Garage Sale Ideas--Updates=D

[ducks4you]

I am more than super-excited about an upcoming garage sale. To call it that is probably not correct, but here's what's happening. DH's office "Strip Mall" is planning a Labor Day Saturday garage sale. There 6/7 suites (businesses) participating. The mall is one-story, and we have 40 (non-metered) parking spaces in front, plus the "Bar" on the corner has 20 more, and the "Bar and Grill" next door has about 15 spots. (The Bar doesn't open until 8 PM, and the Bar and Grill is busiest M-F, and might also be partcipating.) Parking is ALWAYS a premium at garage sales here. Champaign/Urbana is one of the (twin)cities were everybody loves to buy at garage sales. In fact, in Urbana (where WE are), a lot of people will buy broken stuff because they:
(1) think they can fix it
(2) they are being "green" and responsible.
I am on CLOUD 9, when I think about getting things I don't want and don't need OUT of important storage places!!! I DON'T even CARE if I get more than a penny/item--just the THOUGHT that I don't have to pay to have these things hauled away gets me singing!!!
I'm going to sell clothes, an old spinet, 2 modern nylon tents, some old pots and pans, and few (fugly) knick knacks that I've been given.
Do you have any ideas about what I should look for to get rid of? I'm too giddy about this to be rational!! :bun

 

[ksalvagno]

I think just generally stuff you aren't using. If you haven't looked at it for a couple of years, then you probably don't need it. With the exception of anything that can help you be SS. Good luck on your garage sale!

 

[Dace]

I love garage sales! I don't have any suggestions for you, just unload all that you can!

Good luck

 

[xpc]

I too am new to selling all my worldly treasures and look at it this way - everything you own that is in a box or storage room that you haven't needed or seen in the last year - sell it. If you have things with an apparent value more then anyone is willing to pay - sell it anyways, you don't need it and can always price it high to insure it doesn't sell but if it does you have a reason to party.

An apparent value is what you would give to a cubic zirconium diamond as if it were real, the value is only perceived by the present owner and not so much a buyer. Do that with all your junk and be the happier for it as it leaves you a few dollars to the black and a much cleaner house.

 

[lorihadams]

We just did this! We just moved so we did a big time clean out. If you haven't worn it in a year then get rid of it. If you haven't used it in a year, get rid of it. If you really truly don't LOVE something and can live without it, get rid of it.

We put several big items on craigslist and some of the smaller items we donated to goodwill. We also have a friend that is planning a yard sale to raise some money to help out an elderly friend with some medical expenses so we gave her 2 big boxes of stuff.

We sold a lot of the kid's toys and clothes to a consignment shop for cash and the leftovers went to goodwill.

Next comes seriously thinning out xmas stuff.

Bottom line is, if you don't use it, you don't need it taking up space somewhere. If it's broken and you haven't gotten around to fixing it in a year then you're probably not going to so pass it on.

Good luck!

 

[ducks4you]

Thank you, everyone, for your input!

Next comes seriously thinning out xmas stuff.

I hadn't THOUGHT of THAT!!! :bun

Bottom line is, if you don't use it, you don't need it taking up space somewhere. If it's broken and you haven't gotten around to fixing it in a year then you're probably not going to so pass it on.

Absolutely!!

Good luck!

Thanks!! This has been like a shot in the arm, or like drinking a whole pot of coffee!! DH and I are planning for it as we drive together. I know where a few hard to sell items can be sold if WE can't sell them, like the old spinet and lawn mowers--there's a place that advertises that they will buy them, regardless of condition.

Keep the ideas coming!!

 

[ducks4you]

I love you all SSSSOOOO MMMMUUUCCCCH, That I'm gonna to keep you updated, even if you've forgotten about this thread.

(I figure that this might help somebody in the future.)
I have a list on my computer at home of anything I can think of to locate, clean up and ready for the sale.
I've invested $28.00 in new plastic bins. I've got 10 pieces of clothing so far, cleaned and stored in one. I am keeping the lid on it since my cats are notorious for peeing in open containers.
I found and bagged 4 unwanted pillows yesterday. I labelled the garbage bags I put them into, "Garage Sale Pillows, September 4th," and put them in the back of my (garaged) truck bed, which is where I am accumulating items.
I've found and boxed 2 books so far that are going into the sale.
DD has boxed about a dozen (from her apartment).

We going to use different colored dots for every person, from OUR OFFICE that's in the sale. We were laughing last night at the prospect of "garage sale theft." ANYTHING that we put a real price on is going to be located inside the office. If somebody wants to steal my UNWANTABLES, go for it!!
DD's are going to put their Karioke machine in the sale. It didn't live up to their expectations. We also have a 5-DVD changer, no longer compatable with our hardware--still works. Please pray for a dry Saturday for our sale.!!

 

[lorihadams]

Yay! Feels good to get rid of the STUFF, doesn't it?

 

[Jaxom]

Before your sale, I would HIGHLY recommend getting an ebay account. Not that you will be selling on there...although you could, what I'm trying to get at, with an ebay account you have access to "advance searching" on any particular item. You can then get an idea what things are selling for. I say this because you never know when you might come across say, that 1969 VW Matchbox bus with the surfboard sticking out...(one sold at auction for $5,000 i think it was).

 

[PamsPride]

It you are looking to make a couple dollars homemade baked goods sell good at a garage sale too! My homemade banana bread, zucchini bread, and cookies are always a big hit! I also put leftover parade candy in a sandwich baggy and sell those for .25 to .50 and they go well!