Moving Sale ~ How Do I Price Everything?

Factual Questions
1

I’m moving to Australia ~ Last deep-freeze winter for me! :cool:

That’s the good news. Here is a problem:

I’ll be shipping what I can’t fathom parting with (grandma’s antiques, family albums etc). The rest has to stay behind. I’m being charged about $16.50 Canadian, per cubic foot. (The contract isn’t signed yet, so if you know where I can get a better price, please let me know).

I’ve already asked a question on the boards about bringing anything electric with me. It’s just logistically out of the question, including my computer. I’m basically in the position where I have to get rid of (almost) everything I’ve amassed in my 32 years of existence. In a way, it’s quite liberating ~ I’ve got some kind of zen thing about to happen to me.

I guess I’ll try to sell SOME stuff on Ebay. I haven’t purchased/sold anything on Ebay yet, so I know my record won’t do wonders for me. I don’t even know WHAT I’d sell on Ebay, but I know I’ll find stuff.

Of course, there are my appliances. Fridge, stove, washer, dryer, dishwasher. And then smaller stuff like microwave, (brand new!) vacuum, (brand new!) water cooler etc. Not to mention sofa, armchair, papasan chair, coffee tables, end tables… Oy, the list goes on and on. I’m assuming for the appliances, I’ll put an ad in the paper and mention the other stuff while I’m at it. Any other ideas?

Then there’s the MASSIVE garage sale I’m already in the beginning stages of planning (though my move is scheduled for the end of May).

Here’s the question: How do I price these items? I’m kind of between a rock and a hard place. I HAVE to sell. But I don’t want to GIVE the stuff away. Example: I have a Sony alarm clock that I paid $50 for a year ago. It wouldn’t go for more than $5 at a garage sale (I think).

I’ve helped friends hold their garage sales. I’ve seen them price things very reasonably (let’s say a 40 gallon brand new never used aquarium for $10); the guy who bought it walked away with it for $6. I know you have to price things a bit higher than what you expect for it, because garage sale shoppers are piranhas. But how low do you go to make the sale? Especially if you’re trying to get rid of everything you have (almost) in a weekend. Oh G-d, please don’t let it rain!!! LOL

I’m also keeping in mind that usually, garage sales are to “get rid of junk” you’re going to throw out ANYWAY. But this stuff isn’t “junk” that’s sitting in a spare room somewhere. This is MY stuff that can’t be used or isn’t worth shipping.

How do I price my stuff? Any other ideas of where to sell? Anybody ever been through this before?

HELP!!! :confused:

2

Try ebay. I just gave away a bunch of crap I was going to throw away, and got at much at $12 for some worthless stuff. My “worthless” stuff is paying for about half of the new PowerBook I’m ordering, and my old PowerBook will have paid for about another quarter of that. And I’m not a big ebayer (actually, I’m a dissapointed one that can’t find good used stuff anymore because it’s all filled with merchants selling their crap in the wrong category – try looking for PowerBook when you get a chance).

3

If you’re too proud of it (pricing too high), you’re going to still own it at the end of the day. I wouldn’t call it a “moving sale”, nor would I let buyers know that you have to get rid of it (unless you’re into gang rape).

It doesn’t matter what you paid for it, it’s a factor of how much you want to get rid of it. Bargain enthusiastically and don’t worry about taking too much of a monetary beating. Whatever doesn’t sell, donate it and take the tax writeoff, if possible.

4

I would call it a “moving sale” as to me, that signifies “We’ve got a pile of nice stuff that we can’t take with us” as opposed to a “garage sale” signifying “We’re trying to make a couple bucks off the chipped dishes, broken toys and outgrown baby clothes that we were going to toss out anyway.”

At least that’s how the two types of sales seem to be around here.

For the bigger stuff, I’m pretty clueless about Canada as far as how far away Montreal is from Toronto, but craigslist is alive and well in Toronto, and coming sooner or later to Montreal. Failing that, I’m sure there are other free posting sites in your area.

5

I’d have to say eBay. Remember: yard sale cruisers don’t want to pay “a reasonable price” - that’s why they’re cruising yard sales. You might as well set up a Brussels sprout stand in a grade school lunchroom. Whine all you want - the fries stand will do more business (even with today’s increasingly vegetarian kids) You gotta sell what the market wants

eBay’s national market helps you too: you get a week or so to troll for the dimmest imbecile in the nation who wants your stuff. (In principle, an auction winner is the guy who thinks a price is ‘fair’ when everyone else thinks it’s too much) That’s much better than setting a price, hoping someone drives by your house and pays it. (In which case, you’ll wonder if you should’ve priced it higher)