Down_the_Rabbit_Hole Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 Has anyone had this type of garage sale? Where everything being sold is a make-an-offer item, or even bring what you want to the table and make an offer on the whole lot? I am thinking of doing this. I was going to just give it all to Good Will but thought why not try and sell it first (I can always use school money) I can always give the rest to Good Will. If you did this...was it worth it? Any draw backs? Thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gooblink Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 (edited) All of our garage sales are like this. We don't put price tags on anything. Having said that, when we have a garage sale the understanding is that the stuff is NOT coming back into the house. So, whatever we get for it is gravy. ETA: No drawbacks that I've experienced. :) Edited November 20, 2010 by Gooblink Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gwenhwyfar Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 ugh...i love yard sales & flea markets ~ but i would NOT like that! i don't mind offering something a tad lower on a PRICED item (ie: "hey, would you take five for it?" when it's marked at $8) but with no price at all...i'd have no idea whether my offer was too high, too low, or what! :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milovany Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 Has anyone had this type of garage sale? Where everything being sold is a make-an-offer item, or even bring what you want to the table and make an offer on the whole lot?... ugh...i love yard sales & flea markets ~ but i would NOT like that! i don't mind offering something a tad lower on a PRICED item (ie: "hey, would you take five for it?" when it's marked at $8) but with no price at all...i'd have no idea whether my offer was too high, too low, or what! :tongue_smilie: I do a variation on the "make an offer" sale -- the dollar sale where almost everything is a dollar. There are some things not worth a dollar and some things worth more, of course, and I deal with those (see below), but for the most part everything's a dollar. Then people don't have to wonder what to offer. When people arrive I tell them, "Everything's a buck! Some stuff is less because it's not worth a dollar (like the books), and a few things are marked individually, but for the most part everything is a dollar." The things that are more then a dollar have a very obvious sticker on them, and then they can ask about things worth less. The last time I did this I made about $150 and took the rest straight to Goodwill. So it wasn't a pain-in-the-neck, I made some cash, can got rid of the rest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlebug42 Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 My MIL and I attend a lot of yard sales and honestly, we leave if there are no price tags on things. I like looking for deals but really don't like haggling with people. I prefer to just move on. Good luck with your sale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsbaby Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 I wouldn't like that. I am the worst haggler....actually I skip it and pay what's on the price tag. So, I prefer peoe to tell me what they're asking. I would leave if I had to come up with prices......sorry:001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad 4 Boys Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 That would be my kind of sale. That's actually how my dad treats most garage sales. He gets a pile and makes an offer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gooblink Posted November 20, 2010 Share Posted November 20, 2010 So, it appears a possible downside is that a few people might leave. Although it's possible there have been people who've walked away from ours due to no prices...there are enough who will make an offer that I never noticed. I don't haggle, either. If someone asks how much something costs, I throw out a (low) number - they either pay it or counter. I always accept the counter because, like I said earlier, my goal is to clear off my driveway and the stuff isn't going back inside the house. For things I need to sell for a specific price, I either do it through Craig's List or put a tag on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted November 21, 2010 Share Posted November 21, 2010 I am another who leaves if there are no price tags. I don't want to dicker, barter or otherwise engage the seller. Very, very rarely I will offer a lower price, but not often. Even then it is usually if I am buying a bunch of one item, like books or CDs. I am a bit of a stealthy shopper anyways. I don't like to be talked to when I shop, I don't want to be asked if I need help, I don't want to be assisted. IF I want help, or have a question...I will ask. It is just my little quirk :D I think it is because, when I shop, it is a way to get out of the house and to get away from my family bugging me. I don't like to trade that time, for someone else bugging me. LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Marple Posted November 21, 2010 Share Posted November 21, 2010 I had a "closed" garage sale which I advertised on our homeschool loop only. I put some prices in the mailer - i.e., fill a WalMart bag with clothes for $3 and listed everything else as being between 25 cents and $5. Nothing was over $5 - not even the sewing machine or junior golf clubs. This allowed people to buy a LOT of stuff and I had a LOT of stuff to get rid of. Then I hauled the remainder to Goodwill. I had a fantastic turn out and people knew in advance what the prices would be like. Many people are uncomfortable making offers because they are afraid they might offend. I would recommend pricing any very large items (expensive) and you can always have a $1 table, a $3 table, etc. And, yes, some people may get things mixed up, but in the end, you will make some money and not be totally overwhelmed in planning the sale. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeanne in MN Posted November 21, 2010 Share Posted November 21, 2010 I have a hard time with garage sales with no prices too. I get frustrated because I don't like being put in that position of offending. I've done the, "all the clothes are $.50 each" or whatever to save time and just get rid of stuff. I like those sales too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Togo Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 We had many yard sales before we moved to our current state. A good way to have an open, but structured yard sale is to have priced tables or boxes with the option for make-an-offer. That gives the buyer a starting point. For example, a $.25 box of paperbacks, a $1.00 box of clothes, a $2 box of hardback books and a $5 table. Your sign would have the price and Make-An-Offer in parenthesis underneath. You can have one table with priced items. This has worked well for us. Depending on your location, you may need to offer give-away prices to have a good sale. However, the nickles, dimes and quarters add up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 I leave no tagged sales too. I usually go to garage sales to relax, find a few bargains, etc. Haggling is not my idea of relaxing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristusG Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 I would probably leave. I really do not like when people do not put prices on things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sahamamama Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 I think that shy people, people who don't want to talk on a Saturday morning (I know those people), would just walk away. When we do yard sales, we always get those completely silent types -- they poke around, find something they like, shuffle up the driveway, pull out the money, and leave... without a word. No price tags? I think they'd just :auto:. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rosy Posted November 23, 2010 Share Posted November 23, 2010 I would rather take it all to Goodwill and take the tax deduction. I've found that I make more money that way (though if you have a big ticket item, that might be worth trying to sell). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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