MINI ESTATE SALE!
The SALE IS OVER!
and I have my life back.
I've decided to get out of this business. It's just too difficult to find a nice piece, then spend the time refurbishing it to be even better or like new - then someone low balling you to almost cost. You're in business to make a profit - not to just have a hobby.
So here is my 2 car garage filled to the limit with items from the store and from my home.
At 6:00am the morning of the sale I started dragging it out the door to set up in the driveway.
They were of course waiting in line at 8am - but we couldn't open until 9 because we were waiting for more items to show up by another vendor. By 10:30 I felt I had already worked 5 hours - oh wait, I did!
It was a success!
LABELING!
When you do a successful garage sale - everything must have a price. Don't keep the customer guessing and low ball you. I advertised as a mini estate sale - not a garage sale - you can get a better price - you are selling better items. I also advertised that items were from a shop that I was closing down.
The tag showed the original price value and the green sticker showed the sale price. Since we were priced well on most our items - be realistic!! - we did not discount on Saturday unless it was over $100. On Sunday we took our time before we started discounting.
I admit this took a lot of time and I'm a bit of OCD - not only did I clean out my garage items but I also cleared out my house. For 3 weeks I went thru cupboards, drawers, cabinets - everywhere. I had items from Hong Kong, my mother's estate, my old house and who knows what that had been moved from place to place. There are still a few things in the garage in a holding pattern and have to make it eventually to Goodwill or such kind.
Of course they were lining up at 8am but we were firm about a 9am opening because we were still waiting for more items to arrive.
We closed down at 3pm and reopened Sunday, the next day, at 11 for a few more items to clear out - and they did at better prices. Some of the items were even PICKED for another store in town. One I thought I might open myself but gladly decided not to.
NEEDLESS TO SAY!! The hard prepwork paid off! Thanks to great signs around the neighborhood and social networking on FB, Craigslist, Offer UP, EstateSales.com and The Newspaper.
SOCIAL NETWORKING & ADVERTISING
Craig's List:
I placed at least 5 ads - do it everyday because they become buried. Then they were placed under several categories: Furniture, household items and garage & moving sales. Get as many photos and prices showing as possible.
Estate Sales. net
There is a $79 fee. People looking for the larger sales may frequent this page.
The Local Newspaper
... in the garage sale. It's cheaper at $49 if you say it's a garage sale and not an estate sale. But if you have a lot to sell - spend the money. I am lucky that I live in a neighborhood that people would like to go to for garage sales.
Offer Up
This has to be loaded by your Ipad or phone- which makes it more difficult for typing. Photos tell a thousand words!
FB GROUPS
I then load it on at least 10 FB Selling Groups that can pull thousands of people.
And I sold the rest of the larger items during the week that I did not move at the sale.
For the last few weeks, amazingly, I still find more 'stuff' I could have contributed to the sale, but right now - I almost have my garage back.
This last weekend I went back into the garage and instead of giving away some of my favorites - I decorated the garage! Some paintings, a lamp, some fabric hiding the mess below, flowers, and some silver plated items I sprayed white. Why not? I may still escape there to do some painting.
So, it's back to painting items in my own home. Time to play catch up while I can.
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