I was entertained today stopping by some rummage sales. Here in my part of the world rummage sales are big business. There are some rules however when it comes to rummage sales that I think everyone should be aware of, so here they are:
1. Do not sell anything for over $150, and at that price the object better be amazing!
I saw a guitar today at a rummage sale that had a price of $2750! A guitar that is worth something like that belongs in your home not on a lawn with a sticker on it. If you really have no use for it anymore, for heaven sakes, sell it on ebay.
2. Don't have a rummage sale if you don't know how to price things. My wife and I saw a baby apparatus today that we wanted, it wasn't anything special but we wanted it. Unfortunately the sticker on it said $15. I was expecting it to say $5. Didn't even haggle, I wasn't in the mood.
3. Have somewhere for people to park so they don't have to take their lives in their hands just to check out your stuff. This means put your stuff in the grass and let people park in your driveway.
4. Make sure you have your kids selling lemonaide!
5. Have something of value for people to be interested in that they can see from the street. Even if people don't buy it they will stop to look at it and maybe find something else that interests them to buy. Marketing, my friends, marketing.
6. Have some sporting equipment or sport's memorabilia at your sale. Men will be more apt to stop and look with their wives, hence they will stay as a family longer and be more apt to buy more stuff. (Did you notice the hence and apt in the same sentence? Wow!)
7. Don't take the money you've made and go to someone else's rummage sale and buy some junk to replace your own junk. Unfortunately I think a lot of people need to here and follow this rule.
8. Don't sell clothes with holes in them. That's just wrong.
9. Don't sell broken electronics. Most likely the object is not fixable and if it is it would cost more for someone to fix than it would to buy a new object. Selling broken electronics at a rummage sale is unethical.
10. Donate all unsold products, as long as they are useful, to a shelter or consignment store that is run by a shelter, after your sale.
I was at a rummage sale just a few blocks from where you live 3 or 4 years ago. We saw a kitchen table from the 80's (glass top - with thin gold aluminum legs, matching cruddy chairs) the top was smudged the whole thing looked like junk. We walked by expecting to see a sticker that said $10 ... nope - $200. Tammy and I looked at each other and laughed.
We had a woman bring items to our church (not FFC) rummage sale one time and among all the other pieces of junk she unloaded was a half used tube of hemorrhoid cream.
Tammy saw used bras for sale this week here in town. I could go on but I will stop.
By the way, love your new blog. Whoever helped you with it is a stud!
Tonya says "Used Bras, that's interesting!" With a strong hint of sarcasm.
Hey! I love the new blog! I don't get a head ache when I read it any more! :) Just kidding... transparent and I don't go together well! I do say... I agree on the guitar... they could just donate it to me and then pay for my lessons to play on it! :) I'd be great with that idea! -Mindy
What is a baby apparatus?