- Share This Post
- submit
- 0
-
Sparkle (0)
I love yard sales. It's an important and fun part of the recycling chain. The process of preparing for a yard sale is a great way to keep your home tidy, organized and efficient. It requires sifting through your possessions to see what you can part with. It generates cash, and it's a great way to lessen your contribution to landfills. Your castoffs might be another's treasures, and you can feel good about that. You're doing a solid for humanity.
My friends are dedicated yard salers. Every Saturday morning they set out to see what treasures they can find. This past Saturday, during my visit to LA, I joined them in this ritual and learned some great tips.
Here's a list of good things to know about yard sales.
Where to Find Yard Sales
- You can find yard sales by driving through your neighborhood on Saturday mornings and looking for signs. Don't be misled by the number of signs you see for a yard sale. If you see a lot of signs for the same sale, it doesn't necessarily mean the seller is desperate. It might just be because there's an overzealous teenager involved who has a stake in the proceeds.
- You can log on to CraigsList. Just navigate to your city, then use the search term "yard sales." Up pops everything that folks have listed (here's an example, for Los Angeles).
- If you are planning your own yard sale, put up signs with your address and the time of the yard sale at major intersections near your home, and don't forget to list it on CraigsList.
Pricing of Items
- Pricing is an indicator of the economy. In good times, people are just looking to get rid of their things. They're less likely to care about the pricing. These days, you'll see prices stuck to every item. People are more serious about getting their asking price for their things. Sellers need to have realistic expectations, though. For instance, if you want $20 for that big box of Legos, you won't get it. You'll only get $10. It doesn't matter how much they sell for in the stores.
- If it isn't gone by 11:30am, pack it up and drop it off at Goodwill. So price things to sell.
- Buyers can find Harry Potter books for $1 at yard sales. Want $50 for the whole series? You won't get it. No, it doesn't matter that Amazon sells the hardcover boxed set for $120. You will get $1 a piece.
- Don't sell high end things at yard sales (yesterday, I saw a jet ski at a yard sale for $7500). You won't even get a "reasonable" price.
- The golden ratio is 20:1. If a yard saler pays $1, it's worth $20. One person's trash is another person's treasure.
- Sellers should have lots of change on hand - dollar bills, fives and quarters. LOTS.
- You can find baby books, in great shape, at yard sales for $0.25 a piece. In stores, a small stack of baby books would cost a fortune. Get there early to find these treasures.
- CDs can go for $0.25 a piece. Buyers can upload their favorite songs to their iPod, then resell the CD at their own yard sale for $0.25, rendering the uploaded songs free.
Should You Hold A Yard Sale?
- In yard sales, the dollar still has value. Buyers are looking for a "find", a "treasure." They're not looking for a deal versus retail. That sort of shopping is done on eBay, so you might consider listing certain items there. If you don't want to ship items, list them on CraigsList because the expectation there is that people will come and pick them up from your home.
- Yard sales are a great way to teach your children lessons about money, the value of a dollar, budget and frugality. It's also a great opportunity for your youngster to operate a lemonade stand under your watchful eye. The going rate for lemonade is $0.25 a cup (not dixie cups, not huge beer cups - the size just up from a dixie cup) - maybe $0.50/cup if your neighborhood is more affluent. Another great item to sell is Donettes or bite-sized brownies for $0.25 a piece. It is breakfast time, and people would probably love these. If you have an older child manning the stand, he/she could also make change. Younger kids might request exact change only, and buyers can get change
