Garage Sale Discussion for selling stockpiles

Quote from jokesbyjen : Boooyah!!!! $3525!!!!!! Holy crap!!! That's $1500 more than we've ever done before! It was soooooo crazy busy--- we knew we we doing great b/c literally we didnt stop alllll day.... I think the longest lull between money changing hands was 10 minutes at most. CRAZY Just wanted to update---- will give you all more details Monday. One thing that was GONE was the 2 pk thermacares for $2 and 1 pk for $1------ we had at least 50 of them--- people were just walking away with PILES of them Awesome . Just awesome. Getting the uhaul was totally worth it.

i actually live in cheektowaga...if you ever get more of the thermacares 2 ct for a 1.00...LET ME KNOW. i will most likely buy all of them. PM me when it goes down.

Quote from imacouponer : pricing suggestion for hershey's pieces stand-up bags please?

depends how much you paid. i like to think making x 3 of my cost is good so if you paid .50...theyll still go for 1.50-2 depending where youre at.

Quote from unix_micki : Thank you, how does one answer that question?? I just love coupons and almost have RA in my basement hehe

I've been asking multiple times if I


1) own a store -- no, I just like to shop, store's right here and then I just smile
2) coupon -- I always hesitate to say yes but end up just saying yes anyway b/c how else can I explain how I got so much stuff?


Btw, this GS is the first time I had my parents come help me and they did great. My mom's a whiz with numbers (she likes $, lol, she worked in sales her whole life until we immigrated from Asia) and she memorized my prices right away. She also suggested I lowered some stuff to move them like toothpaste and brushes were just $2 and people didn't buy, so it became 3 for $5 and same with Dixie plates (I have a lot but have didn't want to price them for less than $2 but I can do 3 for $5. Immediately got a lot more buyers. I do price lots of my stuff X for Y but didn't for those items and so she helped me moved them suggesting the new prices.


My dad's so funny. He apparently really likes to talk to people, esp. the kids (he retired from education recently), he was giving the kids a free spinal notebook and tell them to study hard, lol... then he points out that the pencils are not free though, lol... $1 so 2 for $1, I actually price all those school items $1 instead of 50c seeing it's not back to school time and I figure I can get more for them. He was also telling people the Lysol soap thingie is $15 at the store and here they can get it for just $5 and that got a few buyers (last time I had several people buy on their own saying, "oh what a great deal!" but this time people didn't know what that thing was). It's funny b/c my dad has no idea what that thing was before I told him and how much it costs, he was pushing it like he made it. LOL. They were my good helpers and I'll ask them to help again.


My mom's gonna get a nice mother's day gift ($) today, haha... when we do lunch.

Quote from halokiti : It was not in a touristy area of NYC, people that went to my sale actually lived in the immediate area. I'm assuming people got the binoculars as a fun cheap item. For any items like that, always have one box open so people can try it out. Doing a real street fair in NYC is serious business, people make serious dough but it's highly competitive. I used to sell the toothpaste for $1.50 each and they fly at that price, I can't get TP fast enough for all my sales so pricing it at $2+ sells just fine. If I still have stuff left for the fall sale at the same place, I'll discount it for $1.50. I also forgot, Tylenol Precise cream and patches were a steady seller at $3.50

wow, I wish I can move my Thermacare/Tylenol for that price. If I don't sell them for 2 for $5, I'll just give them to my parents' church's old people (I love them, I had a bunch of them at my wedding, old folks are usually nicer than people my age, lol) for Christmas. I actually prefer to give them to people who can use them than sell for less than half the retail which $2.50 is obviously.


How many times have you done this sidewalk sale thing? Does it cost $ or are you selling like they do in China town where people just set up? Sorry, I've only been to NYC once. I kept thinking you had to drag all your wares on your back and then had to tell myself of course she had a van or something, NYC = Manhattan in my mind, lol.

Quote from rejoyce : How many times have you done this sidewalk sale thing? Does it cost $ or are you selling like they do in China town where people just set up? Sorry, I've only been to NYC once. I kept thinking you had to drag all your wares on your back and then had to tell myself of course she had a van or something, NYC = Manhattan in my mind, lol.

It was on the sidewalk in front of a library and their front area, it was a fundraiser for them they charge per table(we got 2). Once in spring, once in fall. It's like a flea market.

No I don't have a pushcart. I had a minivan full of stuff and set it up on the tables, but some of the other sellers walk over from nearby and have all their stuff in a little old lady shopping cart.

Quote from jokesbyjen : It's a joint effort with my husband and I, I have to admit. I do all the brain work, the shopping, the deal finding, etc--- I bring it home and he labels the prices and organizes the basement. He does ALL the heavy lifting (thank god, esp. since I had back surgery a year or so ago) and labels all the boxes. I told him if we were getting the Uhaul he HAD to clearly label the boxes b/c we were going to have to "refill" our spots throughout the sale and I had to know at a GLANCE where the items were. So we put out some of each product and were paying attention to what was selling well and what we needed to refill--- it was crazy trying to sneak out from behind the tables to add merchandise when people are lined up trying to hand over money! We are EXHAUSTED. lol. And even though we sold TONS, we still came home with a lot. My DH counted 95 paper boxes full of product to start--- we left 55 empty boxes there to be disposed of. That means we still came home with a LOT of boxes, let alone some plastic totes! wtf? It's crazy. He wants to be done for the summer, but I think we should try our hand just ONE day at the local flea market (even though I HATE that place.... lots of customers said we should do it, we'd do super well there. Although I don't like the heat and the sun.... blah) Welllllllll we *are* planning on a cruise to Alaska next May. And then making babies. So... that's fun, right? lol

i told my DH that "Jen's dh helps her a lot, you have to step up..." So he went and watched a bunch of VV's for me last night, lol... and yes, he does do most of the organizing in the garage, thank God we don't label prices, I'd go nuts! The signs are enough for me to do... btw, I used your spreadsheet and it was a great help but there were some things that I was sure you'd have that I needed prices on last min and you didn't, lol... but I think others had them. You'd think I'd know prices better now but as DH says, WHY do you have A LITTLE of everything, too much variety in his words, but you know, I said, I just get whatever's hot... haha... I love the variety. He hates how nothing fits together, every shape and sizes, it drives him nuts since he's a civil engr things "must" fit together perfectly, needless to say, I'm more a whatever gal and he's anal. haha.. I said it.


Last I check, baby making's FREE! yes, even the stuff that helps with the baby making is free thanks to RA, right? Alaska though... yeah, that'll req $, both fun and yes, can be combined.

Quote from MoneyMags : You could even combine the two

agreed! i wonder how many babies are made on cruises each year!

Quote from sduramom : I just tell them that I love to shop and I'm really good at it...........

great one, yes, that's what I'm going to say next time if they ask if i coupon. I'd just skip over that (lest I plant ideas in their heads and create competition) and just say "I love to shop", who doesn't, eh?


btw, thank you for all those trades on Silk Almond milk last year, you got my dh and I and my parents through most of last year! If you get more Silk Q's, please let me know, good to see you here too!

Quote from classyscrappers : We participated in the citywide garage sale (outdoors/rent parking spaces) yesterday. We had 3 parking spaces again and did really well as the rain held off. Sale ran from 9 - 4 and we sold $5016.00 snip.

wow hot!!! CONGRATS and repped.

Quote from jokesbyjen : Okay, the pricing round up. If you quote this, be sure to SNIP it! wayyyy too long to reply to without editing! LOL It was ROUGH.

Holy crap!!! wow, you put in sooo much more work than those of us (well, I'm just speaking for me, I shouldn't assume) who sell out of our house. Great job! VERY neat and all the signs are printed (I try to print neatly, lol. I print some signs at work and then make some last min at home).


Did you rent double the amount of space this time, it looks much bigger than last year. Well deserved, I admire you and your DH's serious hard work!


ps - did the farberware sets sell? i'm keeping mine to give to people for wedding presents.

Quote from wheels111 : I hesitate to post my sale results because it seems so wimpy compared to some awesome totals posted (snip). $1

Hey it's a process and a learning experience!!! The longtimers here will tell u that my first sale at my house I only Pulled in maybe 500 TOPS andddddd I wasted two whole days sitting around. Now I just made $3500. I just had to learn that traffic sucks in my neighborhood and I need to haul my stuff to mode visible sale locatIons. But hey, some money is better than no money.

And even tho I just made a huge chunk of cash I'm STILL jealous of u guys who can bring in $1000 from ur driveway (or $6000+ danggggggg). LOL

Quote from wheels111 : I hesitate to post my sale results because it seems so wimpy compared to some awesome totals posted (Congrats to everyone)... Mine was a garage sale, with just craigslist and email list advertising. Sold $639 total!

Don't sell yourself short -- that's a totally respectable weekend total!! Not everyone is lucky enough to be near these community-wide flea markets. It can totally vary, too, so I would NOT be bummed at all!!

(Sssh - I once did a sale where I made a whole 40 bucks. Yep. 40 bucks. It was a cold, drizzly windy, October day and I don't think anybody in town even bothered to leave the couch!!!)

Quote from dealqueen2009 : so youre basically set up in a flea market too. atleast i dont feel as wierd about it now.

Nope----- we do this sale every 6 months----- just a one day thing-- packed up everything in a uhaul and brought it to our local "worlds largest yard sale" that is hosted biannually

Quote from rejoyce : Holy crap!!! wow, you put in sooo much more work than those of us (well, I'm just speaking for me, I shouldn't assume) who sell out of our house. Great job! VERY neat and all the signs are printed (I try to print neatly, lol. I print some signs at work and then make some last min at home). Did you rent double the amount of space this time, it looks much bigger than last year. Well deserved, I admire you and your DH's serious hard work! ps - did the farberware sets sell? i'm keeping mine to give to people for wedding presents.

We had two sets and they both sold for $50.... Been toting those things to the last three sales--- finally!!!!!

Same size setup as the last sale---- that's why I was worried bc we were bringing sooooo much more stuff! But it cost us $330 and I wasn't willing to pay even more.

Quote from rejoyce : This post is the funniest thing I've read on SD to date. Laughing so hard I could hardly breathe. I was finally going to chime in about TLC's dumb-butt (trying to be good and not say the other word) EC show b/c people are now noticing my couponing at all the stores whereas before most people just ignore my couponing ways, but they retired the thread, anyone knows why? Wow, 1000 toothpaste in a room dedicated to them ("and this is our oral health room" ), I should go watch some clips on youtube, eh? Still haven't seen but bits and pieces. I think I only have a fraction of that many toothpastes, must... acquire... more... lol I hope he really gives as much as he says he does to the troops... wow, imagine his tax deduction on his returns... the clip says he donated $50K in products last year, I wonder if the IRS audits him. http://www.monstersandcritics.com...ste-VIDEOS

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So I've got a serious deilemna:
I haven't worked in some time and have decided to try and sell some stockpile instead of just donating whatever we don't use. However we live in a small apartment building right on the road, and when I say on I mean there is my building, space for the cars to park and then the road. Next door is a vacant church with a nice sized parking lot, but the people from the barber shop across the street like to park there on weekends...we can move our two vehicles but thats not much space and no parking/shoulder to pull over and shop...both our parents live in no garage sale neighborhoods so I can't even beg to use their yards. Would you try with a table or two or work on renting space at a church bazaar or something?

Quote from purplefdu : So I've got a serious deilemna: I haven't worked in some time and have decided to try and sell some stockpile instead of just donating whatever we don't use. However we live in a small apartment building right on the road, and when I say on I mean there is my building, space for the cars to park and then the road. Next door is a vacant church with a nice sized parking lot, but the people from the barber shop across the street like to park there on weekends...we can move our two vehicles but thats not much space and no parking/shoulder to pull over and shop...both our parents live in no garage sale neighborhoods so I can't even beg to use their yards. Would you try with a table or two or work on renting space at a church bazaar or something?

I can totally relate to your problem - I live in the woods in the middle of nowhere on a dirt-road cul de sac. NOBODY drives down our street. It takes 10 minutes from the time you enter our development to get to our house. No joke, 10 minutes. Up a very steep hill with a couple of hairpin turns, across a one-lane bridge, etc etc. And once you get here, the driveway is 360 feet long and it runs alongside a 100-foot cliff (we do like our privacy). No way for cars to get past each other once they're in.

So, I don't ever bother holding a sale here, and I wouldn't recommend you do either -- UNLESS you can work out some kind of deal with whoever owns the church parking lot. It shouldn't be too hard to figure out (city hall, your local politician, maybe another church?). If you can work something out - maybe pay them a few bucks, then get something in writing saying you're allowed to take over the whole parking lot. Then just be really friendly with the barbershop folks and say sorry, I've got a special event this weekend, and they'll have to find someplace else to park (do some scouting and have some useful suggestions for them). And put up lots of signs beforehand so people know it's coming, and know they can pull in to the lot to park.

Failing that, you will probably end up doing what I do, which is piggybacking on whatever community sale I can find. It's very hit-or-miss -- I would love to sell more, but I find maybe 3 a summer.

ETA: A good place to find these events is Craigslist and also your local weekly shopper, the one that has almost no stories in it but lots of calendar listings.