Poll: Yard Sale: to price, or not to price

[Cooking Goddess]

Hi All!

I'm getting closer to having our garage/yard sale later this summer. But I'm in a quandary and I need your help and opinions. If nothing else, we ALL have opinions here at DC!

I hate to price things I'm getting rid of. I have a good idea what some things are truly worth. In other cases, I haven't a clue - or just don't care. Since it seems that everybody coming to a garage sale likes to bargain anyway, I'm considering not pricing anything.

Is this a good idea? Or will it totally blow up in my face?

Do you think I should Price or Not Price? Feel free to argue your side of it, too. As a shopper or seller at a yard/garage sale, a flea market, etc, what do you think works best?

Many thanks in advance.

 

[taxlady]

If you hate the idea of pricing everything, then you probably shouldn't price stuff. That said, I hate bargaining, so I want to see prices. I know most people aren't like me. I go to a yard sale and buy things I want, if they seem reasonably priced. I don't want to dicker. If, on the other hand, I'm willing to take a whole bunch of similar items, I may ask if there is a better price for buying a bunch.

 

[Rocklobster]

How many items do you have to sell? Do you really want to talk to somebody about every one? That's a lot of haggling. If you want to truly get rid of everything, just price it low enough to sell, or as low as you are willing to go. People usually try and get it cheaper anyway, so you will still get your fair share of bartering. Sometimes I will just "forget it" if it is a small item with no price. Not everybody likes haggling over something worth a buck or two. It will end up just sitting there..

 

[bethzaring]

I would advise to price everything. My strategy for yard sales is this. If I am putting things in a yard sale, I want rid of them. I price a lot of things for $.25. Some things go for a dollar. I sold a very nice microwave for $20. this spring. I did not want to deal with any leftovers from the yard sale so I priced things accordingly.


Are you trying to make money or get rid of things? These are different objectives.

 

[GotGarlic]

Are you trying to make money or get rid of things? These are different objectives.

And this is why DH and I never sell anything well. I just want to get rid of stuff and he wants to make money. I agree with Beth and Rock.

 

[Aunt Bea]

Are you trying to make money or get rid of things? These are different objectives.

I agree with this very important question.

If you have some collectibles or antiques price them individually and be prepared to haggle. As for the the rest of the stuff "stack it deep and sell it cheap"!

Group similar items, books, video's etc.. and post one sign on each group something like $2.00 each or 3 for $5.00.

A table of $1.00 items.

Price clothing and linens at $5.00/bag to encourage people to take more than a couple of items.

Take the worst stuff and pile it up with a sign that says FREE! Don't be afraid to add to the pile as the day goes along.

Consider a three day sale and advertise rock bottom pricing on the third day. You can always remove some of the more valuable items that did not sell and focus on selling the remaining stuff.

When the sale is over don't put the stuff back in the garage, set it on the curb or take it to the Goodwill. Just let it go once and for all!

I guess the answer to your original question is a few individual price tags and lots of piles with one price.

Keep a never ending cocktail in a coffee cup to help calm your nerves!

Good luck!

 

[Katie H]

I've always had the best luck when I've priced yard sale items. However, I have to tell you that when I am planning a yard sale, I know well in advance so, as I set things aside I price them. That way there's no last minute rushing around. I just keep some pricing supplies near where I store my yard sale goodies. Another thing pricing things does is to make it easier for someone to substitute for you when you have to go inside for a bathroom break or another task that takes you away from your post.

As others have mentioned, price things low to ensure you don't have to bring much or anything back into the house. Of course, if you have collectibles, etc., you'll have to price accordingly.

I've often placed a little, friendly, sign letting shoppers know that prices aren't cast in stone and that reasonable offers would be welcomed.

"Free" items and a box or table with 25-cent items suitable for children are also a bonus. The goods for the little ones allows parents to shop without having to wrangle their children and a quarter won't break the bank.

If you can, have an outdoor-safe extension cord handy so potential buyers can test electric items you "say" still work. Also, a handful of batteries from Dollar Tree is a good idea to have on hand so those things can be demonstrated as well. If the person buys the item, give them the batteries. Good customer service.

Another helpful thing to do is to have the instruction book/manual attached in some way to the item it belongs to.

 

[taxlady]

The problem with a table of $1 or $5 items, is I have seen people move stuff and I have seen people insist that it came from the cheaper table. I would just tell those people that it was a mistake or someone must have moved it. and you want the higher price.

 

[Andy M.]

I don't know if pricing or not pricing is the better way to go. I've had a couple of yard sales with another guy roommate when we wanted to clear out some stuff. I hated every minute of it.

So here's my take. If the money you make from the YS is important to you, have the YS and make the best of it.

On the other hand, if you really don't care about the money, box all that crap up and take it to Goodwill or the Salvation Army.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Thanks, everyone, for your quick replies and suggestions.

...Are you trying to make money or get rid of things? These are different objectives.

Is "both" an acceptable answer? I'd like to make about $200 so I can use it for a Samsung tablet. (Himself got one that we could "share". So far in a year+ time I've gotten to use it once.) After that, it's all gravy. A big impetus, though, is to find new homes for the items I do not want to move to OH. Since we'll be paying our moving costs, the last thing I want to do is pay for things I end up throwing out post-move.

...If you have some collectibles or antiques price them individually and be prepared to haggle. As for the the rest of the stuff "stack it deep and sell it cheap"!

I like your "deep and cheap" logic, Aunt Bea!

Take the worst stuff and pile it up with a sign that says FREE! Don't be afraid to add to the pile as the day goes along.

We've always had a "freebie" box. This time I might designate the entire front porch as "free stuff".

Consider a three day sale and advertise rock bottom pricing on the third day.

Two-days are the norm around here: Saturday, Sunday. About half-way on day two, I have posted a sign that says "50% off everything".

Keep a never ending cocktail in a coffee cup to help calm your nerves.

Cocktail???

Katie, I've been putting things aside in the basement since last summer. Not one thing has a price on it. I'm getting to the point where I need to sort, box up, and move things from the basement to the garage. Guess I'll smack a price tag on each thing as I move it from Point A to Point B.

In summary, I still hate to price -but I'll do it. There are just a few items that have enough of a real value (to someone other than me) to actually need evaluation for pricing. Everything else? Just want to move it out. Some things will be Goodwill-worthy, other things might be better for pitching in the long run.

 

[Bigjim68]

Pricing yard sale

The problem with a table of $1 or $5 items, is I have seen people move stuff and I have seen people insist that it came from the cheaper table. I would just tell those people that it was a mistake or someone must have moved it. and you want the higher price.

I'd set three or four standard prices, then use those stick on dots. Red for a buck, yellow for 5, etc.

Items not stickered are tagged.

Stops people moving things and is much faster than writing individual tags.

 

[taxlady]

I'd set three or four standard prices, then use those stick on dots. Red for a buck, yellow for 5, etc.

Items not stickered are tagged.

Stops people moving things and is much faster than writing individual tags.

Good thinking. I'll try to remember that if I have a yard sale.

 

[Addie]

Also remember to make a big sign telling the buyers the system of the colors. After each explanation, place a large dot of the color for that price. It will save you from answering a lot of repeated questions.

 

[Cheryl J]

I'd set three or four standard prices, then use those stick on dots. Red for a buck, yellow for 5, etc.

Items not stickered are tagged.

Stops people moving things and is much faster than writing individual tags.

I've been to a couple of estate sales recently, and they used this method - I'd highly recommend this, it's a fabulous idea and works very well! They put up a couple of large poster board paper on the garage walls with the colored stick on dots, and the corresponding prices next to them. No questions, no pricing every little thing...it works great.

I'd much rather go to garage sales than have them - good luck with yours CG, I hope it goes smoothly! I also agree with a freebie box, and lowering the prices the last day of the sale. You don't want to lug anything back in.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

I'd set three or four standard prices, then use those stick on dots. Red for a buck, yellow for 5, etc....

Thanks for this reminder, Bigjim. I did this a long time ago for a previous sale, forgot all about it. You're right, though - it does simplify things.

..I'd much rather go to garage sales than have them - good luck with yours CG, I hope it goes smoothly! I also agree with a freebie box, and lowering the prices the last day of the sale. You don't want to lug anything back in.

Actually, Optimistic Me is hoping for two sales - one sometime later this month, another in early September once the kids are settled back in school. Between the two, we'll leave one car in the driveway so half the garage can store the leftovers. Since the local Boy Scout troop has a yard sale the end of September, I'll probably contact the troop to see if they have someone with a truck who could haul away all the donations after the September sale.

 

[jabbur]

My thoughts are to price the more substantial items (anything over $5). My friend had a sale with every thing priced at $1. She made more money than she normally did. Some things went cheap and others went for more. She also did a bag day. Fill a bag for $5 on the last day. Our church youth group stopped pricing a long time ago. The customer says "how much?" we say "what'll you give?" they say "x$" we say "ok". Went from average of $800 per sale to $1500. Made it easy too.

 

[Aunt Bea]

My thoughts are to price the more substantial items (anything over $5). My friend had a sale with every thing priced at $1. She made more money than she normally did. Some things went cheap and others went for more. She also did a bag day. Fill a bag for $5 on the last day. Our church youth group stopped pricing a long time ago. The customer says "how much?" we say "what'll you give?" they say "x$" we say "ok". Went from average of $800 per sale to $1500. Made it easy too.

I agree, try tossing out the line "what do you think is fair?" and most people will surprise you with an amount higher that the one you had in mind.

 

[CWS4322]

Ditto, re: Aunt Bea. I have organized a number of sales for charity. We always did the table with colored dots on the items and a white board with the prices to match the color of dots. Also, we would have a sign on the table with the colored dot system so that if things got moved from one table to another, the dot would help. We also had a best offer table. That was were the items that were worth the more would go.


Everything should be clean. If you have electrical items, an extension cord and a power bar so people can test that the item works is a good idea.


Advertise! And, if the day is a hot day, have bottles of water on ice in a cooler (people don't want to shop when thirsty). If you have any sunshades, set those up over tables. At noon on the last day, change your signs--2 for 1, buy 2 get 1 free, etc.


Make sure you go to the bank and get lots of change. Around here, bank machines dispense $20s, so we needed a lot of change for $20s because we would get a lot of $20s first thing in the day, smaller bills if people had been doing the circuit.