Community-wide Garage Sale Weekend

That's why the last one was my last.

I just gave our friends an Italian wine decanter that visit Italy all the time. I know its old, but not sure how old. The handle, spout & base were pewter. The decanter was blue enamelware with a country scene in the center on the front & back. The pewter stopper doubled as a cork screw.

Anything else I have to get rid of will either go to the church thrift store or to someone I think can use it. If neither, the trash barrel.
 

There’s got to be someone that will buy the entire lot cheaply. If you are in a rural area maybe contact people in bigger towns that buy estates. Locally I know someone that buys entire estates and then resells in his for profit thrift store.

I have had many garage and moving sales but now I am done. I got rid of it all including much that I gave away.

Now you have a lot of antiques which I really think you could find someone that would buy it all. The antiques that I didn’t sell I donated some when people were having silent auctions for a good cause and a dog rescue.
 
Teacher Terry said:
There’s got to be someone that will buy the entire lot cheaply. If you are in a rural area maybe contact people in bigger towns that buy estates. Locally I know someone that buys entire estates and then resells in his for profit thrift store.
Click to expand...
I believe I've explained this before in some other thread. I've been every route trying to get someone to take my "excesses"; from antique shops to estate liquidators to auctioneers. Right now they all want the very best quality items (they term "high-end") and what is "hot" on the market now (military items, vintage hunting and fishing equipment, precious metals and old sports memorabilia), everything but what I have. Old glassware, china and Victorian style furniture are cold turkey right now. There used to be several "collectible/antique" shops in Mechanicville and they all closed in the past few years. There was one right here in Stillwater that was in business only a few months. When it opened, I ask the proprietor to come and look at my inheritance, but she never came over. Some ask if I've sold anything beforehand and when I say "Yes" they refuse to get involved. They probably figure the estate was picked over and anything worth getting was already taken.

I was chatting in a FB antique group about my sale and someone suggested I not put prices on anything and take the first offer I get.
 

Last edited:
I have no clue if no prices will work. Personally I am uncomfortable with that because I don’t want to insult anyone so probably would just leave. I know you have tried local businesses to buy it all but I was thinking more about a big city where the estate market is big and that it might be worth the drive for them to buy it all.

For instance when my mom died in a town of 100k we contacted a company in a town of a million people and they came and took everything as that’s what the deal was. Sorry for the bold print but I was mostly done before noticing 😂.
 
I just had an "Angel" customer that saw my ad for uranium glass on Marketplace. He didn't buy all he indicated he was interested in from his initial communication, but he didn't quibble over the prices. He asked me to give him a price on the pieces he didn't take and if it suited him. he'd come back and buy them.
 
I just thought of another type of customer:
“The Wanderers” - ask about something and when I look up after giving a detailed provenance, they are 10 feet away looking at something else. They they say something to the effect, “Tell me about this.”, and the process is repeated. Are they really interested in ANYTHING?
 
debodun said:
I just had an "Angel" customer that saw my ad for uranium glass on Marketplace. He didn't buy all he indicated he was interested in from his initial communication, but he didn't quibble over the prices. He asked me to give him a price on the pieces he didn't take and if it suited him. he'd come back and buy them.
Click to expand...
An approving debodun?
Do you know my brother went out with a Debbie and her nickname was Debo. 😁
I really liked her. She sat beside me in our jazz band and concert band.
 
The bright side is lots of exercise taking to stuff out & back in. Then interaction with those that show up, if even just to look. Even gives all of us something to read that isn't depressing like mass murders.
 
The man that stopped for the uranium glass (fluoresces under UV light) said to send him a price on the items he didn't take through FB Messenger and he could come back if the price was right. However, my message disappeared. I assume he deleted it. I sent another and the same thing happened. Looks like I have a new "garage sale type" for my list. :rolleyes:

Fenton stag and holly bowl2.jpgFlorentine shakers2.jpgNo. 612 creamer & sugar2.jpg
 
Last edited:
debodun said:
When most people are eating out of McDonald's bags and pizza boxes, what do they need dinnerware for? The younger people, for the most part, don't want these dust catchers.
Click to expand...
That's a thought. I wonder how many people are actually using plates. I do see people look for and buy them in thrift stores.
 
I don't even put books out anymore and I have about 15 boxes of them. Why would people buy books when they can use kindle or read online. I though cookbooks would sell, but I've been informed that people can download a recipe and not have to take up space for a whole book when they'd only use 1 or 2 recipes from it.
 
The people that insist they have to use your bathroom want to go through your medicine cabinet and hope to get lucky on stealing prescription drugs. Or they hope you’ve left your purse out in plain view. Or jewelry. Or does the contents of the house make it worth coming back later to burglarize.

Using large denomination bills for small items is a common way to pass off counterfeit money.

or maybe I’m just pessimistic.
 
I used to like to buy children's books at these events. Still would, but nowhere to put them so I have ceased buying ANY books.
 
MountainRa said:
The people that insist they have to use your bathroom want to go through your medicine cabinet and hope to get lucky on stealing prescription drugs. Or they hope you’ve left your purse out in plain view. Or jewelry. Or does the contents of the house make it worth coming back later to burglarize.

Using large denomination bills for small items is a common way to pass off counterfeit money.

or maybe I’m just pessimistic.
Click to expand...

No, your not pessimistic. This went on in our area during one of the yard sales my neighbor & I held together. We were very careful looking at them & no one took offense. Her first rule was that if you present a $20, you had better have that much in items you are buying. We told people that we didn't have enough change to bust a $20 for $1. Then they would hand us a dollar. She always said true garage sale shopper only show up with small bills & change.

Talking to one of my detectives at a meeting, he told me that a lady was handed a $50 for just a few items that was bought. She said she was busy & didn't realize it until the end of the day that the $50 turned out be a $5 & $10 that had been cut & taped together.
 
debodun said:
I don't even put books out anymore and I have about 15 boxes of them. Why would people buy books when they can use kindle or read online. I though cookbooks would sell, but I've been informed that people can download a recipe and not have to take up space for a whole book when they'd only use 1 or 2 recipes from it.
Click to expand...
You can donate your books to a library. In my area there is a small outdoor display case for people to donate a book or take one that is there. Would be ideal for children's books.
 
debodun said:
I don't even put books out anymore and I have about 15 boxes of them. Why would people buy books when they can use kindle or read online. I though cookbooks would sell, but I've been informed that people can download a recipe and not have to take up space for a whole book when they'd only use 1 or 2 recipes from it.
Click to expand...

I love books! 😊
I would much prefer reading a paperback or hard cover book than a online book.

SeaBreeze said:
You can donate your books to a library. In my area there is a small outdoor display case for people to donate a book or take one that is there. Would be ideal for children's books.
Click to expand...

Our local library has book sales and give aways also. 😊
 
Maybe you put out too much at your sales and people are overwhelmed. I was at an antique sale and many had unopened boxes or said they didn’t bring certain things based on the sale.

As for them using your washroom, that’s too risky and I’d just say I’m sorry but no.
 
debodun said:
I don't even put books out anymore and I have about 15 boxes of them. Why would people buy books when they can use kindle or read online. I though cookbooks would sell, but I've been informed that people can download a recipe and not have to take up space for a whole book when they'd only use 1 or 2 recipes from it.
Click to expand...
People like vintage books, including cookbooks. But they may be a hassle for you to move around. I only read paper books.

I know I've suggested this and you said no, but is there a flea market around? Hassle, but you'd get a whole new demographic of shoppers.

I try to keep small bills for thrift shopping also.
 

You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top