posted on April 12, 2004 03:09:55 PM new
And I wonder if someone who wants to come in a half hour early would #*!@ and moan if they were told stuff was sold the night before to someone "with a wallet full of money".
I am getting ready for my first yard (well, indoors actually) sale in years - no early birds for me either. They are like the people who ask you to end an auction early; they aren't out to do you a favor.
posted on April 12, 2004 05:48:39 PM new
Of the 1 or 2 garage sales we have every year, we will have an occasional early bird ask us if we're open as we're setting up. (Never had one ring the doorbell at 630 am though! They would receive the boot promptly.) If they've had the money, we've had no qualms selling early. However, right off the bat, or (for the early birds) even before the sale officially starts, there is NO haggling. Price as stated.
"Who's tending the bar? Sniping works up a thirst"
posted on April 12, 2004 08:11:52 PM new
I'm all for people getting a fair price and making money on their stuff.
My problem is that people advertise a garage sale and when I arrive their garage is set up like a booth in an antique mall (with antique mall prices) or filled with new merchandise from flea markets.
If that's the type of sale people want to run fine. They just need to stop advertising it like they just did a spring cleaning, want to get rid of excess stuff and have lots of great bargains.
I'm not trying to tell other people how to handle their sales. I just want them to be honest.
Some people will advertise a sale with a HUGE selection and when I show up at 9 am, I find all their merchandise fits on 3 or 4 small card tables.
Another problem I run into is that some people advertise a sale as a garage sale and make NO MENTION of the fact that everything at the sale is homemade craft items.
I think a large part of the aggravation garage sale buyers are feeling over prices and quality has to do with being mislead and lied to by sellers advertising.
The seller with the "huge" sale knew that 3 card tables wasn't consider huge, but their sister told them they'd get more people if they listed it as sale with a huge selection.
The craft seller knows that a lot of people will avoid their sale if they reveal that everything is homemade, so they just advertise a garage sale with "lots of great stuff."
I'm tired of being mislead and I'm tired of these people thinking it's OK to waste my time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Life is full of misery, loneliness, and suffering - and it's all over much too soon.
Woody Allen
posted on April 12, 2004 08:46:47 PM new
Fluffy, are you sure you wont sell those brand new unused sport bottles you got from your HMO for 10 cents each? LOL> Thats the kinda junk I like to buy for my own household use.
Its great if somebody doesn't know what things might be worth, but it is getting harder and harder to find that. I did just luck out when I bought those two pfaltzgraff lamps for 5.00 from this lady at a garage sale. I couldn't believe they worked and were in such great condition! But she was moving. Guess she had enough of them and planned on some new decor.
I think the only difference with ebay is the immediacy of getting the item verses looking to find it yourself. A lot of people don't have the time or patience to shop around or wait for a sale, and we as Americans don't seem to mind paying for convenience.
But I noticed too, even the thrift stores have all gone coo-koo (3.95 for a microwave cookbook?) because of so called ebay prices. I have wondered if they see it going on ebay for 5 and up, what should they price it at? They sure lost their .25 book prices awhile ago anyway. But if they don't really surf ebay that often - they have no way of knowing what prices are realized over and over and that the 'sales' sometimes swing from one end to the other for the very same item. I wonder if they price it by only whats listed/going now, or if they've evolved to paying for some statistical research?
posted on April 12, 2004 09:55:04 PM new
3.95 for a MICROWAVE COOKBOOK?!!! ROFLMAO. Everywhere I go, people are trying to unload microwave cookbooks. Did they, way back when, really think we'd COOK with those things? We all know better. Heat, reheat, boil water,warm tortillas, etc. That's what they're good for.
My favorite thrift shops have microwave cookbooks in a stack in a corner. Every once in a while they take them all out and burn them or something. NO ONE ever buys the danged things. You'd have to pay ME to relieve you of one! I just think this is so funny that they'd see an Ebay asking price for a microwave cookbook and think that's a good price to ask.
Well, now that that's off my chest. . . .LOL
___________________________________
posted on April 12, 2004 10:28:16 PM new
What really burns my butt is that during my 40 years in the moving business, I was in literally thousands of homes giving estimates to people who were getting ready to move. In virtually every one, they had a pile of stuff in the garage that wasn't going to be moved. It was going to goodwill or was to be sold at a yard sale. I passed it by, as Ebay hadn't been invented yet. They were just getting off the ground when I retired. The two week window to get in before the dealers and vultures makes it very tempting to get back into the business on a part time basis. Hmmm....Naw, forget it. It sounds too much like work. Besides, that's why I retired
A $75.00 solid state device will always blow first to protect a 25 cent fuse ~ Murphy's Law
posted on April 12, 2004 11:47:55 PM new
I very occasionally here the "e" word at garage sales - I won't turn around and leave though. I've gotten good deals from some of these people. I've had people even comment as I have purchased entire music collections or video game collections that they could sell them to a used shop for more money, but apparently they are not that motivated to do so. While garage sales are still fun for me, I pretty much stay away from estate sales. I've found those to be a waste of my time, unless I am looking for items for myself.
posted on April 13, 2004 05:25:26 AM new
Roadsmith, I know it!! When I saw that price, I just knew they are doing what they think is ebay priceing and thought to myself this will be sitten here forever! Funny, right? Who would be dedicated enough to actually learn to cook in a microwave?? I can hardly cook in a real oven, never mind adding the rubber factor in...lol.
posted on April 13, 2004 11:47:57 AM new
I dont even price stuff at my yard sales- I just put it out there, lots of it, ask for a price, haggle if you like, I'll sell it, you'll make money on it. If it was worth my time to ebay it, I already would have. if you're offended at having to ask for a price, hit the road. I'll be having my first in 3 years in a couple weeks so I expect HUGE crowds- my sales are well known for copious amounts of wildly varied stuff - some byproduct of auction box lots, a bit of furniture that was just too cheap for me to pass on, some that just arrived in the night. No clothes.
My signs are well known and people see one and know where to go- I've used the same ones for years and they're rather distinctive. And large. And informative.
Around here, there are a fraction of the yard sales there were a couple of years ago.
People found it was hard and hot work for mostly little return, especially when what you put out was some old clothes, used plastic food containers and a few teflon pans flaking their linings.
What I am seeing is a small group of every-weekend sales by obviously recent immigrants viewing garage sales as the bazaar they miss from home. Everything(including the cars in the driveway)is overpriced and the sellers are TRULY hard sale, offering items to you individually " here, you could use this, is good, only 18 dollars ".
My former serious yard saling has diminished to a casual Friday cruise thru a few neighborhoods, maybe I'll stop, depends on what it looks like.
This year I've hit maybe 10 sales (used to hit that in an hour)and everything I bought save one item has been for personal/household use.
Auctions and pickers keep me well stocked so the low productivity of yard sales is falling by the wayside for me.
posted on April 13, 2004 12:03:58 PM new
Mine will will be on a Sunday morning, big 200-year-old house in the center of a tourist town. I think I'll do OK.
posted on April 13, 2004 01:08:05 PM new
OK. So I’m a little new to the boards, but not to eBay.
Did eBay with the Ex for 4 years with over 3000 feedback and almost another 1000
return sales so I think I’ve seen the spectrum of attitudes and surprises....
First to fluffythewondercat,
I only mention you by name because you have posted the most on this thread.
I’m sure your sales are great, but I wonder how many items are left at the end of the day?
At any price! I can understand how holding sales can be frustrating, having people tramping
through your yard or house (depending how you have it set up). The people who think you owe the something just because they breathe. And I don’t know how this is in other parts
of the country, but we had a REAL problem with theft!
I went through all this when my Ex and I first got together and we combined households.
After the first day I wanted to pull my hair out! but after a glass of wine and some reflection,
I realized how times had changed (or have they?) and how people I remembered from the
past had dealt with problems.
I grew up in Central Penn. during the time when farms were being sold at auction
at an alarming rate PER WEEK. If you remember who the Dime Man or the Quarter Man
was then your in the right era.
But what I remember most was that every one was acknowledged with a smile or a wave,
even if it was your first time. And the Auctioneer would take the time to talk to the young
children because he knew they were the cheapest labor in the county,
because someone had to carry the “smalls” items back to the high bidders chair.
And a child who makes money from the auctioneer AND a tip from the buyer will spend
that money at the NEXT auction.
So everyone was wanted and welcome!
And when a problem or conflict did arise the auctioneer took control, and one of the two
parties got what they wanted, but no one complained, because the second party knew
that whatever decision was made was fair and FINAL,
No wishy-washy stuff here.
And the second party knew that there was a better deal down the line because the
auctioneer would not forget the incident, and would make sure the second party got a
deal that was equal to or better that the first.
So with a little patience, every one would end up happy!
So the next day I began to apply this to our yard sale.
Early birds were made welcome,
If something interested them I would quote a price higher than I wanted, then explain I
would let the item go for less since I had not yet cleaned or priced it yet.
I had no complaints and most of the people began to make piles of stuff they wanted.
And yes they would haggle the price even more for the stack,
but I had already considered that in the first price I quoted.
Because Haggling is an art and a way of life in some cultures, I have no problem with it.
We see it every time we visit the border towns in Mexico.
As a matter of fact, if you don’t haggle a little bit they feel offended.
But in the end, If done correctly, every one feels good about the transaction.
The children were another consideration, easily dealt with.
You always have cheap little stuff you have no use for, or you can pick up a dollar box
of this “trash” at the next auction.
But when you offer something like this to a child you should see their eyes light up.
Especially if the parents are only buying household stuff or your old car parts, because
at this point you have to realize they are there because you are cheaper than Walmart.
And they are trying to stretch their dollar as far as it will go.
For these customers I would combine stuff and give them a discount to entice them to buy
(remember they are not so concerned with color or pattern as they are function,
besides I priced my stuff to haggle anyway, right?)
But back to the children, who are bored, their parents have been at this all day,
or yesterday, or LAST week. And they still remember how they missed their cartoons,
so mom and dad, (and maybe even grand ma) could drive all over town to spend “Quality Time” together. So now you have a recipe for disaster.
Ask the parents if a free gift is OK
(Remember, you are THAT stranger the talked about in school.)
And this also ensures that the good parents will remind the child to say “Thank You”,
Which is music to my ears in any language.
I also Thank the child, why you may ask? Because the child will wonder the same,
but will shortly become engrossed with the new gift. At which point he is no longer
a threat to your higher dollar items, or the family pet for that matter.
What I’m saying is every one thinks they get a deal. If a customer sees you give a deal
to someone give them a deal also. The goal is make money, and make your customers
happy. This works because of a little forethought and most of the customers WILL
return next week or when the get their next paycheck.
Also had no theft after the first weekend, go figure!
Now to every one else and the original thread.
Yes I've noticed this as well, even to the extent of the junk swap meets
where they are trying to get $40 for an old analog cable box.
But I still look, because people are generally lazy and wont look up everything,
and yes I’ve found the deals, even for personal use.
And I've seen eBay prices in bad neighborhoods
and giveaway prices in affluent neighborhoods so I don’t depend on any one area or habit.
But don’t just depend on yard sales and swap meets.
take a road trip for the drive and check out small towns and their
yard sales, auctions, swap meets and thrift shops.
Don’t mind getting dirty? Do the same at the town dump or waste collection facility.
Also Recycle centers. They sell some of this stuff to China at .20 cents a pound.
What do you think they do with it when they get it? Copy It!
So be Patriotic and offer a $1.00 a pound and you’ll be surprised how far you’ll get
Also, place an ad “will haul your junk”.
Get paid to haul it away, sift out the gems, and when you get to the dump
keep your eyes open!
They charge by weight and you can say that it was at the bottom of the pile
and not considered for salvage.
An friend of mine did $78,000 last year within his specialty thru eBay
and private repeat costumers, and held no other job.
The news paper is full of seminars that promote “multiple streams of income”,
Apply this to you searching efforts an you will be more than surprised
with what you will find.
Remember have fun first, then get paid for the day.
Sorry to be long winded, but just a few thoughts....
posted on April 13, 2004 01:12:59 PM new
ohio weather hasn't been good enough for too many sales yet. went to one a couple of weeks ago and a young man was buying some sort of tool. he told the man running the sale "now that i paid you your $15. for this i can tell you. it's worth about $150 on ebay where i'll sell it"
i wanted to smack the kid!
i am really hoping to have as much fun as usual at sales this year but i noticed last year how the prices were going up on anything worthwhile. we have some really good neighborhood sales though. last year a woman had emptied her basement and set all the boxes in the yard, anything in a box was a quarter. i found 4 old high school yearbooks from my years. my friends and i had a great time reminiscing with those.
posted on April 13, 2004 01:31:56 PM new
That is incredibly stupid to do that to the seller (tell them you will get X dollars for it on ebay)
I sometimes get the opposite, how much they could get online. I sort of just shrug my shoulders, because if they don't want to sell it to me, that is their prerogative. I actually find it annoying when I pay full asking price for something, and they start asking what I plan on doing with the items. Only once did I actually say something, and it came back to bite me because the seller decided to only sell me half the lot, even though I was going to pay full price. (There were 1500 items in the lot, so I was still happy to get half, but still...) I won't ever admit to reselling anymore, even if I am buying 1000 CD's. I just tell them it is for me, I will keep what I want, and get rid of the rest. That answer usually shuts them up.
posted on April 13, 2004 01:46:25 PM new
Back when I was young and working-poor (and the only house we could afford to buy was 70 miles away from our workplaces), I had my first-ever garage sale.
It was an education.
My signs were too small and I didn't have much stuff out for sale. My next door neighbor was selling clothes, lots of clothes. The real learning came when a man pulled up in a beaten-up old van and started making lowball offers for everything, take it all no matter how cruddy. He said that he went around to garage sales every weekend buying up the remains.
I declined to sell, but my neighbor took him up on it, I think. I asked him what he could possibly do with all this stuff. "Donate it to charity," he said.
I didn't believe him then and I still don't today.
I believe he was reselling to privately-owned thrift shops, maybe skimming a few treasures for himself first. Such shops don't get public donations but their merchandise has to come from somewhere.
I look at these citywide garage sales and wonder if a similar business would be profitable in the here and now. You'd need a big warehouse/processing facility and some cheap labor.
posted on April 13, 2004 11:13:36 PM new
Unfortunately junk IS junk.
When i went to the Salvation Army auctions in Phoenix years back, they had huge gondolas of clothes that never sold.
Now I think they just sell them to a company that shreds them into rags for industrial purposes.
posted on April 14, 2004 09:20:44 AM new
A Garment's Circle of Life
(borrowed from _The Rag Street Journal_ by Elizabeth Mason)
1. Garment designers and mfrs
2. A wholesaler's markup on a garment is about 50%
3. A retailer's markup is usually another 50%
4. The consumer purchase price is always at least a 100% markup of the original mfr's cost
5. A garment may be handed down many times to either a friend or family member
6. A garment may be placed "on consignment" and sold for 40 to 70% of the original retail price
7. A garment may be sold at a garage sale or flea market at 10 to 20% of the original retail price
8. A garment may be donated to a thrift store and sold at 5 to 10% of the original retail price
9. Unsold garments may be baled and sold to third world markets for a specified dollar amount per pound
10. Unusable garments may be baled and sold to rag manufacturers for pennies a pound
11. Some recoverable fibers may be recycled and manufactured into new garments and merchandise.
12. The circle of life continues...
I think the scrounger I was referring to was probably working several segments of the circle: selling to thrifts, baling wearable clothing to export, and dumping the rest in the rag market. Certainly he was getting the goods cheaply enough.
Sniping works up a thirst"
LOL> Thats the kinda junk I like to buy for my own household use.