Garage Sale

The first Saturday in June for the last several years has been a garage sale involving several of my parents neighbors. The association sponsors the event. The sale always has bad timing for me being the end of the school year but I am always glad to participate when it is all over.

Faithfully, every year we make over $200 of no longer wanted items or as the cartoon to the left alludes to "garbage". I think every year that we have done the garage sale all the earnings would go towards a specific cause. Last year we got a savings bond for my nephew who was to be born the next week. This year the money earned is going towards a "baby fund" for a baby that does not exist yet.

Garage sales are such a good idea. You get to talk with people (for me, I get to practice some Spanish with those who I think might speak Spanish), have some back bone ("No. I am sorry I will not go for $2. The price is $10") good for the economy (people can afford the goods that you offer and you may help them with a need), good for the environment (junk not filling up your trash can) and you can earn a few bucks.

I have discovered a few keys to having a garage sale over the years. You need to be organized and have your junk set up according to categories, like kitchen things, pictures, household items, furniture set up in rooms. Today all of the furniture was set up like a living room including the reclining chair, the book cases (books on the shelves) and an end table (a lamp and phone on the end table). I think all the items sold. When pricing your items, you should price them to sell and not for what they are worth. One has to remember that you are getting rid of things you no longer want and if they are not priced to go then you will not be getting rid of them. After about 1:00 you need to consider what offer someone is making and meet them half way if you don't agree with their offer. You will get rid of more stuff this way. My sister and I try to greet each and every person with a simple hello and ask how they are doing. Often people will buy even just one little thing because you were kind. Be prepared ahead of time with change, bills and coins, and have bags for people to put their stuff in. One of the most important things my family always does after a sale, because we know we are not going to pack up the stuff and have another sale at someone else's house (which does work by the way, one time in college we collected all this junk, had a sale 3 separate days at 3 separate houses and we sold a bucket load of junk), is to haul everything left over to the near by Goodwill store and get your tax right off for the year. I love doing this, everything is cleaned up and the junk is gone and you will feel much better just getting your life a little uncluttered.

Oh, one last thing, why not, I have blabbed on already, but I have a tubby in the garage for smaller things that I know I want to get rid of for next year's sale. During the year I put things in the tubby and it is all ready to go to get ready to go to a new home.