelves!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for offering that perspective. I haven't done any yard sale reselling, but with my luck, I'd put up the signs, haul all my crap out, and my first customer would be someone whose husband works for the IRS or something.

And I agree about shelf-clearing. And I don't mean "taking the last two in stock", I mean "showing up when the doors open the first day of the sale and throwing all 20 items on the shelf in your cart, then getting someone to get all their stockroom inventory so you can buy that too, then going to the other 3 area stores and doing the same thing."

But that's an argument for another time.