Small items ranging from 10 to 25 cents, can be a hassle to have to deal with at a rummage sale, and they take up a lot of table space! Try wrapping them (after sorting them into cost categories: 10 or 25 cents) in odds and ends comic paper, magazine pages, brown paper bags or WHATEVER. Sell as "white elephant gifts", used as little trivia prizes or Bingo prizes. Sell them in 1 or 2 dozen batches for 1 price. Be thankful to get rid of them!
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A girlfriend of mine is forever having yard sales. One of the things she does is going thru her glassware for "stray" pieces, (ex. a lid to a glass candy jar), which she put on top of a "stray" wine glass, made the most cutest, daintiest candy dish and was one of the first pieces she sold.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I have tons of baby clothes and I am having a yard sale. My question is what do I price the baby clothes at? I have brand new sleepers that were never worn by my baby because he was too big! Tags are not on them. What do I price overalls, outfits, onesies at?
I would just keep it simple and price everything $1.00. If something is new with tags then maybe $2 or more depending on the item. It will keep the sale running smooth, keep your sanity because you won't have to wonder what the price of everything is, and you won't even have to mark most of it - just put up signs.
One-fifth of new.
I did it this way - for stuff that was basically new - I put it on hangers and tagged the hangers -that way I knew it was a priced item. Usually around $2-4 depending on the item (some were sets).
For most other things I did 50 cents per item, fill a bag for $5 and put out plastic grocery sacks.
I have had luck packaging same sizes. Like 3 pants, 3 tops, socks and a couple of toys for 3-5 dollars depending upon condition. They can always remove an item from the bag and make an offer.
Tips from our readers for throwing a garage sale. Post your ideas!
Make sure you are well prepared and if possible well rested before your sale starts. Sales are best if they are held on the weekend, although I have had some very successful fridays.
Make the address/date large enough to see. People can't stop at corners to read small print and get rear ended, arrows are good enough, just point me in the right direction/put arrows at every intersection and your yard. Don't use paper signs that fold in the wind and please don't block the driveway to us handicapped people. Finallly, keep your prices reasonable, after all, it is a garage sale.
Fridays are actually the best days in my area. I tend to have my annual GS on Friday and Sat morning until just after lunch.
I use neon green posterboard signs with neon pink arrows. Many people comment that my sign was eye-catching and easy to follow. Baby clothes and toys sell GREAT.
Go to your neighborhood bank before your sale and get ample change. It's best to start out with as many fives, singles and coinage as possible. Arrange to have someone who can get you more change if needed. Keep your change and all money WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES, rather than in a box on a table.
Save plastic grocery bags prior to having a sale. People tend to buy more if they don't have to have their arms & hands full of odds and ends
Never leave jewelry unattended. Keep in a locked glass case. or have someone supervising the table of "good" stuff.
I am planning on selling silver jewelry at my yard sale. What are reasonable prices?
By tracy hendricks from Cabot, AR
If you can, weigh each piece and price it based on the ounce. silver is currently just over $14 an ounce - that would give you a good range
goldprice.org/
Dawn
http://frugalforlife.blogspot.com
STOP! Before you sell it in a yard sale, check your Yellow Pages to find a local business that buys and sells precious metals. Not a pawn shop, a business that buys STERLING silver (they don't buy silver plated jewelry or serving pieces). Find out what they're paying. Check several places. Take it directly to them for the estimate. They don't care about the stones, so they'll remove them and and give them back to you if they're of any value, and you can get additional $$ from a jewelry store.
Don't expect a lot for the stones, though. They're difficult for them to sell so they have to mark them up to at least triple of what they gave you in order to make anything.
At a yard sale, you'll have to take what they offer if you really want to sell it, and you'll never know if that was a good price or if they're going to go to the silver dealer and sell it themselves. Good luck!
I am thinking of doing a yard sale and marking just about everything at or under a dollar. Most items are office related, folders, binders, etc. and some household items and small toys. Thought if I did this the items would sell and quickly. I am also thinking if there are 100 items at one dollar = $100.00. Has anyone done this? Any thoughts?
By Robin C.
Where I live the only way that stuff would sell would be marked ten cents to twenty-five cents.
I think that is a great idea. If I saw an ad saying nothng over $1, that would be the first one I would go to.
It would totally depend on the value of the items you are selling, are they worth $1 at a yard sale? I would not pay $1 for a binder that I can get at Walmart for .97. If you bundled things so the value would reach $1, then you deal with folks who do not want 4 folders/binders. You could write out signs with the prices (Folders: .25each or 5 for $1) Either way, to sell the most you have to offer options and good prices.
No one attending your yard sale cares if it's easy for you to price/sell things that way. They simply want a good deal.
We did something similar when the youth group at church had a rummage sale. After a few hours when the big rush was over, we would have "fill a bag for $5". We all saved our plastic grocery and Wal Mart bags. Anything the customer could fit in the bag was a flat $5. This really helped get rid of things we would have had to find a home for after the sale.
Just make sure you have good signage. There have been a couple articles regarding yard sale signs here on Thrifty and they may be good for you to search for and read. I have been doing yardsale for 25+ years and the signs really make the difference.
I just had A $1.00 sale and decided to group things in large ziploc bags that I had received free. I took a group of five items that were similar such as pens and paper and sold as a bundle. I also had placemats and linen Napkin's in a bag.
I have a lot of socks for a yard sale. There are about 50 or 60 pairs. How do I press them as a bundle or what?
You could sell them in bulk, or you could sell them for 50 cents a pair or something like that. There's a way of folding them so that they are together but at the same time you can see what they actually look like.
I would price per pair, and then make them progressively cheaper the more a person buys. The cheapest would be to buy the whole lot.
to make them look attractive for sale... you could clip the together wih a little strip of thread.. and then a little yarn bow... washed clean you couuld hang them from a little line.. would look pretty in the breeze... things that normally dont sell well, IF spruced up a bit. sell well. good luck
Items like this can be a "draw" if you have them priced right and many times when someone buys one item at a yard sale they tend to buy more "stuff" - I mean they have to get out their wallet to pay so maybe they will find more things to buy.
Neighborhoods react differently to yard sales but hopefully yours will have nice weather and lots of customers.
If these are decent priced socks then I agree that maybe starting with a set price and lowering the price for each additional 2 pairs purchased might get a sale going.
You could price them at 50 cents a pair or 10 pairs for $4.
How do I price garage sale items?
By Mary Topp from Huntington Beach, CA
The same way you do yard sale items. Is there anything in particular you are having a hard time deciding a price on?
The best advise I can give you on pricing something for resale is:
1 - never consider how much you paid for something in determining the price,
2 - think about how much you would be willing to pay for something if you were seeing it at a yard sale,
3 - understand that baby things sell well, tools sell well, and sometimes furniture sells well,
4 - understand that Books, CDs and movies only sell well when they are dirt cheap,
5 - kids toys, if they are in good shape, sell cheap or not at all,
6 - it is seldom that you get the price a collectable is worth at a yard/garage sale.
For example: I had a yard sale with about 300 music CDs I was selling for $1 each or 7 fr $5. I sold maybe 10. I went to Amazon and listed about 274 that turned out to be worth something and I have sold 125 so far and have made over $800 (about $6 a CD).
On Ebay the classic 1978 Simon game has been going for an average of $30 in good condition, some with and some with out a box. You would probably find one at a yard sale for $5.
Point is, for items you think are worth something but not sure? Your best bet is to try to find similar items on Amazon or Ebay and figure out a price from there. Then consider if you want to sell them on-line or on the lawn. Don't try to price everything off those two sites just what you think might be really worth something. There is too much work in a garage/yard sale with out doubling it with inventory and on-line time.
You got some great advice Suntydt. I would like to add that at least around here. If an item is new or next to new you can price up to 25% of the new price. Good luck with your sale!
Generally, 1/4 of retail unless in like new condition, then closer to 50%. Also, keep in mind that people like to get a bargain, so price up slightly to give them a little off if they ask.
Do it this way, the little stuff that you would not make anything on Ebay, sell at a sale. Current magazines (.50) and used hair products and etc around your house. Before you throw something away think "I could get a dime or a quarter for it"....may not seem like much but every penny counts!
Bigger and better things you can sell on Ebay. I once bought a full size wood bed for my son at a local auction for $25 and it has been stored in my garage for years. I recently took it out to look it over for a yard sale and noticed the stamp on the back of it. It is walnut and a Heywood Wakefield! Look at things closely and check on Ebay and the net. You never know what you may have in your possession! Good luck!
I love having yard sales and garage sales. In the past two years I've held four sales, and I'm planning the fifth right now. When pricing I try to ask myself logical questions and "be the buyer."
First- Main purpose of sale. Is the main objective to unload excessive items...plus make some cash? Or... Am I in need of cash, so I'm finding items to unload? In the case of needing money, it can make me think my "stuff" is more valuable than it is. When I'm simply trying to declutter, I tend to want to *give* it away. But, I could do that at Goodwill. The only true failed sale I've held was an "I need money sale." It wasn't the best selection and I probably wasn't in the best mood. Some of the items were priced too high.
As I am gathering and organizing I consider things such as:
How old is it? Is it new or like new, or showing wear? Is it broken or flawed in any way? Is any of the following: In season, useful, common? Is it in high demand? Still sold in stores? etc...
If I saw the item at a sale, how much would I expect to pay? I also consider demand plus cost/savings ratio. Newer sofa in excellent condition would (hopefully) bring a higher percentage of original cost than a new pair of jeans. $600-700 sofa *may* get $250-300. $50 jeans $5-8.
Good luck with your sale! I'm having mine Friday and/or Saturday. I've found some great ideas online and hoping to post them here later today or tomorrow and welcome any feedback.
