People stopping at neighbors tag sale but not mine

debodun

debodun

SF VIP
Location
way upstate in New York, USA
I noticed that people that stopped first at my neighbor's tag sale didn't come over to mine. I only get customers that stop at mine first. Yesterday the neighbors must have had 10 people over there and not one came to my sale. Makes me wonder if they are saying something to people to keep them away from my sale. I can't very well go over and ask them - it would sound so paranoid and accusative when I have no basis for it. How would you feel?
 

debodun said:
I noticed that people that stopped first at my neighbor's tag sale didn't come over to mine. I only get customers that stop at mine first. Yesterday the neighbors must have had 10 people over there and not one came to my sale. Makes me wonder if they are saying something to people to keep them away from my sale. I can't very well go over and ask them - it would sound so paranoid and accusative when I have no basis for it. How would you feel?
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I doubt that most people would just take the word of a stranger & not go look if they saw something that interested them.

I know I wouldn't listen to it if I saw something of interest.

Maybe if you put your chair closer to the curb, smiled, waved & invited them over for a look, more of them would come over.

I know that I can usually tell at a glance if a yard sale/garage sale (as we call them) has the kind of things I might be interested in or not, without having to actually stop & look up close.
 
I can't see why it would help your neighbors any to tell them not to go to your yard sale. People at their sale will buy what they have that they want whether they go to your sale or not.
I agree with everything that Jim said, as well. Even if I didn't see anything that caught my eye, if the person was smiling and waving, I would probably go and check out the yard sale; and I can usually tell before I even stop the car if there is something I am interested in or not.
If all I see are piles of baby clothes and kids toys (which I have no use for), then I just cruise slowly on by, and don't stop.
The best way to tell if things are going good is whether people are buying things from you when they do stop. If people are looking and leaving, then it is time to lower the prices; but if people are buying things, and making offers, then I would say that everything is progressing as it should be.
 
Im guessing most of neighbors customers are related and was planned that way. Did you notice if those "customers " stayed at that tag sale all day long?
 
Friends and family will support their friend's and family's sales. Don't take it personal. :)

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Unless I needed a particular item that you're selling, and saw it from my car, like the stool, shopping cart, paintings, I wouldn't stop. But then again, I'm not one to go to many flea markets, yard or garage sales in general.

Like others have said, I have enough stuff in my house and garage that really isn't needed and is just taking up space. I don't like to add to it. I see many people setting out large displays on their front lawn or driveway, and they appear to just lug that stuff back into the house in the evening. Seems like too much work and time, for too little money earned.
 
You need items to attract the driver and make them stop. For men, its old tools. I know a neighbor, who always displays prominently a selection of old tools and yard equipment. Seems there's "no tool like an old tool"! :) ...of course it helps to price the items to sell!:)

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Not to be impolite.
But to me it looks like a lot of old tat dumped for the Bin men
Try putting the for sale goods nearer the kerb and in line not behind each other.
 
I have a sign - it's just not in the photo.

However, it is apparent that people heading south will stop at my sale; people going north stop at the neighbors. I've asked people that stop at mine if they've been across the street to the other sale. Some say they were afraid to cross the highway on foot (I can't imagine a grown adult afraid to cross the street). Some said they didn't even notice the other sale. Maybe it's the same thing on the other side of the street. They stop there and don't see my sale which is beyond my comprehension. Is there an invisibility shield running down the middle of the highway?
 
debodun said:
I have a sign - it's just not in the photo.

However, it is apparent that people heading south will stop at my sale; people going north stop at the neighbors. I've asked people that stop at mine if they've been across the street to the other sale. Some say they were afraid to cross the highway on foot (I can't imagine a grown adult afraid to cross the street). Some said they didn't even notice the other sale. Maybe it's the same thing on the other side of the street. They stop there and don't see my sale which is beyond my comprehension. Is there an invisibility shield running down the middle of the highway?
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Out of interest, do the people who stop at your sale buy anything?
 
If you are on a quiet street, then people should see that there is a sale on both sides, and walk across. You mention it as a highway. I would only stop at a sale that was on my side of the highway usually, and not very likely walk across a highway to go to one on the other side. So I think that part depends on what the road itself is like.

I think that if things were put out more along the front yard instead of along the sidewalk, then people could see what was there better. And if you are sitting out there and wave, they are more apt to stop. I often don't stop unless I see people out in the yard.
I also like to negotiate prices, so if I make an offer on some items that I think are priced too high, and they will not even consider reducing the price; soon I decide that everything else is probably too high also, and just leave.

When I am having a sale, I usually start at the best price I hope to get, and then if people are not interested, I start lowering prices until they get down to where people do start buying things, and take any offers that seem reasonable.
 
No, I don't sit out. It could be hours between when people stop and in that time I could be doing other things. I put a sign on a table outside "If you have any questions or wish to make a purchase, ring doorbell."

I will look out if I hear voices or a car door slam. Sometimes I've just happened to pass the front door and seen people walking away who didn't ring the bell. It makes me furious.
 
I would bake some cakes too and put a sign up "Home made cakes ",,?that might draw them over .
i don't think them opposite you are saying anything ,cause people are free to make their own minds up ..
over here they are called Safari Sales, ...when several hold sales on same day , a Map of who is hold one on which street is given out from a shop in the area....Good luck with your next one ..and get baking ..
 
Law here that unless you have a permit, no consumables can be sold by private individuals; something about health regulations. Kids can't even have a lemonade stand or churches have a bake sale anymore. Maybe too may people were getting sick on food.
 
Lady said:
I would bake some cakes too and put a sign up "Home made cakes ",,?that might draw them over .
i don't think them opposite you are saying anything ,cause people are free to make their own minds up ..
over here they are called Safari Sales, ...when several hold sales on same day , a Map of who is hold one on which street is given out from a shop in the area....Good luck with your next one ..and get baking ..
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I doubt you would be permitted to do that in the UK now?
 
A lot of people complain about the lack of safe parking, as if there were anything I could do about that. Like I mentioned, I live on the main street which is a confluence of two major highways passing there and it is very busy and on a curve. There are no pull-offs or driveways in front on my block (see areal view of my block, my house in red circle). Most people that stop pull onto the nearest side street (Lansing) and park there, but that is busy also since a development went in three block in back.

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