Saturday, June 12, 2010

tips from a cheapskate

Dear Garage Sellers,

I'm writing to give you some helpful tips to make your garage sale a profitable success.

People like me who shop garage sales are cheap.  They are looking for a deal, or a steal, you could say.  The reason they get out of their warm beds early on Saturday mornings is because of the deals to be found.

Charging five dollars for a Hardy Boys book is just guaranteeing that I will laugh at you the buyer will put the book back.  It matters not that you paid over ten dollars for the book.  You are selling it at a garage sale, and buyers expect to pay under a dollar for a book.

Make deals!  If I'm holding an armful of stuff someone is interested in several items of clothing and you've marked them as two dollars a piece, cut a deal.  Motivate the buyer by throwing one in for free or coming down to a dollar or a dollar fifty.  If you stick to your price, I will only buy my very favorite pieces the buyer will most likely only buy what she cannot walk away without.

If you have less than 20 items to sell, and eight of them are miniature Christmas ornaments, don't bother advertising for or even holding a garage sale.  You'll most likely spend your morning getting a lot of drive by's.

If your goal is to get rid of your stuff, then get rid of it.  If you think your stuff is worth more than anyone else's junk retail prices, then maybe you should just open a store.

Good luck.  I'll see you next Saturday.
A Local Cheapskate

3 comments:

Krista said...

LOL I always love your letters to certain people. They always make me feel better. Because laughter is good medicine. Thanks for sharing.

Debbie Willis said...

I hear ya. The garage sales in Park City are a joke. I stopped going a long time ago. Nothing like the garage sales I grew up with in the midwest where you could buy a pair of jeans for 25 cents. Ah. . the good old days.

sara t said...

Sounds like garage sales in Utah are similiar to garge sales in Central Illinois! I loved this post - as one that gets out of my warm bed on saturday morning to try to clothe my kids for cheap - i had to laugh at your descriptions - so accurate!!

(PS - I found you through Here's the Deihl - who happens to be my cousin) :-)

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