How do I price things for my garage sale?

In My Humble Opinion
1

My wife and I are in the planning stages for putting on a garage sale. We’ve identified and set aside most of the things we want to sell. The big problem is that we have no idea what kinds of price tags to put on almost all this stuff.

I’m aware the it’s good to start high and let the buyers haggle. But I still don’t know what is appropriately high. I can’t separate myself from this notion that everything at a yard sale costs 50 cents, or is otherwise shockingly undervalued.

There are too many things for me to post a list and go over every item, and I’m sure the board doesn’t care to get bogged down in the mundane details of my shit. So what I’m really looking for are general guidelines. I suspect there aren’t any good rules of thumb based on things like an item’s original price. But maybe the SDMB collective can come up with some sort of formula.

So what kind of advice does the Dope have?

2

What’s the reason for the sale? Which do you need more from it, money or space? When we were moving from California to New York my ex and I schlepped most of the contents of our apartment to his brother’s house for a joint sale. We didn’t want to haul anything back. We would’ve preferred a big stack of cash, but needed to be rid of stuff more. We priced things low, offered deals - $5 each or 3 for $10, and so forth. My in-laws on the other hand were trying to recover most of what they’d spent on their items and priced accordingly. We sold almost everything, but spent the evening helping them stuff their skis and stereos back in the garage.

3

My husband picked up a like-new Harley jacket at a garage sale last week for $3. Not leather, but still a good deal.

The last garage sale I had, I priced as follows and got rid of almost everything and made over $300:

Paperback books - 25 cents
Hardcover books – 50 cents
Music CDs, videotapes, audiotapes – 50 cents
Jeans (all sizes, all in good shape) – $3.00
Tee-shirts – 50 cents
Jackets and coats – $2 to $5
Linens, sheets, blankets, comforters, pillow slips – I priced whole matching sets at $15, odds and ends for $1 to $2
Flower pots, vases, coffee mugs, knickknackery – I put it all on a table marked 25 cents
Shoes – $2 to $5 (one pair was never worn, still in the box)
Small appliances – $1 and even then I couldn’t sell the coffeemaker or the toaster

I also had a table and some boxes marked Free out by the street, and that helped draw people in.

It was years ago, and I started a thread like yours asking Dopers about pricing. I’m not gonna look for it – it’s been about six years. They said people expect low prices at garage sales. Plus, who wants to haul all that stuff back indoors if it doesn’t sell.

4

Make every item 1/10th the price of what it would cost new.

5

Most garage sale buyers will not offer to haggle. If they think your prices are too high, they’ll just go “meh” and get back in their car and move on.

So you have to get out there and work the floor. If you see someone pick up an object, glance at the price, and then put it back, ya gotta jump in with a, “I’ll letcha have that for fifty cents…” or whatever half the price that’s marked would be.

And remember, you’re not having a garage sale to make a profit–you’re having a garage sale to get rid of stuff, and hopefully to make a little money. If you’re seriously expecting to make money at this, like if you have classier merchandise than just old books and clothing (such as nice furniture), then you need to put an ad in the General Merchandise section of the newspaper, or a Pennysaver ad or something. But garage sales are primarily about “getting rid of stuff without having to tote it all to the Goodwill yourself.” The beauty of the garage sale is that not only that people will tote your junk away for you, but will also pay you for the privilege, albeit only a pittance.

So ya wanna get rid of stuff, and thus, it’s desirable to price low rather than high, not price high and expect to haggle.

Yup. That’s 100 percent kee-rect. Because the point is to move merchandise, not make money.

And even “10% of the original price” will not work as a rule of thumb, because a $20 Ralph Lauren polo shirt will still go for fifty cents, same as a $5 Wal-mart polo shirt.

Give us a better idea of what else you’ve got that’s not on AuntiePam’s list, and we’ll give you a list of suggested prices.

6

Some other miscellaneous advice would be: Resolve early on that anyone who presents you with a $50 bill, for anything less than about a $42 purchase, will be regretfully but firmly turned down. Once you use all your change to make change for that one person who hands you a fifty, your entire change-making balance will be off the rest of the morning, and you’ll lose sales because you can’t make change.

So don’t take fifties.

Or checks.
I shouldn’t have to tell you that. :smiley:

And anyone who gives you a twenty for a fifty-cent t-shirt may be freely cursed, with voodoo dolls if you like. Because classy Garage Sailors do not do this. We know to bring quarters.

Use those colorful round sticky dot stickers for price tags instead of chunks of masking tape. They stick better to things, they’re easier for buyers to see, and they’re way easier to work with. You can also color code them: red for “will not negotiate on price”, orange for “will come down half on price”, yellow for “get rid of at any cost”, blue for “give away free if necessary”, green for “give to [person] who wants it if it doesn’t sell”, white for “throw away if not sold”.

Put an ad in the “Garage Sale” section of your newspaper. Put a couple of inflated balloons out in front of your house with a “GARAGE SALE!” sign to make it easier for the folks who saw your ad and who are looking for your house to spot your house on the block.

Don’t bother putting crooked hand-lettered tiny 9x12 posterboard “garage sale” signs on telephone poles and whatnot around your neighborhood, hoping to attract casual drivebys, because casual drivebys are going too fast to see your sign, and aren’t in the mood for/don’t have time for your garage sale, even if the wind hadn’t flapped the sign around so you can’t see the address. Put your faith in the ad in the paper; the folks you want to attract, the serious Garage Sailors, get up early on Friday and Saturday mornings and peruse the ads, making little maps and game plans. Those are the people who will come and tote your junque away for you, not the casual drivebys.

Plan on having at least a Friday and Saturday ad. If you live in a big garage sale town like Decatur, Illinois, a Thursday extension will be appreciated by the cognoscenti. Also plan on a $1/bag sale after noon on Saturday.

Definitely have a Rain contingency plan. Rescheduling is generally Not Done. All those serious Garage Sailors didn’t spend an hour making maps and timetables just to get to your house and find you Closed For Business. It makes them very cross, and they won’t come back next week. So you need a place to put your stuff if it rains. Garages are good (duh). :smiley:

Cover anything that’s not for sale (lawn mower, bicycles, petunia planters, etc.) with bedsheets. If you move your venue because of rain, like to a neighbor’s garage, make SURE it’s clearly marked, with a humongous sign and lots of balloons, "GARAGE SALE HERE ----> "

7

When people start haggling too much and you want to stick to your price, just add some other item as a “bonus”. Either that, or accept their low-ball offer with the condition that they have to take some item that you don’t expect to sell. One less thing you have to throw away.

8

Expect early birds. It does not matter that your ad or sign says 9am to 4pm. There will be people there at 8am and stragglers at 4:30.

Make sure you have plenty of change and singles. Be prepared to take deposits on big items. There are times people want a large item or know someone who does but they do not have the means at the time to pick it up. Require a small deposit to hold the item for them.

Make sure you have plenty of bags. People want to put their stuff in a bag so have plenty in various sizes if possible. Also have spare newspaper if selling any glass items so you can wrap it up before placing it in a bag. Having some spare boxes around can’t hurt either.

Price to sell. You want to get rid of the stuff not spend two days watching strangers leer at your items and buy nothing leaving you moving it all back in your house or to the curb. AuntiePam gave great price examples.

Craigslist is a great place to place a free ad for a Garage Sale. If you have big items like furniture or appliances then add pictures to your ad.

If you have young kids have them set up a lemonade / ice tea stand. Garage sailors get thirsty and they can make some extra cash.

Place a large garbage can in plain sight. These people go from place to place and sometimes are carrying pop cans, water bottles etc. Give them a place other than your tables to lay their trash. I would also recommend a large ashtray. If you don’t smoke then buy one at a dollar store for a buck. Most smokers will look for an ashtray before flicking their cig in your lawn or smashing it on your driveway.

Decide before if you are going let people have access to your bathroom. I would not advertise it but mothers / fathers bring small children and well they sometimes just can’t hold it. If you are going to allow it then remove everything but the TP, liquid soap and paper towels. Block off access to the rest of the house if you can or be prepared to show them the way and wait until they are done and escort them back out.

Say Hi, Good Morning / Afternoon to everyone but let them browse. Don’t hover but pay attention if it looks like someone might have a question. Some people are shy and are afraid to ask so be ready to help them along.

Place like items together. Some people only come for clothing or books so place them together. Hang clothes on hangers if you can. If you leave them folded on a tble you will spend all your time re-folding them after the shoppers pick them up and decide they don’t want them. Place books in boxes with the bind up so they can read the titles. Have electricity available if selling anything that requires it. People want to know it works.

9

I would have to disagree on the “don’t put up signs” thing. As a seasoned garage sailor from WAAAAAY back - my friend and I would get together for breakfast early Saturday morning, map out our routes based on papers and the like, but we would still stop by any signs we passed along the way. Just do yourself this favor. Don’t write a bunch of junk - just put Garage Sale - the times - and a clear arrow which direction to go. And don’t use some wimpy marker - get one of those big fat ones and write BIG.

If you are moving, put MOVING sale - people recognize that you are more likely to make good deals because you want to get rid of stuff.

Pre-bought signs are sometimes a turn off because it could indicate a “junker” - someone who goes around to other yard sales & flea markets, buys stuff, and then tries to resell it to you for a profit. I lived next door to a “junker” for a while. He would literally dig through the neighborhood trash each week and then try to sell us our stuff back.

GOOD LUCK!!

10

Watch out for tag switchers, shoplifters, and money thieves. Thieves will case the place sometimes noting what they can see in the garage, and a week later you have been robbed. Somebody might show up early and ask to browse the items, even days early. They only want the ridiculously under priced items, they can resell. They will come back the day of the sale and still try to beat the others to the super bargains, so make them wait until the sale day and time. Keep the house doors locked so somebody doesn’t slip in and rob you while you sit outside distracted. Don’t let them in the house for any excuse. You need to pee to bad, the gas station is down the road, and you can afford for them to not by $2 worth of junk you don’t want.

11

The last two hours offer a discount–25% to 50%.

12

This. Definitely this. My husband, grandson and I do the same thing - go to breakfast early on Saturday, map out our routes, and stop at any extra sales we happen on along the way. Signs will often times lure us in, but only if we can read them! Address, times and a nice direction arrow written in nice, big, easy-to-read letters do the trick nicely.

ETA: We map our routes based on what’s in our local newspaper - if you’re having a large rummage sale with some items that are not your typical rummage sale fare, running an ad and listing some of those items is a Good Thing™, IMHO.

13

My brother goes to a lot of estate sales. These sales last three days and on the final day, everything goes to 50%.

One thing you could consider, too, is donating things. Salvation Army et al will give you a receipt and you can write it off on next year’s taxes. Not as good as money in the pocket but at least you get the junk out of your house, do something good for the community, and get a little money out of it.

14

When you’re just eager to get rid of stuff, make sure browsers understand that. I quickly liquidated my entire LP collection by pricing them “1 each, 2 for .50, 5 for $.25, or take the entire box for free.”

15

Not advice for the sale, but for after:

Please please PLEASE, if you put up signs, take them down when you are done. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been yard sailing, and seen a sign that caught my eye, and driven out of my way…only to find that the sale was over two months ago. It’s very disappointing, especially when the sign mentions something that you were really looking forward to (ANTIQUE BOOKS!) and you missed out on it.

16

Put a price on EVERYTHING you want to sell. As a seasoned garage sailor, I hate the “red = $1.00, blue = $1.50” type signs.

I second the Large Signs that say, “Garage Sale, 123 Main Street, Saturday May 24, 8:00-2:00” only. Big letters, bright signs, arrows if you can. Don’t list items for sale on the signs. Chances are, I’m driving by as I’m turning the corner, attempting not to get rear ended and Hallkid is in the front seat, trying to scribble down the address.

I don’t care what you paid for the item just yesterday when you bought it brand new, or how many times it’s been used, or where it came from. I care about the condition it’s in now and it’s price and how it relates to what I’m willing to pay (which is geared as to how much I can get something similiar at another garage sale or how badly I want/need it). A brand new Polo shirt that you bought for $45 at Dillards and never wore is still too expense to me if it’s marked $10 and I’m willing to pay $1 and can find another one similiar at the garage sale the next block over.

You being willing to bargin makes me willing to reconsider buying something. There’s a difference between giving it away and letting it go for a good price. If you’re willing to take $25 instead of $30 for the table, I’m more willing to consider buying the set of dishes for $5 since I have a bit more money at hand.

Please do not put sheets or table cloths on your tables. It reeks of “Old lady with crap she’s dragged out of her basement that’s been there for 30 years”, which translates into “Overpriced junk”. Either that or a dealer. Neither are good. (see the tail end of melodyharmonius post.)

Good luck!

–phall0106, a well seasoned garage sailor who has trained the Hallkids well and is looking forward to garage saling tomorrow morning!

17

Thanks for the tips everyone. They may not be explicit pricing guidelines (I assumed such rules didn’t exist, anyway) but they make me understand the mentality of my soon-to-be customers. That should help me price things more appropriately.

Regarding signage…we live on a main road through town, and our need to post signs around the neighborhood is nil. Incidental traffic is always good at our house…so much so that we sell friends’ cars for them all the time. Park it in our driveway with a “For Sale” sign, it will generally be gone in about 2 days. So we’ll put something up in our own yard, probably with some balloons, but that’s about it. We’ll post an ad in the newspaper and on craigslist, but that’s all the marketing we could need.

As far as our intentions, I suppose we’re somewhere in between getting rid of junk and making some spare cash. Much of that will be an item-to-item decision. We have things we aren’t willing to give away (or nearly give away) and would rather keep than sell for peanuts. There are plenty of other things that we’d almost pay to have taken away.

Things like books and clothes aren’t giving us too much trouble in determining a fair value. The harder part are things that were once high-ticket items, like sporting goods and electronics. What’s a few-year-old DVD player worth? Or an old set of golf clubs? These things are tough…I have an idea of what I might expect for such things on eBay or craigslist, but I have no idea how that translates to a garage sale.

Thanks again for all the advice, Dopers.

18

Before you price books, I’d suggest making sure you don’t have any rarities. I once got a very rare paperback for 50 cents at a garage sale. I sold it on eBay for $65.

19

DVD players can be had for $50 new ($20 at those consignment fairs), and I’ve seen sets of golf clubs go begging at estate auctions. I took pity on an auctioneer once and bought a set for $2. My husband used one club from the set and we gave the rest to a nephew.

Don’t think about “fair value”. Garage sale mentality demands bargains and not just ordinary bargains but “Oh, that’s just too good a deal to pass up!” and “I don’t need that and I don’t know what I’ll do with it but shoot, it’s only a quarter!”

20

The pricing of things fairly low gets people into impulse mode as well. I like to visit yard sales around my neighborhood and if a price is just on the edge of too high and reasonable, I’ll think about it for a bit and then talk myself out of it for reasons other than the price.

If it’s so low that it’s in the unbelievably cheap category, I’m much more likely to go straight for wallet without thinking whether I really need something.

In the same vein, if you’re selling furniture, don’t put other merchandise on top of it. I nearly bought a television stand a while back but changed my mind after realizing how much stuff they were going to have to clean off of it so I could take it.