Garage Sale finds

Here is an article I found that I thought was great! Still a few more months until people will start up the garage sales, but something to think about...

Yard sales: 6 things to buy and how to get a better deal

Posted Nov 20 2007, 08:45 AM by Karen Datko

This post comes from Trent Hamm at partner blog The Simple Dollar.

Let’s face it: Most items at garage sales and yard sales are junk. It's stuff the family conducting the sale wants to get rid of, hoping to make $100 on a good weekend.

With that in mind, I often visit yard sales to look for specific items. Here are six things I usually look for.

• Old towels. Don’t think of them as towels; think of them as heavy-duty rags. I keep a tub of them in the basement, and, for a lot of things, they’re better if they’re well-worn. If I get them heavily stained with oil, so what? I get them as clean as possible with bleach and keep using them until they fall apart.

• Junky T-shirts for the whole family. We keep T-shirts to wear while mowing or cleaning in a tub in the garage, and sometimes use them for rags as well.

• Children’s books. I find piles of children’s books that look as though they were scarcely read, and I pick up a stack for a dollar or two. I look for books for all ages, storing the books that are too advanced for my children.

• Collectibles I’m knowledgeable about. This includes baseball cards and vintage video games. I usually have a good idea what something is worth, and that has paid off for me many times.

• Plastic food containers. I'm looking for Tupperware and the like. If the lid attaches tightly but easily, I’ll always take it, because I’m always looking for more storage containers for the pantry.

• Children’s clothes. Many people who shop yard sales are looking for kids' clothes but surprisingly buy just one or two items. I tend to shop for them late in the day and offer a lowball price for everything in specific sizes.

Having said that, here are the tactics I use to get even better deals:

Negotiate. Do that knowing that the sellers view the items as one step away from Goodwill or the Dumpster.

Buy large groupings of stuff. Make an offer for all the old video games or all the towels. I usually offer about 40% of the total asking price if it’s early in the sale.

Offer even less near the end of a sale. If you’re there late Sunday afternoon, make absurdly low offers. I have been known to make offers for bundles of stuff at 15% of what they’re listed for.

Remember, you’re not going to yard sales to find items to display with pride. Look for big bargains on stuff with utility -- and don’t buy things you’re not going to use or need.

Different places to sell...

Here are some other ways to sell things online...with all the requirements so you can see which style is best for you:

How To Sell/Buy things online:

-Auctions
EBay
Must Create Account
Bids on Items, so price could increase
Last minute critical- prices usually go up right at the end
Description and digital camera- pictures sell your product!
Shipping- not good for furniture, mostly for collectibles
Commission- Ebay does take a fee for listing

-Personal meet-up
Craig’s List
No account needed
No checks- request this on the ad!
Cash only
Meet in person-house or somewhere public
Digital camera- pictures sell it!
Description- you must provide
Email and/or phone number- include in your listing
No commission- free to list!

Local newspaper's or TV station's classified ads online

A friend just told me about another one: www.kijiji.com

-Online stores
Amazon
Create an Account
Picture not necessary (provided)
Description not necessary
Shipping
Commission

How to SELL on Craig's List

Here's a pretty detailed outline for selling on Craig's list. I know you have SOMETHING you could sell!! I will also add, if you would like to sell something, but aren't interested or don't have the time to commit to selling something, I can sell it for you for a percentage of what you make! Just email me a picture of what you want to sell and I will follow up with you for the details.

How to SELL on Craig’s List

Things you have lying around can be easily sold for money! Craig’s List is FREE website that allows you to sell whatever you want! You don’t have to create an account or even give your name or phone number. You just need an email account, and possibly a way to put pictures online- either a scanner or a digital camera.
Craig’s List is free- no fees or commission required! Here is how to get started:

- Get whatever it is you want to sell. A couch, dresser, kitchen appliances, collectibles, clothes, jewelry, or anything else you are wanting to sell

- Go to http://www.craigslist.org/ and find your state and city

- Go to the link on the left side of the page “post to classifieds”

- Figure out what category your item belongs in. A great way to check is to look up a similar item before posting your own to see where they advertised it. For example, a collection of children’s videos could go under ‘CDs and Videos’ or under ‘Baby and Kids’

- Fill out the posting:
Enter the title- do not use all caps as this comes off as yelling in internet language. Something that grabs attention but doesn’t scream, like “Comfortable Couch” or “Amazing Dining Set”.

Then enter your city, if desired, but NOT your address.

Deciding on a Price:
First, look up similar items and see what they are asking for. If you have a coffee table, look up other coffee tables and look for some that have the same features as yours.

In my experience, it is better to list a price than to ask for offers. You can list an item for a little higher than what you would really want for it if you are willing to wait a little longer for it to sell. The buyer might ask to negotiate the price, so be prepared to go lower if that’s what it takes to make a sale!

Describe your item.
Remember, you are trying to sell it so make it appeal to buyers! Write something about the item to tell what it is, and also help the buyer see what they would want it! Maybe give suggestions- like, “Great wedding present!” or “kid-friendly!”. They were interested enough to click on your ad- now you have to make them see why they want it! Also, make sure to include “comes from a smoke-free, kid-free and/or pet-free home” (whichever applies). This is a helpful selling point for buyers, but if you have any of those, don’t include it in the offer unless it applies. Remember to include CASH ONLY. Do not deal with checks, you never know if they will go through! Confirm with the buyer before meeting that they will bring cash


Add images!
If people know what something looks like AND they have a great description, they are more inclined to buy! Would you buy a kitchen table based on two lines of description or pictures of it? The description is still needed because it will answer some questions for the buyer, but the pictures are what sells your item! When taking pictures of your item, make sure the lighting is good so it is easy to see your item- and make sure it is presentable! Buyers are more likely to buy something that has the dust wiped off of it and items around it are removed.

Give craig’s list your email.
This will be your email that you do your business with- and you can choose to make it anonymous. That way, interested buyers can email you with questions and offers and not know who they are talking to, initially.

Click that you don’t want people to contact you for anything else- and load your ad! You will have a chance to look over your ad once more, and confirm it. You will also need to click ‘I Agree’ to the terms and conditions.

- Now you will wait for emails or phone calls for your item! Make sure to answer any questions the buyer might have. Decide on a place to meet- often a parking lot, gas station, or front of a store are good places to meet if you don’t want them to come to your home. You can give your home as the meeting place- I do it all the time so I don’t have to leave, but this is after I have emailed and talked to the person and feel comfortable with the deal. You can also offer to deliver your item to their house for an extra fee. (Usually $5-10 or $20 for a piece of furniture within 20 miles, but whatever you decide on).

- Some other tips: Be firm on the price if that is the lowest you will go, but if you are wanting to get rid of the item- include ‘Or Best Offer (OBO) in the description. That way someone can email you and ask for little less selling price and you can sell faster. Have someone go with you to the meeting place if possible. If you meet somewhere public, you probably don’t have to worry about bringing someone- just meet in the day when people will be around. Better safe than sorry!

Examples for Craig's List

Let's say you have this couch. You are ready for a new one and don't think much about selling this one. My little mind would be hard at work figuring out how much to get for this couch before even looking for a new one!! One thing about the internet and craig's list is you have to realize there isn't anything too big or too small for you to sell. It's free, it's local, and it will make it easy for you to buy/sell stuff. Here are some pictures from my local craig's list that I found listed today.

Craig's List

I got married a few years ago, and therefore needed to buy some furniture for our lovely apartment. My mom used www.craigslist.org to find some great stuff for us, and it opened up a whole world to me! I have since bought and sold things on Craig's List at least once a month since. I think it is the best of all the online selling options, so I made a list of what you would want to know to be able to work it on Craig's.

After recently graduating college with a BA in English and having a baby, I have found that I have a lot of skills using the internet. I have purchased lots of things...sold many more things...and have a general knowledge of how to find my way around the internet. I decided to start this page so that I could share my experience with others. I can help you save money in buying things and make money in selling things!