# Garage Sales



## debodun (Apr 30, 2015)

Years ago when my parents had a garage sale and advertised a time,  people would show up at least an hour beforehand. It's not like that  anymore. The last time I had a sale, the advertised starting time was  10am. It was going for 1 pm when the first car stopped. What's changed  over the years in regard to this?


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## Glinda (Apr 30, 2015)

Are you located in a rural area?  Or urban?


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## debodun (Apr 30, 2015)

Suburban.


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## Josiah (Apr 30, 2015)

I'm in an absolutely perfect spot for a yard sale. I've had them in the past and not advertised at all. The upcoming one I'm planning is going to have some genuine antiques and so I probably will advertise.


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## Glinda (Apr 30, 2015)

Maybe there was a big event that day in the area or on TV?  Hard to say.  I've known people who've made a worthwhile amount from garage sales and others who are disappointed.  As for the time people show up, the few garage sales I've held included lots of books.  We had used book dealers show up at the crack of dawn and buy us out.  But that was several years ago.  Personally, I think garage sales are more trouble than they're worth and I'm a little nervous about having strangers come to/around my house.


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## jujube (Apr 30, 2015)

My sister had a couple of yard sales when she moved recently and we had to chase people off early.  They were knocking on the door at least an hour early.  

A friend of hers came by and described a woman to look out for as she's well known to steal at garage sales in the area.  It wasn't 10 minutes before the woman showed up.  My boyfriend was acting as "security" for the sale and he noticed she didn't come in with a purse.  A few minutes later, she's getting ready to walk out the door and now she has a purse.  He went up to her and asked if she had paid for the purse and she dropped it and said "I've decided I don't want it" and stomped out the door.  We opened it up and it was stuffed with small items she had picked up in the house.  Nothing valuable, just "stuff".  Obviously here was someone with a mental problem.  

My last garage sale was five years ago when I sold my house.  I had advertised that I had antiques and the dealers showed up early and tried to lowball me on the items.  One lady was incredibly rude and when I wouldn't go down on the prices said I had nothing but junk.  You can always tell who are the dealers.....they show up very early, go through your stuff like a tornado, offer you ridiculously low prices and they're gone, gone, gone.   You also have to watch out when a group of 5-6 "ladies" show up and a couple of them will distract you while the others pocket stuff.  Or they'll tell your helper that they've paid you or tell you that they've paid your helper and not pay at all.  Then you get the ones that'll quibble forever over a 10 cent item.  "Can I have both of these for 10 cents?  Will you take five cents?"   I'm all for bargaining, but really?  

On the other hand, sometimes you meet some great people and have a good time talking to them.  Toward the end of my garage sale, a delightful old "country" gentleman showed up and asked me if I was interested in selling my extra car.  He named a price that was more than I had even considered getting for it and took a wad of hundred dollar bills out of his pocket that would have choked an elephant and paid me on the spot.   He said he just likes to buy a car every weekend and work on it.  He sat around and chatted for a while, said he wouldn't turn a cold "Co-cola" down if I happened to have one and came back the next day for the car.  

The most fun I've ever had at a garage sale was at the one we had when we were moving from Michigan.  My late husband was sitting in the driveway playing his guitar when two elderly couples showed up.  The two husbands  were standing around listening to him while their wives were looking and asked if they could come back and play, too.  They came back around an hour later with guitars and banjos and we had a bluegrass jam going on in the driveway.  It turned out that one of them had actually toured with Bill Monroe many years before.  

I've had two men almost come to blows over a chipped bowling ball I was selling for a quarter.  I watched a little girl  wanting a cute little kitchen set so bad she was enraptured.  I even offered it to the mother for free and she said that the little girl didn't "need" it, even though the mother was buying a ton of junk for herself.  Broke my heart....that child wanted that set so badly.  

You'll see it all at a garage sale.


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## AZ Jim (Apr 30, 2015)

I have had garage sales and my nemesis is the chiseler.  They pick up a $1 dollar item that I probably paid $10 dollars for and ask "will you take 20 cents?"  I used to say, "No but I'll take $1.25!"  I never let anything go if they tried to whittle my cheap price down.  I sold a 8 month old miniature refer that I paid $250 for $50 and I had several offer as little as $10.  I either buy or I walk, I do not insult people who already have a cheap price on an item by trying to rob 'em.


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## Louis (Apr 30, 2015)

I agree with Glinda that garage sales are more trouble than they're worth. I had my first one last October trying to unload some of my late wife's stuff.  I cleared a measly $200 for two weekends of work. I swore it would be my last garage sale.

Now that spring is here, I've been making trips to Goodwill all week to clear out the garage.


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## AZ Jim (Apr 30, 2015)

I'm with you Louis.  Never again for me.


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## debodun (Apr 30, 2015)

I've seen all these types, too. One time a young man was looking at a pile of postcards I had. He suddenly just picked off the top card (it was one of President John Kennedy) and put it in his pocket (maybe he didn't think I saw what happened). I didn't accuse him outright but said if he wanted the card he'd have to pay for it. He took the missing card out of his jacket pocket and tossed it on the table and said "I only wanted that one." 

Another time an older man said he wanted some framed paintings. We agreed on the price. He said that he wanted them wrapped. He was very particular about what kind of paper and twine. I ran around trying to find paper and twine and brought them out. I very carefully wrapped the paintings and he stood right there telling me exactly how he wanted them wrapped. When I stood up and said "That will be $50.", he said, "I changed my mind." and just walked away. 

My favorites are the people that come in, look, decide and pay without argument and don't take up your time with chit-chat.

Louis, if I made $200 in 2 weekends, I'd consider that fabulous!


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## Meanderer (Apr 30, 2015)

I enjoy just putting stuff out by the garage, with a "FREE" sign.  If I have enough, I will put out a table.  People enjoy it as well...so its fun for all.


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## Debby (Apr 30, 2015)

We've had a number of garage sales over the years, but I hate doing them.  Mostly now I prefer just taking stuff to some goodwill place or a thrift shop or something like the Salvation Army store that was in Langley and just chalk it up to a 'charitable donation' and clearing out my garage!

I think though we may wind up having to do another because we're planning a move from our 'horse property' to an apartment in the next year or two and we've got tools and stuff like that which we won't need in an apartment.  I can't see any way around it because there's just too much and my husband is sure to pull the 'Do you know how much I paid for that?' routine so giving all these things away is kind of a non-starter.  

I don't mind organizing it, cleaning it up, etc., but I hate pricing (because of my husbands previously mentioned question) and I hate bartering and dealing with money and change.....because.... yes folks, I hate to admit this because it just feeds the stereotype, this woman is lousy with numbers/change  (so sorry and don't be mad at me for confirming the stereotype).


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## Kadee (Apr 30, 2015)

We had a garage sale soon after moving into this home,I said to hubby all our possessions with the exception of the stuff we had in the caravan had been in storage for two years , and you realise by living in a caravan that long you don't need three sets of saucepans etc....so when we were unpacking when we moved into our newly built home I decided what was going into the cupboards and what was going into the garage sale boxes........
During the garage sale we had a deaf couple turn up with two children... They quite obliviously trained the children to steal items while they distracted us by attempting to talk to us ...They latter returned with items they wanted a refund on which they didn't pay for , as with most garage sales they were only items with a value of $2-3 ... but the male was quite used to conning people he started yelling asking for a refund with out us even saying a word so we gave them the money to get rid of them..the child who was able to be understood was saying the the father it works and I want it ( it was a little  radio) but he kept yelling" it not work" And was demanding more money back then the price we had on it ... Other items he was demanding money back on were not bought/ Stolen ...from us, we Recomended try return them to where they " purchased " the items  from ...


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## Son_of_Perdition (Apr 30, 2015)

'How much can I get for this at a yard sale 3 years from now?' is a question I ask myself anytime I buy something of perceived need.  Amazing how many times I put it back on the shelf.


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## grannyjo (Apr 30, 2015)

Where I live,  North Coast of NSW Australia,  there are usually about ten garage sales each Saturday.

Most of the stuff you wouldn't want to buy.  It is stuff that is well past it's best,  or even its worst.

Funnily enough, the op shop where I volunteer quite often receives "donations",  after the weekend,  of stuff with prices on each item that would just about equal the price of new.


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## Butterfly (Apr 30, 2015)

I agree with those who've said garage sales are a waste of time and effort.  I just load stuff up and take it to Goodwill.   A lot less trouble.

I'm also leery of buying stuff at garage sales.  A friend of mine imported bedbugs on what she purchased at a garage sale.  It cost her a fortune to get rid of them.


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## debodun (May 2, 2015)

I just found out that our town has a new ordinance. Now anyone selling within the village limits needs to obtain a "vendor permit" and pay a $10 fee per event. Permission is only waived when we have out town-wide garage sale. Sometimes I don't even make $10. Another issue of government stifling freedom and putting their hand in people's pockets. Maybe they are trying to cut down on people having sales for some reason.


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## Josiah (May 2, 2015)

debodun said:


> I just found out that our town has a new ordinance. Now anyone selling within the village limits needs to obtain a "vendor permit" and pay a $10 fee per event. Permission is only waived when we have out town-wide garage sale. Sometimes I don't even make $10. Another issue of government stifling freedom and putting their hand in people's pockets. Maybe they are trying to cut down on people having sales for some reason.



Most commerce is taxed in this country. Be happy you don't have to charge sales tax. A $10 permit seems entirely reasonable to me.


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