Over the last few weekends, I have lugged the kids around Prince George with my mother going secondhand shopping at other people's houses.
'Tis the season for garage sales!
I love garage sales.
My husband does not.
In fact, my husband would rather poke himself in the eye while changing a dirty diaper than go to garage sales with his lovely wife. In order to keep a happy home, I go with my mom instead. In trade for potentially bringing home strange items, I also take the children with me.
Over the last three weekends, my mother and I have been to many garage sales around the city hosted by families from many different backgrounds. Throughout our travels we have noticed a few things that are consistently frustrating so I have put together a short list of things that sellers can do to make their garage sales more successful.
Crappy signage - If I can't find your house, I can't buy anything.
No prices - Seriously? If you don't want to spend your day answering "How much?" to every single person for every single item that you have for sale, then spend the say before your garage sale pricing the items you have for sale.
Outrageous prices - If you love your stuff that much, don't sell it. Garage sales are supposed to be a place where you can get rid of things that you are no longer using and make a "little bit" of money in the process. You will not get rich by hosting a garage sale. If people come to your garage sale and no one is buying, then perhaps your prices are a little out of line. I will not pay $7 for an ugly, chipped fiberboard bookshelf. I might pay $2. I will also not pay $2 for a Nicholas Sparks mass market paperback. I will pay 25 cents.
Do not be insulted if I offer you less than you've priced your item - seriously, have you been to a garage sale?
Please don't keep the really nice things that have already sold right in front - Hide the beautiful chest that I missed out on because I'll think about it for the rest of the week and be a little bit sad.
Be friendly but don't try to sell me a car - no one likes getting attacked when they walk into a store so please give me space to browse.
Get your neighbours involved - It's always a bonus heading to one garage sale and finding six more unadvertised sales on the same street.
Take down your signage after the garage sale is over - Are you getting creepy drivebys your house with people looking confused? Did you have a garage sale the previous weekend? Is it Sunday and you had a Saturday only sale? Take the sign down, please.
Good luck everyone and happy garage selling and sale-ing.
