Never Again!

[DianaB]

I've been working all week to get ready for a garage sale. My daughter's co-workers were having one and invited me to join them and since I had a closet that really needed to be cleaned out I thought that I'd go ahead. I can't say that I worked real hard on getting things priced but Jaci and I ended up with the back of the Tahoe full. The garage sale was HUGE and being right on a main street in town we had a lot of people stop and buy. When it was all said and done I made a whole $29.20!!!! I spent all week getting ready and my house is trashed from getting everything out. Oh.....and that amount includes what Jaci sold. BUMMER! I'm NOT doing this again. I have a few things that I'm going to try and sell on e-Bay and the other stuff is going to the thrift store. I know that I've said that before but this time I really mean it!!!!!

[Janet]

You poor girl!!! My mom says that all the time too, she never makes very much, but Mom prices things way too high for a garage sale. She did take everything to Goodwill and the Salvation Army this time. I'm sorry you didn't do as well as you wanted. You're good at Ebay though...so maybe that is your better route.

I don't have anything left from my sale. Ricky took it to work with him...LOL. I know I'll have more by spring.

[gja1000]

I know what you mean - every time I have a garage sale which is only once every 4-5 years - I say "NEVER AGAIN" - but somehow I always forget how awful it was!!!

[Marilyn]

I've only had two garage sales, ever, but we did really well around here. It seems that a lot of people around here shop the garage sales and they must need a lot of the things we are trying to sell. Most any furniture or household item will sell. Books and toys did not do well, but much of the things did. We even sold a trailer and a piano in garage sales. The only problem we really have to watch out for is shoplifters. We had several items stollen at our first sale. So many people come at once it's hard to keep an eye on them. The second sale, we had more help, our daughters were older, and we watched people better and if they looked like they were trying to leave without paying, we'd approach them and see if they were ready to check out.

It's an interesting experience.

[Tink]

I haven't had one in years and have never made enough off one to feel it was worth the effort. My stuff goes to Goodwill or a local shop called Sense and Sensibility. I'd rather donate it to a worthy cause than have all the work of preparing for a sale just to make next to nothing off it.

[Tink]

I haven't had one in years and have never made enough off one to feel it was worth the effort. My stuff goes to Goodwill or a local shop called Sense and Sensibility. I'd rather donate it to a worthy cause than have all the work of preparing for a sale just to make next to nothing off it.

[Gina]

Diana that stinks.. I do haven't had a garage sale in years not worth it.. I give it all to the poor.

[Janet]

I have a sale every now and then. I do pretty good most of the time and for living out in the country. I try to have them early in the spring when there are hardly any in the paper at all. I get more people that way. Not only do I try to get some extra money from the sale, but I also get to see people I haven't seen in years. So much fun to talk and reminisce...then the added bonus is the money....lol

[DianaB]

It would have been nice to have broken even, but I spent way more than I made!!!! My daughter and I went out to eat when we were finished and I was so glad that she picked up the tab!!! I really would have been in the hole if I'd have paid for our meal!!!!

I do have to say though that I've got two little girls in my Sunday School class and they have an older brother and sister and I bought them some clothes. They really don't have much and I just decided the other day that that was something that I could do for them. I mentioned it to one of them and their parents said that it was alright. I wish that you could have been there this morning when I gave them each a sack of clothes. Some sacks had more clothes than others but they were all so appreciative. The oldest little girl said that she needed a jacket and I reached into her sack and pulled out a glittery denim jacket and her eyes got so round. I could have just cried the way that they all reacted. I think that I'm going to shop a few more weeks at garage sales then Glen and I are going to take them shopping to fill in what they need. I'm kicking myself that I didn't think about doing this sooner.

[Tink]

Way to go Diana!
Isn't it great how helping others makes us feel so much better about ourselves! It's usually a really great investment.

We rented from a family for a while who had 11 kinds. Needless to say they didn't have a lot of money for clothes for that many, so the kids pretty much lived in wore out hand me downs. My kids on the other hand were pretty lucky in that respect, so when they outgrew some of their nicer items after only wearing them once or twice, we started bagging them up and giving it to them.

One time we took them some of Katies clothes just before Christmas and one of their girls who they fit perfectly was so happy to get them! She'd been hoping for a new dress for her church Christmas pagent, but said she knew better than to expect one... so when she reached in the bag and found a velvet dress Katie had wore once and a new winter coat that was dressy and very fashionable, she just squealed, hugged them to her and ran off to try them on. I too felt like tearing up at her reaction.

What's kind of cool is that now Katie and Josh are renting from the same couple and they bend over backwards to be helpful and good landlords. It has definitely come full circle.