well, it has turned into a lovely day for a yard sale! the annual neighborhood yard sale and clean up is happening this weekend. for a change, i find myself laptopping in my front yard. sitting in the shade in sandals and capris, but two layers of long sleeves to keep warm in the late spring breeze.
it's really so nice that the weather is nice too. because otherwise i might be inclined to focus quite completely on the fact that NO ONE WANTS MY CRAP!
okay. that might be a little harsh. i have made about $25 today selling baby clothes and a take along swing.... but i thought for sure i would have sold my old kitchen table by now. it's not in great shape. it's rather rickety. but it has four chairs and two leaves to extend it beautifully! it's solid maple and i'm only asking $80 for the WHOLE SET!! no one has even made an OFFER! and SOME very nervy soul even asked if i would be willing to sell just a couple of the CHAIRS (and whore-ishly, i recommended they check back with me at the end of the day)!
... and what about my carseat/stroller set that is... well maybe 5 or 6 years old... and i know no one recommends buying them second hand... but still... the whole travel set for only $40?! and i'll take less!!
i think we're at a disadvantage. being set at the very back of a looped road is not good for marketing. we need visibility. flashing neon signs... a hot air balloon inflated overhead.
in our cleanout, i've found the corset style strapless bra i wore to my wedding. i strongly considered putting it on (atop my two long sleeve layers, of course, given the chill) in a valiant marketing attempt. it might attract buyers, it might deter buyers... but surely we'd get a little more attention. my how the neighbors would talk...
update!: the table has sold! as with all things, it was a matter of price. by the end of the day, i had two parties in line to buy the table for next to nothing. well, so it goes.
ReplyDeletei still have that damned carseat/stroller travel system though. blah.
a productive year nonetheless. i'm thinking we can do better next year though.... ;-)
I'd wear the corset next time. Being the talk of the neighborhood: Priceless!
ReplyDeleteI've always wondered if garage sales are worth the effort. I usually donate all my stuff, thinking I would get the same money out of the tax credit.
ReplyDeleteI recall my mom once tricking us with what we later referred to as "the garage sale from hell." She told us that if we sold our toys, we could keep the money we got from them. We gathered a bunch of toys, more than we would have otherwise, but we never saw a penny. She claimed she never made a penny, but I knew better! Those toys were worth millions!
I'm with Niffer. I'm not much for garage sales. I hate when you mark something for a dime and someone has the gall to offer you a nickel!
ReplyDelete