Good and bad from the yard sale

I forget what the original fabric was. Seems to me it was some tan and cream geometric pattern, but don't hold me to it. I had it reupholstered as a Christmas present for my mom about 2 years before she passed. Cost $125 then. I doubt I can even get my money back on that. One person said the fabric was "too busy", but it's what mom wanted.
 

debodun said:
I forget what the original fabric was. Seems to me it was some tan and cream geometric pattern, but don't hold me to it. I had it reupholstered as a Christmas present for my mom about 2 years before she passed. Cost $125 then. I doubt I can even get my money back on that.
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A beautiful choice in fabric, Deb, and you're right, gleaning ones investment back for such fabric and upholstery work more than likely won't happen, but the chair looks gorgeous and that's what counts.
 
I had a woman stop and she walked with a cane. She said she couldn't drive hand had to hire someone to take her wherever she wanted to go. Then she eventually got around to asking for my phone number and inquired if I liked Chinese food. By this time my alarm bells were going. Seems she just got too chummy, too fast. My gut feeling is she was looking for someone to act as her chauffeur, may even drive her around for nothing. Maybe she was looking for a girlfriend, but she will have to look elsewhere. I don't play that game!

Another one emptied out boxes of items and then didn't put anything back. She also tried on winter coats and instead of putting them back on the hanger, she just dropped them on the floor and walked away. She ignored me when I asked her to put things back.
 
debodun said:
I had a woman stop and she walked with a cane. She said she couldn't drive hand had to hire someone to take her wherever she wanted to go. Then she eventually got around to asking for my phone number and inquired if I liked Chinese food. By this time my alarm bells were going. Seems she just got too chummy, too fast. My gut feeling is she was looking for someone to act as her chauffeur, may even drive her around for nothing. Maybe she was looking for a girlfriend, but she will have to look elsewhere. I don't play that game!

Another one emptied out boxes of items and then didn't put anything back. She also tried on winter coats and instead of putting them back on the hanger, she just dropped them on the floor and walked away. She ignored me when I asked her to put things back.
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The woman that disrespected you by dropping coats on the floor, I would have had my husband show her off the property.
 
Aunt Marg said:
The woman that disrespected you by dropping coats on the floor, I would have had my husband show her off the property.
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You mean since Deb is unmarried you would have your husband go to Deb's. Doesn't seem possible in time since you are in Canada & Deb is in upstate NY.
 
debodun said:
I had a woman stop and she walked with a cane. She said she couldn't drive hand had to hire someone to take her wherever she wanted to go. Then she eventually got around to asking for my phone number and inquired if I liked Chinese food. By this time my alarm bells were going. Seems she just got too chummy, too fast. My gut feeling is she was looking for someone to act as her chauffeur, may even drive her around for nothing. Maybe she was looking for a girlfriend, but she will have to look elsewhere. I don't play that game!
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Deb, you may be suspicious of everyone trying to befriend you but nothing will change if you keep that mindset. I see why you feel at home in forums like this where you can rant/vent to your heart's content. You get the satisfaction of people responding to you while keeping them at a safe distance so as not to take advantage of you.

Have you thought of buying those med alert plans in case of a medical emergency? You may feel invincible now but without a relative or friend who cares for you, one of these days you might have a "life teaching moment".
 
debodun said:
Can someone explain why people will buy kid and baby clothes at garage sales, but not adult clothes?
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Ironically, I just passed a yard sale two days ago where racks of adult clothing were displayed, and the yard was abuzz with people.

As for baby and children's clothing and things, thrift stores, second-hand stores, garage and yard sales were my go-to places when I needed something for them. I can't count the number of times I arrived home with next to new and sometimes, brand new things for my kids, and at a fraction of new, store-bought prices.
 
Likely because adult tastes are very specific. If you had a rack of Lululemon, they’d be noticed.

Take your clothing to a consignment store. If they refuse them, you might as well donate them. They know what will sell.
 
I have a 60 gallon trash bag of clothing no one even glanced at at my yard sale. I am donating it to the city mission. There a man that works there that goes to my church. I'll probably see him on Sunday. Last year I gave him a bag full of my dad's socks and he was very grateful.
 
Babies and kids outgrow their clothes long before they wear them out; therefore, people would rather buy second-hand and save the cost of buying new.

With adult clothes, it depends on what you're selling, and you have to choose carefully what you offer. Men's Levi's, for instance, sell in a heartbeat. My professional work clothes, all brand names at a time when brand names mattered, never lasted until noon on sale day. One of my favorite sales was a 20-year-old Evan Picone suit. That's right, 20 years old. It was classic and tailored and still favored in the working world. IIRC it cost $200 at an outlet mall and still fetched $50 at a yard sale.

A London Fog or Burberry rain coat wouldn't last long, nor would a pea coat of any brand.

If you're offering dresses that are no longer fashionable/in style, have specific fashion "tells" like shoulder pads, gathered fabric at the shoulder, or prints/plaids that are no longer trendy, they aren't going to sell at any price.

Run-of-the-mill, off-the-rack women's dresses, pantsuits? Cut the buttons off, take zippers out, rip them into fabric strips and make rag rugs out of them. People will buy rag rugs;)
 
debodun said:
Can someone explain why people will buy kid and baby clothes at garage sales, but not adult clothes?
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I would never buy any used clothes. Clothes today, NEW clothes, are CHEAP, esp. at Walmart types of stores, for any age group.

In my early twenties, antique clothing was an in thing. I remember buying boots, some dresses, a fur coat; enjoyed going to Portobello Road in London, that type of thing.

Old clothes should be donated.
 
Fast fashion is just that, so you might as well just buy it as inexpensively as you can. If it hasn't fallen apart in the wash by the time you're tired of it or it's out of style, it goes to Goodwill anyway.

If you've spent a lot on trendy clothes, there's no point in trying to sell them because they aren't salable. Money frittered away. Colors that are in this season, are out next season. Details that catch the eye today, look silly tomorrow. Faux anything is still faux.

If you've spent a lot on classic and timeless clothes, keep them and wear them as long as you like.
 
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debodun said:
I have a 60 gallon trash bag of clothing no one even glanced at at my yard sale. I am donating it to the city mission. There a man that works there that goes to my church. I'll probably see him on Sunday. Last year I gave him a bag full of my dad's socks and he was very grateful.
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Good for you.
That’s truly wonderful.
Im sure they will put to good use. 👍
 


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