Garage Sale
Anyone know anything about holding same? I come from NYC, where garages rent for $400 a month. My notion of what to do, how to price stuff, and how much traffic to expect is...well, nil. I would appreciate any guidance folks have to offer. We've got several pieces of decent furniture (an almost new stereo cabinet, a kids' bunk bed which includes a built-in cupboard, desk, and chest of drawers, and some shelves), books, clothes, CDs, videos, household stuff... And I have no idea what to do with it all, except to put the clothes on hangers. And shelve the books spine-out.
posted by Madeleine Robins at 3:08 PM
4 Comments:
My tips from our one and only garage sale:
People will show up earlier than your sign says, hoping to beat other people to the good deals.
People expect much lower prices than you'd think.
Stuff goes better when it's at the street end of the driveway, especially when you give up, go inside, and put a "free" sign on the junk.
That's helpful, Kate. Thanks. Of course, being still-pretty-urban, our "driveway" is three feet of city sidewalk (and I don't think we're allowed to block it off with all our clutter). I figure we're going to say 10am on the sign and be prepared to deal with people by 9 (which means I'm gonna be up very late the night before). I did get all these nifty pre-printed garage sale labels, which should save my aching writing hand a little.
Go out and eyeball a sale or two before your own, if you have the time. Any really nice furniture, keep the sticker price a little higher, since that sort of thing someone will wish to haggle. Keep a close eye on YG, because if she's anything like Aidan, some things will be sold too cheap, and some things will mysteriously end up back in the house.
First people there are usually flea market types, looking for stock. Next wave are the serious garage sale shoppers, then will come the casuals. Keep an eye out for what they drive and where they park; smart shoppers with a nice ride will try and park where you can't see that they can afford more. Use that as a bargaining tool, but only mentally, don't tell them that they can afford a Lexus so they can afford $10 for a coffee table. If you have tables for displaying stuff and the tables are not for sale, make sure you mark them as such.
Have fun.
D
What they said. so...it's the same as a stoop sale, really. Hot tickets will be records/CDs, stereo equipment, bookshelves, sometimes books, end tables & lamps.
Don't bargain too much if you don't wanna. Those people who think that price stickers are a suggestion aren't always serious. Oh, and if something's being picked up a lot but not selling....RAISE the price. I know it sounds counter-intuitive, but perceived value tends to work.
If you want to attract more people, do a free posting on Craig's List in the Garage Sale section.
e of the sTools
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