Unexpected Lessons from Junker’s Downsizing Garage Sale 2018

May 21, 2018 by Florence 24 Comments

At last! Junker’s Downsizing Garage Sale 2018 is over! And I learned some unexpected lessons from it….Again! I think I learn these same ones every time I have a sale.

Getting ready for it took 6 months of my time off and on, and enduring the hubby complaining, “I can’t even get to my saws!” Let’s just say he was more than ready to reclaim his space. Actually he was very patient putting up with long boards full of knick knacks set up on sawhorses in our basement since way before Christmas last year.

Big relief to get rid of things that wouldn’t sell for me in my Etsy shop. Big relief to see them walk out the door with other resellers ready to try their hand with the goods. Maybe they’ll have better luck than I did. And how did I know they were resellers?

They come armed with flashlights and magnifying glasses. They’re reading the fine print on labels.

They buy unusual things…like a man buying perfume, and a makeup palette?

Men buying collectibles, like Pyrex, and dolls. Gals buying Hot Wheels, and Harley Davidson mugs.

Now it’s a lot of fun to watch people and see what they buy! I kept mum about where I got the stuff, even though I had someone ask me. I kept mum about the fact that I’m a reseller too. I don’t ever reveal that info.

The Lessons I Learned

How to Price. If you want it to move, price cheap. Price it to move.
People expect to get it for half price on the second day, because they’ve been programmed by estate sale practices. Garage sales don’t have to do that, and I don’t unless it still hasn’t sold and I want it to move. You just have to make it clear to your customers.
Don’t leave your hubby unattended for long (or other assistants helping you) because things walk out the door too cheap.
I hate to say it because it sounds racist, and I don’t mean it that way, but Hispanic customers are hard bargainers. Expect them to haggle you down endlessly.
Don’t put too much new merchandise out the 2nd day, or it will go too cheap. That was my biggest mistake, but on the other hand, I got rid of it!
Write a good ad with specifics of what you’ve got. This was my ad:

I’m chancing the rain & having a huge JUNKER’S DOWNSIZING GARAGE SALE that I’ve been working on the last 2 weeks. I have vintage dolls, vintage kitchen, mid-century modern, home decor, faux flowers, lamp shades, lots of man stuff, garden things like planters, buckets, copper pots, huge amount of lawn edging, storage containers, rolling craft shelves, vintage record player that plays 45’s, 33’s, & 78’s, with built-in speakers, 2 big wooden doors, a wheel barrow only suitable for a yard decoration, box of tile pieces, dash radio units, guitar, wooden pool cues, 7 long bead strands for making a bead curtain, large bag of white tulle used once in weddings, large bag of polyfill, vintage suitcase, bag of used shotgun shells for crafts, sewing notions, other craft items, pillows, sofa slipcover & matching throw pillows, vintage baby bed, (only suitable for repurposing the pieces, not for use as a baby bed), folding tables, lots of misc & oddities. WE HAVE LOTS OF JUNK!

My man is FINALLY cleaning out HIS junk b/c I told him if I had to do it, almost everything would disappear!

For more ideas on garage sale ads, see “What Not to Say in Garage Sale Ads.”

At least advertise on the free places (Craigs List, Facebook) and above all…show pictures!
Unwritten rule of garage sales: what you think will never sell, goes first, and what you definitely expect to sell, won’t.

What Sold Quickly

2 Huge Boxes of Dirty Lawn Edging…

…I tried to get my husband to at least pressure wash them so they would look better

…Failing at that, I suggested we throw it away, or donate since they looked so bad.

…It was the first thing that sold!

Curbside find I couldn’t get a vision for of what to do with.

…First thing that sold! (Priced at $3.)

How Being a Blogger Helped with Sales

3 Old Wooden Windows

Being a blogger at the sale was helpful when trying to sell those…not the ones pictured…they’re buried in the stack. From reading blogs, and seeing what people do with old windows, I was able to help my customer catch the vision and she bought all the old ones I had.

Rolling Storage Drawers (seen in photo below)

Old Wooden Drawer… (not pictured…a curbside find)

Being a blogger I was able to tell my customer how she could repurpose an old drawer…make shelves or put legs on it and make a table. And she bought my $3 old drawer!

Vintage Record Player

A friend gave me this old record player, used by a former Square Dance caller. It even played 78’s, but it needed work, so I was asking $10 even though I’ve seen them sell on Ebay for $150. Even if it worked, I wouldn’t have tried to sell it due to its weight…extremely heavy and shipping would be astronomical. I was lucky someone bought it, and I was thrilled to get rid of it.

What Didn’t Sell at All

I spent 30 minutes stripping these shades the day before. Must not have had any bloggers or Shabby Chic lovers at the sale! At $3/each, they didn’t sell. I would have bought them.

I was sick that this nice vintage patio table only went for $2.50 because someone assumed I was giving half price. I had just marked it down from $8 to $5 that morning. I shouldn’t have marked it down. Another lesson learned.

I couldn’t understand why this pretty faux flower arrangement never sold. I anticipated it definitely would.

(Sorry about the quality of these photos…taken in a dark basement, and I forgot to take photos for this post.)

I figured these lawn chairs would go first thing. Guess I wasn’t the only one who thought they would be hard to get out of. Or it could have been that I was asking $5 each! I’m sure they would have moved if I was asking $5/both, but I wasn’t willing to do that.

Lastly I didn’t really expect this to sell, but I was hoping…an Antique Iron Baby Bed I was asking $20 for. (3rd time I’ve tried to sell it.) One customer said she has read people are now having these old beds refurbished with more rungs to bring them up to code, and they end up in “rich people’s homes.” Has anyone ever heard of that?

Lastly, expect the unexpected. Like unexpected visitors.

Like this snake…

Slithering across our driveway just as pretty as you please! Now I’m not one of those who panics at the sight of a snake, but I didn’t think he made very good PR at our garage sale! Luckily he showed up during a lull in the steady flow of traffic.

We tried to urge him on his way, but he took a turn and curled up in this box of vintage rocker parts we were trying to sell. (By that time the box was on the driveway and the cat wasn’t there.)

And I’m like, we’ve gotta get rid of him! By that time we had another customer, and he heard us talking “snake,” and came over to peer in at the famous coiled visitor in the bottom of the plastic box. We’re like, “he’s not poisonous,” and he’s like, “it’s still a snake.”

Next, armed with a broom, we tried to poke him out, but he just stuck his head and tongue out as if to say, “Do you mind? You’re bothering me!” And he emitted some kind of awful smell.

So the broom didn’t work. Out came the water hose. Spraying a stream of water got him out of the box, but now he was coiled up in a little ball on the driveway. And the hubby sprayed and sprayed. Still he stayed curled in a ball. More spraying. Finally he uncoiled and slithered away into our Spirea bush.

I was glad he didn’t go into the neighbor’s yard, and stayed in ours. And glad we managed to get him gone before anyone else walked up. Actually, I like snakes, as long as I’m not threatened by them, or they’re poisonous, and he wasn’t. They are beneficial for eating rodents and insects.

So that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Expect the unexpected at yard sales.

But the very best thing about the yard sale?

I’ve got this!

An empty basement!!!

Sharing with these link parties.…

3 Yard Sale Questions I Hate to be Asked

February 7, 2018 by Florence 35 Comments

Having attended recent yard sales, I’m reminded anew about 3 Yard Sale Questions I Hate to be Asked. I was on on the hot seat again this weekend. Am I the lone stranger when it comes to questions like these?

The 3 Questions I Hate to be Asked

These are in order of not so annoying to the most cringe-worthy, followed by what I’d like to say in return.

Question 1

So I’m walking up to a yard sale and before I’ve even landed in the goodies, the owner says coolly, “may I help you?” I was somewhat taken aback. I must be in a department store!

Well, you’re having a yard sale, aren’t you? I came to look at your offerings, lady, is what I want to say.

And a variation of that…”Are you looking for anything in particular?” Now I know I’ve just been transported to a department store. Then her kid comes up and says exactly the same thing.

To my mind, it’s like being hounded by the sales lady as soon as you walk in a store. In those cases I just want to leave ASAP.

Yes I’m looking for a box of sterling silver flatware that you don’t realize is sterling, lady.

But I don’t say that.

Question 2

NOW the hot seat is getting a little warmer. I really hate these next 2 questions because lying makes me squirm. I try not to if I can possibly avoid it.

I’m standing at the yard sale checkout holding yarn, and the person says,

Oh do you knit?

Um, I knit…yes.

If you count 2 dishcloths, and 3 scarves I made 4 years ago.

If you count the knitting tote gathering 4 years of dust on the floor.

But I wouldn’t be able to tell you how to knit and purl now if my life depended on it.

Thank goodness she didn’t ask me when I knitted.

Here’s the next one equally as bad. I’m standing there holding sewing trims.

Oh, do you sew?

Egad…

Yes I sew.

I can turn on the sewing machine.

But as for threading it… I still have to read the directions.

I’ve made a few things…like this Square Dance outfit a few years ago.

It’s cute right? Someone from France emailed me today to tell me how adorable it is.

But it was the outfit from you know where.

You see, I checked out when Mama tried her level best to teach an uninterested 12-year-old how to sew.

She made me take 2 “How to Sew” classes at Singer, but I’d rather have been pulling weeds than learning to sew.

So I couldn’t remember how when I decided to make this outfit.

I found the pattern in a thrift store, but it wasn’t my size. Can you picture me modifying a pattern to fit when I hadn’t even sewed before? It was a joke.

I lost count of the number of times I ripped it out.

Making the ruffled trim was a nightmare. The directions called for it to be twice the length of the skirt, or something like that. So I mathematically calculated what double would be. Let’s just say it didn’t turn out quite right.

I laid the trim out, and it extended from the room I was working in, down the hall to the third bedroom and in a circle within the room. I thought it was a bit long, but told myself it would work out. It didn’t.

Yes I sew.

Question 3

And as for the last, most dreaded, cringe-worthy question, I’m standing there holding a pair of egg cups, and the lady glibly asked,

What.are.you.going.to.do.with.it?

I hate this question, but the answer rolled off my tongue so smoothly, I was proud of myself.

I have an egg cup collection.

And I do.

I haven’t added to it in over 20 years.

At one time, I imagined myself a gracious hostess serving meals on pretty tablecloths with cloth napkins, and boiled eggs in cute mismatched egg cups, but that went out the window very quickly.

Because now I’m a professional picker, and you can’t even see the tablecloth, or the table for that matter.

I can’t tell her the real truth.

I’m going to sell it lady! I’m going to put it in my Etsy shop.

People are often emotional about their stuff. They don’t like to think of you selling off Great Aunt Jane’s china. They want to imagine you cherishing it like they do.

There’s no good answer, but if you’re about to give a yard sale, give your customer a break, and please don’t ask!

Do you have these too?

Yard and Estate Sale Types

March 30, 2016 by Florence 2 Comments

Yard and Estate Sale Types of people you usually see??? These 10 ~~eccentric~~ personalities are easily recognizable to one who is observant:

Harry and Hilly Haggler~These are the ones that are forever asking you “what is your best price?” when you’ve stayed up half the night pricing everything at that magic number already.

Barrie Basket~She’s the one “innocently” browsing with a gigantic tote bag or basket over her arm, which effectively blocks other shoppers from not only passing her, but getting in her space while she’s looking.

Ian & Ima-Lil Intense~These are the ones who make a beeline for their main interest in the house, and it doesn’t matter who’s in their way. They’ll even go so far as to ask you to get OUT of their way if you happen to be obstructing their view.

Ollie Obnoxious~Ollie is everyone’s favorite person at estate sales. He’s never heard of “no bargaining on the first day.” He will harass you into the ground with “oh come on, come on” hoping you will give in and let him have that nice boat or car he has his eye on.

Dave Dayahead~Dave is the one who has done a little research, found your phone number on the internet, and either calls non-stop for hours or shows up at your doorstep because he “can’t come the next day.”

Edgar Eager~Edgar and his cousin Nate are the early birds that come 2 hours ahead of time hoping to get in first.

Nate Knocker~Nate knocks on your door 2 hours early if he thinks that will help him get in earlier.

Greta Grabber~Greta just basically grabs everything in sight to keep anyone else from getting it.

Wally Watt~Wally is the one who comes and isn’t totally satisfied with watt you’ve got laid out. He wants to know watt else you have, like “any old watches, old cameras, any old guns?”

Sally Cell~Sally is the one who comes to a dead stop while she checks her cell phone, or she’s checking to see how many of what she’s looking at are on ebay already.

Do we recognize ourselves here??? *Gulp* (Ahem…just call me Hilly.) Let’s hope not! What or who else have I missed??

Stupid Yard Sale Mistakes

March 30, 2016 by Florence 2 Comments

Stupid yard sale mistakes….arggh…don’t you hate when you have to relearn stuff you thought you already knew?? Every picker knows better than to make these dumb moves… Hopefully I’ve learned my lesson!

I was at a yard sale on Friday, and it was one of those days when there weren’t a lot of sales to begin with and very important to be there early. One of the regular pickers was just loading her truck with interesting goodies when I arrived. We got a late start due to “when you snooze, you lose.” Pure and simple, I just couldn’t get out of bed.

After arrival, I saw a vintage Madame Alexander doll that just happened to be sitting on top of a shoe box full of old doll clothes. You would THINK that someone with my experience would immediately jump on her. In fact, I was surprised she was still there. But I thought I would browse a little before swooping in. REALLY STUPID MISTAKE!

I saw a guy with a ponytail come strolling up, and I thought…”oh, he’s a guy, he won’t be interested in a doll.” MISTAKE! I was a little alarmed when I saw him lingering by the dolls, but he wasn’t holding them yet. So I strolled up, and casually examined the doll with the intention of claiming her myself. It’s the old, “if-somebody-else-wants-it-then-I-know-I-want-it”syndrome. He said in the softest voice, “Ah, I’m looking at her…I’m getting her.” I’m looking at him in controlled disbelief, and I wanted to whine, “You’re NOT holding her…I SAW HER FIRST…SHE’S MINE!” WRONG AGAIN!

So, what do I stume about….stume? I just coined a new word (stew & fume)…ALL weekend, but the STUPID YARD SALE MISTAKES?

Moral of the story:

“When you snooze, you lose.”
Don’t assume ANYTHING.
Grab & Get (politely of course).

You see, I knew better. I just needed a good reminder.

Care to share yours? Oh now, you know you have ’em!

What NOT to Say in Yard Sale Ads

March 30, 2016 by Florence 26 Comments

What NOT to Say in Yard Sale Ads…these are based on real ads I’ve seen on Craig’s List, and I read a bazillion of them because I go to sales every weekend. You want to draw a crowd. How should you word your ad? Scroll down for tips at the bottom. I can definitely tell you what NOT to say! Check out commonly seen ad content below:

What NOT to Say in Yard Sale Ads:

*Ads with an incomplete address or no address..SYITF! It’s a no brainer, but you would be surprised how often this info is missing.

What in the Heck is “SYITF”?

My acronym for “Shooting Yourself in the Foot.”

*Ads with a one sentence description and no details: SYITF! Give us more than just one sentence please!…don’t just say “household” or “collectibles.” Such commonly used words are ignored. Yard sale junkies want details! Giving us an idea of what you have is a better come-on. Ads with no details like the one below don’t entice me to come if I have other choices. You may have a gold mine, but if you don’t tell me about it, I don’t bother.

*Timing of your post: Submit a yard sale ad at least 2 days in advance, either on Craig’s List or Facebook. I can’t tell you how many times I look at the list and see a new one I would have gone to had I known about it. DO NOT wait until the day of your sale to post an ad!! On yard sale day, I’m moving fast. I don’t take time to check all the sites to see if a new ad is posted. You either get me the night before or you don’t get me. Yard sale junkies plan in advance and will likely miss your ad entirely.

*Ads with no pictures is a TOTAL waste: SYITF! The more, the better. I frequently go out of my way when I see a picture with interesting junk. Craig’s List and Facebook allow lots of photos for free. Take advantage!

*Try not to make it just about clothes, baby stuff, shoes, purses: These are not big draws for a mega sale. I totally ignore and avoid these. But if you do have clothes, please hang them up or find a way to display them nicely. No one wants to paw through a bag of wrinkly clothes that look like they sat in the dryer for 3 days.

*”By Appointment” SYITF! This is a death knell…there is NO WAY I’m going to a yard sale by appointment, unless there’s nothing else, and probably not even then! Remember, you have LOTS of competition!

*NEVER say “Antique Dealers’ Sale” or Booth Owner’s Sale: SYITF! Every time I go to these, they are ALWAYS more expensive than the sale of the average joe. Instead say, “Loads of Vintage Items,” with no hint that you are a dealer.

*Don’t say it’s a clearance sale SYITF! because I know all the good stuff is gone by the time you’re having a clearance.

*Don’t say you have painted or repurposed items SYITF! Because I know you have spent time and effort fixing something up and it will be more expensive. I’m not going to a vintage market or a fair. I’m going to a yard sale!

*Don’t say it’s an Ebay sale! SYITF! I’m going to assume you’re trying to unload what you can’t sell on Ebay, so why should I want to buy that? I have seen people advertise their ebay store saying they are having a sale, but this is not a good way to do that.

*Try not to start later than 10 am like 12 Noon, 1 pm, or thereafter. Serious yard sale junkies get up early and they’re done by then.

TIP *Start at your advertised time! I go to early sales, and they’re not ready. They’re still pulling out stuff. They overslept. Whatever. But I have a list and don’t have time to stand around waiting on you to finish. I’m gone!

TIP *Ideal time to start: 7-8 am. I know I’m going to get in trouble with this one! Does anyone REALLY go to 6 am sales?? Not me! SYITF unless you’ve enticed me with your pictures or description.

I’m still in my jammies at 6 am.

I’m still trying to wake up at 6 am.

I’m having my 1st or 2nd cup of coffee at 6 am so I can wake up.

TIP *And for heaven’s sake, be ready with your change! I’ve been to many sales where mama is running around trying to find the husband or the daughter or whoever…”do you have change, do you have change?” Or they’re running in the house to get it. And I’m standing there wishing I’d never picked up your item in the first place.

NEVER Say “No Junk” SYITF! Stress how much junk you have and you will get more people. You would be surprised how many people look for junk! One man’s junk is not another man’s junk! Don’t run them off before they even get there!

*Neighborhood Yard Sales. These have their place, but consider doing one NOT with the neighborhood. Most dealers I know avoid these like the plague. Dealers are your best customers! But we’re in a hurry and fly from yard sale to yard sale. We don’t want to get stuck in a neighborhood. Cars bunch up from house to house, with people walking all over the place. Some houses participating have almost nothing to offer. You get the picture.

*Don’t itemize with prices on Craig’s List ads: SYITF…you’re running people off before they even get there with any suggestion of high prices. People will either conclude that everything is high and not come, or it looks like that’s all you have.

I’m talking about something like this below:

*Warehouse Sales, Resale Shops, Flea Markets: Having a sale ad on yard sale pages gets you quickly ignored. Not an effective place to advertise!

*DON’T use worn out come-on phrases: You tend to get skimmed, scanned, & skipped.

*Something for Everyone

*You don’t want to Miss This One

*Too Much to List

*Household items

*Collectibles (please tell me what kind)

*Everything Must Go…this one kills me. I see this, I go, and the prices are ridiculously high. Price your items cheap & they WILL go!

*And above all, don’t say “No Early Birds.”You will have them regardless.

What is a GOOD Garage Sale Ad?

Those with lots of pictures and bins full of stuff. The more pictures, the better. **Take the time to take decent photos that aren’t blurry or dark.

Ads that say “multifamily, hoarder, purging, downsizing, cleaning out.”

Ads with pictures showing interesting junk. (like the one above)

Ads with lots of smalls, meaning small items that are easily shipped

Ads that say “I’m cleaning out Granny’s house” are golden.

Ads that say “it’s a 20 year, 30, 40, 50+ year accumulation.”

Ads that say you have vintage items, even better if you say what kind.

Ads that say you have vintage oddities, all kinds of junk

**You have this kind of ad, and you will have droves of customers!

Do YOU have anything to add to my list? Please say so in the comments below!