First, I NEVER go to yard sales. We have enough junk. And since we have enough junk, I thought I'd give it a shot. I was amazed at how much fun it was talking people into buying stuff.
I didn't put out trash (I hope); the items I sold were the better toys - many electronic - my kids have received from rich relatives over the years. And people actually did buy!
I had other stuff, too - lawn furniture, DVD player, cameras, etc. My son was a bit ticked at me for selling his 4 tires and a spare (from a previous vehicle which wasn't worth salvaging, but apparently the tires were!) for a total of $5.00. I had no idea he could've scrapped them for $20! Naturally, they were one of the first things to go. That was my biggest mistake of the day.
The other mistake was not getting the 12 & 15 year olds up early enough to help me "open for business". I was barely outside, trying to get my tables fixed, when folks started arriving (a full hour before I was scheduled).
The day was a true study in human nature. One lady clearly does this every weekend; she had her baggie full of change. And she delighted in dickering me down to .50 on a hat I had marked at $1.00. Some folks walked in, checked out every table, and walked out, barely speaking. They were the ones who read the ads and go to every sale in town looking for specific items. "Antiques Roadshow" is full of these people.
I didn't sell everything, but I packed most of it up to try again in the spring. The rest will go to the local mission. It was exhausting, but exhilarating!
I didn't put out trash (I hope); the items I sold were the better toys - many electronic - my kids have received from rich relatives over the years. And people actually did buy!
I had other stuff, too - lawn furniture, DVD player, cameras, etc. My son was a bit ticked at me for selling his 4 tires and a spare (from a previous vehicle which wasn't worth salvaging, but apparently the tires were!) for a total of $5.00. I had no idea he could've scrapped them for $20! Naturally, they were one of the first things to go. That was my biggest mistake of the day.
The other mistake was not getting the 12 & 15 year olds up early enough to help me "open for business". I was barely outside, trying to get my tables fixed, when folks started arriving (a full hour before I was scheduled).
The day was a true study in human nature. One lady clearly does this every weekend; she had her baggie full of change. And she delighted in dickering me down to .50 on a hat I had marked at $1.00. Some folks walked in, checked out every table, and walked out, barely speaking. They were the ones who read the ads and go to every sale in town looking for specific items. "Antiques Roadshow" is full of these people.
I didn't sell everything, but I packed most of it up to try again in the spring. The rest will go to the local mission. It was exhausting, but exhilarating!
