What time of day people most likely stop at garage sales

debodun

debodun

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Location
way upstate in New York, USA
Years ago when my parents had sales, we noticed that most people came right when we opened and just before quitting time. We thought that the "early birds" wanted to get first choice and snap up anything that was horribly under-priced. The late comers probably hoped to get the leftovers at a huge discount. In between was what my dad called "the midday lull" when hardly anyone stopped between 11 am and 2 pm.

These day, however, it's almost the opposite. I usually don't get a customer until well after an hour of opening. Most cars stop between 10:30 am and noon, then I sit there the rest of the day and maybe one or two cars stop.

I wonder why this pattern has changed.

I've also noticed a trend away from having sales on Sundays. Nowadays any sales I see advertised are on Fridays and Saturdays, or just Saturdays. I have sales on Sunday, although it usually isn't as busy or profitable as a Saturday sale. The blue laws were rescinded here years ago. And it can't be that people are do religious they can't shop - look at Wal-Mart parking lots on Sunday. Why the avoidance of Sunday for both sellers and customers?
 

From my past experience, you get the "dealers" first thing in the morning, quite often a half hour before the published start of the sale. They'll go through like a whirlwind, make insulting remarks about what you have for sale and outrageously low-ball you.

About 8:00 (and here I'm just speaking from personal experience), you'll have the ladies from a certain Caribbean island show up and steal as much as they can (happened to me at all three of my garage sales). Shortly after that, the various looky-loos dribble in. They'll always ask you for something you obviously don't have. They'll want to know if you are putting anything else out later. They'll want to buy the folding table that has the sign on it that says, "TABLE NOT FOR SALE." They really, really want that table. If you do agree to sell it to them, they won't like the price. They'll pass up all the really good stuff and buy a chipped cup in the five-cent box.

The minute you run inside for a potty-break at 10:00, 17 people will show up at once. From 11:00 to 2:00, you'll sit out in the broiling sun and nobody will come by except for a neighbor down the street who wants to know if you're moving and if so, can they have your trash can.

At 3:00, you'll decide to pack it up and the afternoon rush will show up and pull everything out of the boxes you have just packed. They won't buy anything; they were just bored and decided to pull over. One guy who wouldn't pay $5 for the almost-brand-new weedwhacker at 10:00 will show up at 3:15 and is absolutely crushed that it's not still there.

At 3:45, you'll throw everything back into the garage and vow to NEVER.HAVE.ANOTHER.GARAGE.SALE.IN.YOUR.LIFE! When you figure out how much you brought in and how long it took to get ready, you'll realize that you just paid yourself 42 cents an hour. For this, you retired? At 5:00, someone will knock on the door and ask to look at what you have left. You slam the door in their faces. During the night, your trash can disappears.
 
The past years we've had garage/yard sales we do them from 7 am to 2 pm. You get those who are up and ready to go early--along with the dealers :( The next few hours are others who get going at 8 or 9. There's always a lull or two, but not too bad. Several of us are usually here to take turns answering questions, taking money, carrying to the car, etc. We order lunch during a lull.
 

jujube said:
From my past experience, you get the "dealers" first thing in the morning, quite often a half hour before the published start of the sale. They'll go through like a whirlwind, make insulting remarks about what you have for sale and outrageously low-ball you.

About 8:00 (and here I'm just speaking from personal experience), you'll have the ladies from a certain Caribbean island show up and steal as much as they can (happened to me at all three of my garage sales). Shortly after that, the various looky-loos dribble in. They'll always ask you for something you obviously don't have. They'll want to know if you are putting anything else out later. They'll want to buy the folding table that has the sign on it that says, "TABLE NOT FOR SALE." They really, really want that table. If you do agree to sell it to them, they won't like the price. They'll pass up all the really good stuff and buy a chipped cup in the five-cent box.

The minute you run inside for a potty-break at 10:00, 17 people will show up at once. From 11:00 to 2:00, you'll sit out in the broiling sun and nobody will come by except for a neighbor down the street who wants to know if you're moving and if so, can they have your trash can.

At 3:00, you'll decide to pack it up and the afternoon rush will show up and pull everything out of the boxes you have just packed. They won't buy anything; they were just bored and decided to pull over. One guy who wouldn't pay $5 for the almost-brand-new weedwhacker at 10:00 will show up at 3:15 and is absolutely crushed that it's not still there.

At 3:45, you'll throw everything back into the garage and vow to NEVER.HAVE.ANOTHER.GARAGE.SALE.IN.YOUR.LIFE! When you figure out how much you brought in and how long it took to get ready, you'll realize that you just paid yourself 42 cents an hour. For this, you retired? At 5:00, someone will knock on the door and ask to look at what you have left. You slam the door in their faces. During the night, your trash can disappears.
Click to expand...

Sounds like the story of my life. Add to that people that stop just to: 1) ask directions 2) use the bathroom 3) ask you to dispose of the trash they have in the car like fast food bags and big-gulp cups.
 
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