Garage Sale Discussion for selling stockpiles

Quote from MamaSarahP : I know this was discussed some in the past but I searched and wasn't finding it, so please forgive the repeat question. I'm looking for a good way to electronically track my inventory. Ideally I want a system where I can scan items as I get them and then scan them as I sell them and the software will keep track of the inventory for me. I understand initial setup of anything will likely involve me manually typing in what products are associated with the barcodes I'm scanning. I need something relatively quick to operate (when I have sales I am very busy and can't be dealing with a scanner system that is slow). I'm willing to invest a decent amount of money in something that meets my needs if I have to, Is there anything out there that you all have used or know of that could help me out? TIA!

Quickbooks has a POS system that is for "mom and pop" businesses. It costs about $700-800, tracks inventory, and can sync with your Quickbooks accounting program, if you want to. Has lots of little detaily features, but it might fit the bill with what you are looking for. Works off windows based program, so easy to negotiate. Just hook up hand held scanner to computer and you are good to go! (word of warning: if you have issues with handheld scanner, it might just need to be "recalibrated"... google is your friend with that issue)

Quote from MamaSarahP : *snip* Is there anything out there that you all have used or know of that could help me out? TIA!

Quote from MoneyMags : I did some research into this last year. *snip*.

So, I have agonized over this for the better part of a year. I needed a way to sell online during non-GS season. There are decent inventory iphone apps. But they suck at integrating with product info. RedLaser is the bomb of product info but doens't do inventory. My brother is actually working on an app for me that marries the 2. In the meantime - I use a decent inventory app to scan all product - skip ALL product info in app and only enter quantity. Then I dump UPCs into excel sheet and use yoopsie . com to get product info into excel (manual operation) but only a PITA when first setting up. Scanning weekly additions to inventory as I put it away takes me about an hour...maybe a bit longer.

Here is the key to being able to manage this sheet. I had a friend write a macro into the excel sheet that will update my inventory quantity whenever I run the macro (import new inventory numbers) - this I do weekly once I am done scanning my shopping for the week or once I sell stuff. It also indicates which items it found in my spreadsheet. Any product IDs not found, I know are new and I need to add to my spreadsheet. It also lines out any products that have zero quantity. It is dirty. It's ugly. A bit clunky. But it is simple and it works.
However, I wish I had done this before I started stockpiling. I cannot even begin to count the amount of man-hours I have put in to scanning every freaking product I have in stock and then manually inputting product info into excel. It is still a work in progress. I chip away at it when I can.

Ultimately, I will just store the sheet on "the cloud" and allow folks to place orders from a protected version of the spreadsheet. (right now I just email it). That way I can have an always up to date version out on the cloud.

CAUTION: I have not used this process for a garage sale. I am not sure it will work all that great, scanner-wise the app/phone is pretty slow at reading the barcode. Focus, zoom etc. I haven't quite worked out how I am going to do this with a sale. Maybe have someone scanning while I am adding up prices since that takes a bit of time anyway. But, just thinking I will need another set of hands at my sales to be efficient with this.

I am thinking of unloading some stuff at the college I work at. My student assistant will be at the campus center selling for me. I have never done this before. besides giving her free product, what percentage should I give her? Thanks!

Quote from nicalai : I am thinking of unloading some stuff at the college I work at. My student assistant will be at the campus center selling for me. I have never done this before. besides giving her free product, what percentage should I give her? Thanks!

I pay my helper $50 for each day worked, in cash or table stock (I prefer when they take table stock for no apparent reason LOL).

Thanks! I was thinking percentage, but that sounds better.

Quote from justafem : I pay my helper $50 for each day worked, in cash or table stock (I prefer when they take table stock for no apparent reason LOL).

Quote from nicalai : I am thinking of unloading some stuff at the college I work at. My student assistant will be at the campus center selling for me. I have never done this before. besides giving her free product, what percentage should I give her? Thanks!

I'd make sure your college will allow for this type of sale on campus.

The university I work for would never allow that.

Quote from sduramom : I price at $5, I have a lady that buys it for her son--he can't be without it--so she takes it all when I have it.............. It's just a matter of that one person (or persons) that can't be without it and them finding that you have it and they'll clear out your stock. I don't do the kids, just the adult, so I'm assured it won't be coming back home with me

Is that at Flea Markets or on Ebay you sell them for $5 each and if online is that after fees? Thanks

Thanks. Director of Activities approved it. They always have someone selling something. It's a very liberal, private college.

I figure I will do well because lots of kids that can afford the 63k a year tuition. At the same time, lots of 'we don't shave' kind of kids

Quote from Thrifteh : I'd make sure your college will allow for this type of sale on campus. The university I work for would never allow that.

Quote from nicalai : I am thinking of unloading some stuff at the college I work at. My student assistant will be at the campus center selling for me. I have never done this before. besides giving her free product, what percentage should I give her? Thanks!

I saw that you got other responses but I thought I'd give you mine! I sell pretty heavily so please keep that in mind. My sister and BIL do all the "heavy lifting" while I only shop. I do help out a few times a year at sales that may be too large for them to handle on their own. We take the any expenses that are charged off the top and then they get 25% of the sales. It works out much better for us this way since they are paid more when they are busier. At the same time, it keeps me from paying someone a flat rate when we end up selling poorly. They work on the weekends during the summer while I shop an average of 5 days a week year round and all of the everyday expenses are paid by me. Ex: storage space, enclosed trailer, coupons, OOP for items. In the end it evens out.

Quote from shig : I saw that you got other responses but I thought I'd give you mine! I sell pretty heavily so please keep that in mind. My sister and BIL do all the "heavy lifting" while I only shop. I do help out a few times a year at sales that may be too large for them to handle on their own. We take the any expenses that are charged off the top and then they get 25% of the sales. It works out much better for us this way since they are paid more when they are busier. At the same time, it keeps me from paying someone a flat rate when we end up selling poorly. They work on the weekends during the summer while I shop an average of 5 days a week year round and all of the everyday expenses are paid by me. Ex: storage space, enclosed trailer, coupons, OOP for items. In the end it evens out.

After having employed about every friend, relative, etc. that I felt comfortable using, I have finally after almost 3 years found a reliable person. She just happens to be my best friend. My husband usually does all of the lifting, but we price, set up, work the sale, etc. by ourselves. I do all of the shopping and put up all the front money. I have found that a combination of giving her products and money works out best for us. She helps me sort everything before we put it out, so she gets first pick of what she wants. She usually takes $100 retail value of items, but which only cost me $25-$30, tops. After the sale, I tally what I made, not figuring in my upfront expense and give her a straight 10% off the top. It averaged out last year to about $150, but with the product was more like $250. Granted we work from 6-1 or 2, usually, but that equals out to about $31.25/hr. We both are happy b/c she makes extra $ and gets items that her family uses. Her daughter that's in college usually comes by and helps, so I give her $25 and lots of snacks, etc. to take back with her to her dorm.

Quote from mammekins : After having employed about every friend, relative, etc. that I felt comfortable using, I have finally after almost 3 years found a reliable person. She just happens to be my best friend. My husband usually does all of the lifting, but we price, set up, work the sale, etc. by ourselves. I do all of the shopping and put up all the front money. I have found that a combination of giving her products and money works out best for us. She helps me sort everything before we put it out, so she gets first pick of what she wants. She usually takes $100 retail value of items, but which only cost me $25-$30, tops. After the sale, I tally what I made, not figuring in my upfront expense and give her a straight 10% off the top. It averaged out last year to about $150, but with the product was more like $250. Granted we work from 6-1 or 2, usually, but that equals out to about $31.25/hr. We both are happy b/c she makes extra $ and gets items that her family uses. Her daughter that's in college usually comes by and helps, so I give her $25 and lots of snacks, etc. to take back with her to her dorm.

I'm glad you found something that works well for you! I know it's not easy. I've tried several different ways but this has been the best for me. Of course, unlike you, I don't work the sale at all. Which for me works great since Saturday is the best shopping day for me anyway. I can concentrate on shopping and don't have to worry about any of the other tasks. DH unloads the car into the storage unit and they handle it from there.

Is there any hope for the Simply Slim? We are doing a flea market type of thing in May and wondering if I should keep it around for that, or just get rid of them.

I finally sold 10 of the Schick Hydro Power Select 5 to an individual for $4.00 each. Those things have been driving me crazy. No one wanted to buy them when I priced them at $2.50. I mentioned to him I also had shaving gel,and bodywash, kids battery operated TB.. A $40 sale became a $120 sale. ..

Quote from shig : I'm glad you found something that works well for you! I know it's not easy. I've tried several different ways but this has been the best for me. Of course, unlike you, I don't work the sale at all. Which for me works great since Saturday is the best shopping day for me anyway. I can concentrate on shopping and don't have to worry about any of the other tasks. DH unloads the car into the storage unit and they handle it from there.

I would really like to be able to do like you, but I had such a hard time finding one person, much less two people that I can trust completely.