Pink Fairy Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 Several of the families in our little cul de sac are going to be having a yard sale in a few weeks, and we are considering participating. In the past, I've always thought that it would be too much trouble for too little money, so we just donate to those organizations that will pick stuff up at your house. Here's the thing--we have a lot of stuff that I'm finally ready to say goodbye to, like brand name children's clothing, a barely-used treadmill, toys, dishes, etc., and I'm wondering if now it actually would be worth all the preparation (not to mention spending a Saturday in my garage making change :tongue_smilie:). So do people actually make money doing this? Enough to justify the time/effort? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4kiddies Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 I lived in a cul-de-sac neighborhood and often would participate in our neighborhood one. I once made close to $600 --I think it was worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joannqn Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 We live on a very high traffic street and usually make about $200 at the most. We've decided it just isn't worth setting everything out, pricing everything, sitting there all day babysitting the stuff, and then packing up everything that didn't sell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in MD Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 I think the amount of money you make depends on the weather, the types of things you have to sell, advertising if you have in-demand kid's stuff, weekend competition, and your neighborhood. I think if you're in a nicer neighborhood, you'll get more traffic because many think that nicer things are available in better neighborhoods. And they're often right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 I consider the hourly wage--and I don't make everything in perfect condition, although I do spiff up and clean dirty items. So, if it takes me, say, 8 hours to get stuff prepared (cleaned up or folded, priced, set out) and I sit out there for 7 hours, that's 15 hours. If I have decent stuff and I've advertised (I never pay for advertising--Craiglist and signs made from recycled poster board do it for us), I can reasonably expect to make anywhere from 3-5 hundred dollars. Not bad hourly wage. But I generally have a lot of stuff, and I price rather low. Clothes go for $1 for a dress, $3 if it's a good (holiday-type) dress. Books are $.50 to $1. Appliances go cheap, and I make sure they can be tested. It takes a lot to make that much. If I have a couple of big ticket items, like a sofa, that helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Rat Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 We had a good size yard sale last October and made $300. My boys made cookies and rice krispie treats and sold those as well. They made $27! Our motivation was that the boys really wanted a Wii. This paid for it. We also sold our baby crib (I cried the entire day) and really good slip covers for our old couches as well as smaller pieces of furniture and appliances. I think it was worth it. My boys definitely do seeing as they really enjoy that Wii! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renthead Mommy Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 In Jersey they usually ran both Sat and Sunday. The last one I did was there and I made around $800. So it was more than worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen sn Posted March 31, 2009 Share Posted March 31, 2009 In Jersey they usually ran both Sat and Sunday. The last one I did was there and I made around $800. So it was more than worth it. I would suggest 2 days as well. Sell everything cheap. You're just giving it away if it doesn't sell. So you might as well make a little money and make a yard saler happy. I sell most things for a dollar or less. $5 would be a big item - like a set of dishes. $20 - $30 for a washer/dryer etc.... Or you can price it all higher and have a sign that says "Will barter" - although most people just know to barter. Call the veterans or other non-profit group of your choice and see if they want to come by late Sunday afternoon and get what didn't sell. Talk to your neighbors and see who else wants to donate - the fact that there are several households might inspire them to do a Sunday pickup. Advertise on Craigslist. Masking tape and a marker for pricing everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pink Fairy Posted April 1, 2009 Author Share Posted April 1, 2009 I think since there are more of you collaborating on this you might get more traffic. That, and I think these days people are trying to be thrifty and might check out yard sales. Unless you have something in particular you would miss doing on that day, then why not?. Even if you made $100, again, why not? You don't have to list each item and take photos to post on e-bay. It seems way easier than that. Make it as fun as possible. Get some pizza, crack open a brew (or not..lol), sit out in the sun and get a tan. :D Yes, when I was talking to my folks about joining us, my dad said he wouldn't mind spending a Saturday selling stuff and drinking beer. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yvonne Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 If the neighborhood garage sale is not for a few weeks, I would post any large or bigger ticket items on craigslist first (treadmill, name brand baby clothes, etc.) People who are looking for specific things will be able to find them if you post on craigslist. They will also be willing to pay more for an item they're actively seeking than the random person who happens to see the item at a gs and is only momentarily interested in it. I helped my niece and nephew with a garage sale last weekend. They had some great stuff, in excellent condition. People who came to the gs were looking for huge deals (not just good deals) and it was totally random. Instead of selling the good stuff for the pennies offered, we just kept it and posted it to craigslist. Almost everything has sold in only 3 days for much higher prices than we were asking at the gs. (fwiw....two Game Boys missing battery covers, batch of Groovy Girls items, two batches of name brand baby clothes, two Gyminis, stroller, compact microwave, etc.) I wish we'd done craigslist before the gs and used the gs to get rid of anything that didn't sell on craigslist. yvonne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in KS Posted April 1, 2009 Share Posted April 1, 2009 I live in a high traffic area and never made more than 200 at a garage sale (each of which included lots and lots of stuff). Mostly because people just "stop by" on their way to work, etc and I needed to price items accordingly if I wanted them to sell. This year I decided to try a consignment sale (I did Just between friends, but it doesn't really matter which one you do). I priced items higher because I only kept 65%. I had two 18 gallon tubs worth of clothes and two 18 gallon tubs worth of toys. This is one quarter or less of what I would have at any previous garage sale. I sold almost everything and made $300. I'll do consignment sales over garage sales any day. The prep is a pain, but I still end up with more money and someone else takes care of dealing with the buyers. Amy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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