Are Garage Sales Worthwhile?

“The value is always in the eye of the beholder. What is worthless to one person may be very important to someone else.”

-Peter Ackroyd

Value – the million dollar question and the one sticking point that can cause delays in downsizing and decluttering.

Summer 2024

I am a long time member of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO). Recently, there was an active discussion on Garage Sales. I am regularly asked about Garage Sales and I’m not a big fan. Having attended my fair share and participated in Flea Markets dating back to the 1980’s, I see that most items go for very little. However, I recall fondly the time we participated in the Flea Market on Route 40 and earned enough money to pay for our wedding bands (when the price of gold was waaaaay less). But I digress (again)……

Putting my own biases to the side, I thought it might be helpful to share the tips that organizers shared from around the world regarding “Best Practices” for Garage Sales.

Here goes – and I repeat – these are not my tips – they are from organizers from all over the world.

Garage sale best practices – general

• Advertise what is in the sale and include photos via local FB groups, NextDoor, etc…The goal is to lure all types of buyers to the sale. Include “no early sales”…so people don’t come 30 minutes before the time stated the sale begins. 
• Decide if you only want cash or will you take a check or Venmo. If it’s cash only, you should include that in the ad.  
• Presentation matters, too- if things are laid out and displayed nicely,
• Make sure you have bags and packing material at the check out. 
• Enlist help from family/friends/local teenagers. This can also help make sure people don’t steal stuff – this happens!
• Have a plan for the leftovers – do not put back in circulation!
• Check the value of valuables (gold and silver jewelry, etc.); can go to an appraiser. People always undersell valuables at garage sales.
• If it is more than 50 decent household items (including tools), then you might want to consider doing an online auction like MaxSold. Competitive bidding usually yields better prices. 

Garage sale best practices – pricing 

• Price everything.
• Items like books and clothing don’t have to be individually priced…e.g., “Hardcover books $2 /paperback $1” is good. 
• You can do a $1 table where all the items cost a dollar. 
• You can price everything a little high and then offer people a deal if interested. 
• eBay is a good tool to gauge interest and what an item sold for under “completed sales,” but it may not be realistic for a garage sale. 
• For speed of setup and to make it easier to reduce prices in the last hour or so, I suggest a colored sticker system of pricing. Each color is a price point, e.g. yellow $1 (or put a yellow tablecloth under that whole table!), red $2, green $5, purple $10, white $20 (you get the gist), then have a board with the key to all the prices. Later slash the prices on the board, as appropriate, depending how motivated she is to clear items, maybe 50% off. Items over $20, get individual price stickers.
• There were several warnings about theft at garage sales – from items being stolen to a professional couple using a distraction method that resulted in them walking off with all the cash. (I hated to include this tip but felt it was prudent to do so).

My favorite suggestion is the pricing tables with the colored tablecloths.

Bottom line – if you have the time and energy, why not give it a try? However, if you are faint of heart and sensitive, you may be very hurt/insulted when people offer pennies for your cherished possessions. Sometimes giving to a local charity is a much easier and ‘feel good’ method. Whatever you do, it’s never too late to part with the items you have that are not being treasured/used/appreciated.

Declutter Challenge Club – Join Today!

We are a small and cozy community where you can get a healthy dose of support, understanding, guidance and laughter, too. The Declutter Club will be open until the end of this year so if you’ve been thinking about joining, NOW is the time. The Declutter Club is a cost effective way to deal with your ‘stuff’ in a fun and welcoming setting. The daily emails are short and sweet and the twice monthly Zoom calls are on Monday evenings at 7:00 pm for an hour. Each Zoom call features a topic of the evening, followed by discussion, commitments for those craving accountability and BYOC (Bring your own clutter) where everyone works on a stack of papers or photos or whatever they want. Membership is open to all, you can start today or whenever you want. Would love to see you there! Membership includes the daily emails and the Zoom calls. Remember, the Declutter Club will be open until the end of 2024, so sign up now! If you’re ready to join the Club, sign up HERE.  Please email me if you have any questions or need additional information.

 

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“Helping Baby Boomers and their Parents Lighten their Loads”

If you are feeling overwhelmed by the amount of stuff in your home, contact me. Together, we can transform your home into a happy, tidy place where you can feel at peace. We can also get you ready for your next move… more enjoyably, faster and easier. We specialize in senior moves and helping families find new homes for the things they no longer have room to keep. We can also take care of clearing out homes that need to be listed quickly for resale. Contact me to schedule an appointment.