Tag Archives: yard sale

Yard sale recap

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The topic of my post last week was our upcoming yard sale, the husband’s reluctant cooperation and the fact that “I seriously lack *finesse in the yard/garage sale business.” Now that it’s over I know I still have a lot to learn, but the experience was fun, tiring, educational and surprising.

It was fun meeting and talking with neighbors, friends and strangers. Many people mentioned that they drive past our house often and complimented our home and landscape. It’s always nice to hear that people appreciate the effort you make to keep your property looking nice.

It was tiring gathering, cleaning, pricing and moving all the sale items, then putting up tables to display it all. It was tiring moving it all at the end of day one, moving it out again for day two, and then boxing the leftover items for donation when it was finished.

It was very educational, and I learned the following:

  • If all you have to offer is knick-knacks, you’re better off donating than having a yard sale.
  • Tupperware sells!
  • Price like items separately, but offer them as a set for a discount.
  • Set prices low enough to interest buyers, but high enough to allow them to negotiate.

It’s surprising what people will buy and what they will ignore. A newer desk and file cabinet were of no interest to anyone regardless of price, while a loveseat and chair we purchased in 1980 received a lot of attention before selling for the full price. It’s surprising and somewhat strange how customers come in groups. I’d be sitting there with no one stopping by for 15 to 20 minutes, then all of the sudden three cars would pull in one after another. The biggest surprise was the amount of cooperation I received from the husband. This was going to be a one day sale, but he suggested we extend it through Saturday. He gave me breaks when I needed them and was very helpful moving things. He was quite enthusiastic as we packed up his truck and my MDX with the leftovers and dropped them at Goodwill!

I slightly exceeded my goal in terms of money earned, which made the sale worth the time and effort required. Would I do it again? Yes, but only if we have enough large items to sell, otherwise it makes more sense to just donate the small stuff and get a tax write-off. Goodwill and Salvation Army will still see plenty of me as I continue the seemingly never-ending task of clearing out clutter and organizing.

My yard/garage sale *finesse level: 
Novice     Advanced beginner     Competent        Proficient        Expert             

What’s your yard/garage sale finesse level?

*finesse (skill, flair, grace elegance, poise, assurance)

Unexpected benefit

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We live on two acres just outside the city limits of a small town. Most of our neighbors have five acre parcels or larger, so there’s quite a bit of elbow room, which has its advantages. However, the disadvantage is that it becomes difficult to be neighborly.

We may wave to neighbors we see outside working or playing, or honk our horn in greeting as we drive by, but it’s a rare occasion that we actually take the time to visit. The unexpected benefit to having a yard sale last weekend was that our neighbors dropped by. Most of them didn’t come to shop – they came by to visit. Some were “old timers” we’ve known for years and others we’d never met. Perhaps they were just curious about the “stuff” we had to sell, but the result was that we either reconnected with or met our neighbors.

When was the last time you were neighborly? Summer’s a perfect time to throw open the front gate and extend an invitation!

Yard sale countdown

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I broke the news to the husband last night.

“I need your help Friday morning.”

“To do what?”

“Set up for our yard sale.”

“Our what?”

He’s made his position on yard sales very clear throughout our more than three decades of marriage.  He has stated on numerous occasions that he wasn’t going to be part of any yard sale, but I figured he could help me move the stuff from the house to the yard. He reluctantly has agreed because he really wants the stuff out of the house.

As I wrote in a post in May, I seriously lack *finesse in the yard/garage sale business. I also asked if any readers had tips, but the responses I received revealed that my readers are not overly savvy in this department either. So I’m going to use the article from Organized Home I noted in the previous post as a road map.

I’ve printed out the site’s handy Yard Sale Check List. First stop is an office supply store to purchase pre-printed yard sale price stickers; a great tip from the article. They’re printed in amounts from 10 cents to $10 and should be a real a time-saver. Who knew?

I’m ready to get this sale organized – wish me luck!

My yard sale *finesse level:  Novice     Advanced beginner     Competent        Proficient        Expert

What’s your yard sale finesse level?

*finesse (skill, flair, grace elegance, poise, assurance)

Looking for yard/garage sale tips

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 I’ve made quite a bit of progress decluttering my home (and trying to help my mother do the same). Some items have already been donated to thrift stores, but since we have some furniture and other large scale items, I thought I’d try unloading them via a yard sale. (It has to be a yard sale, ‘cause the husband won’t let strangers near his garage!)

I’ve held one or two yard sales and helped with a few others, but I lack *finesse in this department. Knowing that I don’t want to put in a lot of effort for little return, I began searching the web for tips. I came across the following article, which covers a lot of ground and provides useful information.

OrganizedHome.Com: Clean House, Cut Clutter and Get Organized at Home!

Please feel free to share your yard/garage sale finesse!

My yard/garage sale finesse level: 
Novice     Advanced beginner     Competent        Proficient        Expert

What’s your yard/garage sale finesse level?

*finesse (skill, flair, grace elegance, poise, assurance)