Woman asked for a 95% discount at my garage sale

debodun

debodun

SF VIP
Location
way upstate in New York, USA
I had a tag sale today and had this Asian motif tilt-top table marked $100. A woman asked if I'd take $5. I was aghast she would ask me to come down that much. I asked why and she said it was virtually worthless because the metal claw feet had been removed. This table NEVER had metal claw feet or any other metal feet. There are no indentations or tack marks on the legs where they might have been attached. In fact, on the underside of the legs are silvery nubbins. I refused her "generous" offer and she left the table right in the middle of the front sidewalk and walked away.

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That table is gorgeous Debodun. Maybe you should have it appraised?
 

I guess this is why I hate to do yard/garage/moving sales. Dealing with all the obnoxious folks. Mostly I'd rather just donate stuff to Salvation Army or similar organization.
 
After this an older Asian woman stopped. She looked at the FREE box, then proceeded to fill her arms with items from off the tables and started to walk away. I accosted her and said if she wanted the dishes, she had to pay for them. She said, "No. Free." I tried to explain to her that only the items in the cardboard box were free; the ones on the tables had prices. I showed her the price tags on the dishes. She continued to insist, "Everything free". I actually had to take the dishes away from her. Would you assume if there were a FREE box at a garage sale that everything else was free?
 
I'm not surprised that someone wanted to bring your price down on the table, which is what people often do at garage sales. Free boxes are a great idea, have more and you'll see your stuff disappear and out of your hair. Is your goal to get rid of stuff or to make a few bucks and is the small amount of money involved in selling the stuff really worth all that hassle?
 
We used to do yard sales from time to time, but after our son grew up there was less need for them. Besides donating much to the Salvation Army, in the past year we've been getting rid of things using a cell phone app called "Close 5". It allows you to take four pictures with your cell phone, and post something for sale. If you get an offer that's acceptable, you meet at a public place and conclude the sale. Last week I got rid of an old audio receiver for $40 and my 10 year old digital SLR for $100. Kills me to think how little this is after what I originally paid, but it's more than I was getting had I donated the items to charity and it frees up space. There's definitely some back and forth on price and some people try to bid really low, but all it all it's a pretty good way to get rid of items you no longer want.
 
Cookie said:
I'm not surprised that someone wanted to bring your price down on the table, which is what people often do at garage sales.
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Yes, but 95% off?

Cookie said:
Free boxes are a great idea, have more and you'll see your stuff disappear and out of your hair.
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I have free boxes. I've never seen anyone take anything out of them. I think they figure if it's free, there's something wrong with it.

Cookie said:
Is your goal to get rid of stuff or to make a few bucks and is the small amount of money involved in selling the stuff really worth all that hassle?
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Yes, yes and no, respectively.
 
fureverywhere said:
I could not have a garage sale. Emotion behind every item so I donate the whole shaboo to a local church.
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I agree Fur, it's too much work and time commitment and so much easier to simply donate. It can all be done in a day and it's easier to move on.

@Debodun, I'd like to hear some positive stories from your yard sale experiences.
 
Well, I added up the damages from this weekend's garage sale. I made about a third of what I did Labor Day weekend last year. Considering this year I did it for 5 days and last year 3 days, it is a significant drop. I was theorizing about why it was so bad this year. At first I thought it was because this is an election year and people are unsure about the future. Then a friend stopped by and mentioned that she received her school tax bill last Thursday and there was a hefty increase. I was wondering why she had her tax bill so early since they are usually mailed the day after Labor Day. She said they are now mailing out the last day of August. Maybe other people had received their school tax bills also and figured they better save their money.
 
jujube said:
Sounds like typical dealer behavior. Charge in, insult your goods and low-ball you on the prices.
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Dealers and/or ebay sellersare notorious for hunting at garage sales. Around here the local consignment shops say the dealers are flooding them with stuff to sell and they do it on a routine basis either using the shop as a broker or dumping ground. The individual resident who sells at a consignment now has to wait for an opening and/or since the shop already has a lot of stuff from the dealer they need less of your stuff.
 
Your yard sales seem to be an exercise in futility and I hope that you will soon stop torturing yourself with them, and just dump all that stuff, you might find it a real relief.
 
Cookie said:
Your yard sales seem to be an exercise in futility and I hope that you will soon stop torturing yourself with them, and just dump all that stuff, you might find it a real relief.
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Agreed. As much as I hated unloading things that had special significance to me, not to mention real monetary value, once I bit the bullet and let them go, I found it very freeing.

There are places in this area where the garage sale signs are out so often that it's almost like they're part of the landscaping, and there is rarely so much as one car there. After a while, I think people feel like they've already been there and found nothing they wanted so it's all junk and why bother.

The hardest thing for me was admitting things that had value to me had little or no value to others.

My advice? Box it all up, call Goodwill, Salvation Army, Kidney Foundation, St. Vincent de Paul...whatever charity is close to you and has a thrift shop...and ask them to pick it up. You'll be doing them a favor and yourself a favor, too
 
GeorgiaXplant said:
My advice? Box it all up, call Goodwill, Salvation Army, Kidney Foundation, St. Vincent de Paul...whatever charity is close to you and has a thrift shop...and ask them to pick it up. You'll be doing them a favor and yourself a favor, too
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Agree with this. We have a small, local charity here in my town. Their mission is to help families get situated in permanent housing, most typically women coming out of domestic abuse situations, often with young children. They focus on all the items that one might need if starting with nothing. Their "clients" are referred from social service agencies in the surrounding communities. We've brought them clothing of course, but also household items such as linens, pots, pans, furniture, etc. Felt good to know that we were helping another family in need and it was great to reclaim some space in the home.
 
I also agree with what's been recently said above. I'd also ask what's your time worth? It seems as though in some of your posts about your garage sales you've experienced many frustrating experiences. Are the sales you've made worth that frustration? How would it feel to be done with all of this and spend your time doing things you'd enjoy more? Perhaps there's a way to keep a few things that have the most sentimental value and find a way to let go of the rest. Then you could move on and put your energy into other things. The freedom might be unexpectedly wonderful.
 
debodun said:
I would post them if I had any.
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Which is a real good reason why you should just donate it all and be done with it. I can guarandamntee that you will feel like the weight of the world has been lifted from your shoulders. You will never again have to tote it out to the lawn for a sale, tote it all back in again when it doesn't sell, store it, clean it...

Ascribe your poor showing this year on Labor Day weekend compared to last year to whatever you like...weather, tax bills, phase of the moon...and it all just really boils down to the fact that you made very little money for a lot of (apparently futile) effort. Another benefit is the space it will free up in your house.

Here's the thing, Deb: it has more monetary value to you than to others. There can't be too terribly much sentimental value or you wouldn't be selling it!
 
I helped a friend with a garage sale several years ago and it wasn't successful at all, and then we had to tote all that unsold stuff back inside. I wouldn't do it again. I just donate stuff -- less trouble, and it seems the chances of selling big stuff or expensive stuff are slim and none, at least around here. Besides which there is little to no interest in antiques here, even at estate sales.
 
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