You know you're at a bad garage sale ...
You know you're at a bad garage sale when the merchandise is displayed in shopping carts.Oh but seriously, I saw one on Saturday that did have one shopping cart filled with stuff.
I would certainly have to agree. I too have seen these types of garage sale setups on my way to/from work. There is a street end that is notorious for people coming over to sell their stuff away. This includes selling it right out of a shopping cart.
Anyone else seen any wierd 'garage' sales?
Thanks to AJ from Thingamababy.com for the quote.
Yard Sale (2004)
How many movies do you see that are related to garage sales? Not too many. I recently got a chance to watch the movie entitled, "Yard Sale", where a couple is working on finalizing their divorce and they plan on having a big yard sale. The story line is based around a Jeep of theirs and the yard sale. They decide that whoever sells the most from the yard sale, will get to keep the Jeep.
Throughout the movie, when the characters are selling their beloved items, they have flashbacks. These flashbacks give a background story that explains the reason for their divorce.
I would suggest renting this movie if you can find it. I found it funny and the people coming to the yard sale were entertaining. The ability to turn a bad situation like a divorce into a comedy such as this confirms that the director was on the right track. This is definitely a movie I would recommend to others.
Garage Sales around the world.
Interesting in knowing how to say garage sale in another language? Check these out.
French - brocante à domicile
German - Ramschverkauf
Italian - vendita di garage
Spanish - venta de garage
Dutch - garage verkoop
New years resolution: Unclutter your life.
The new year is upon us and while many people may set their resolution to lose weight, many of us may need to unclutter the house that we live in. I know that in recent days, I will be dumping many things on EBay in hopes of freeing up some room and making a few bucks while I'm at it. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't always choose EBay over a good ol' fashion garage sale, I just don't have enough items to warrant a sale.
For the buyers, this time of year on EBay is the best time to pickup some great deals. Many people decide to sell their old items or sell items that they received duplicates of. There are people who even sell gifts that they just don't like. Regardless the reason, this is the time to buy things off of EBay.
The best tip to uncluttering your house would be to take it one room at a time. Inspect the entire room, looking for items that you have not used for over a year. Many people believe that if you have not used an item in over a year, the chances of you using it the following year are slim. This is all dead weight that should be sold or given away. If you are in a hurry to unclutter your home, you may want to look at ideas other than a garage sale. A garage sale may take time to properly setup and will keep the clutter in your home until that time. The idea is to get rid of the stuff quickly and giving it away would likely be your best bet.
Holiday observation
Over the past 4 days, I have made trips to many family members houses and I noticed one abnormal thing. There were quite a few garage sale signs out on display. Many of these signs did not have dates on them so I cannot confirm that these houses had their sales open over the weekend but I still find it a bit odd to see these signs. I understand that many people do not celebrate Christmas and that is fine but I cannot imagine many people wanting to go garage sailing over the holiday weekend.
I did notice that over the past few weekends, a large amount of garage sales around me. This may be people trying to get rid of things to make some extra money for new gifts, or maybe they are trying to free up some room in their house for their new gifts.
If I had a moment, I would have checked out these sales and figured out if they were in fact open but due to the holiday rush, I was unable too.
What's in a name?
You may drive out on a Saturday morning and see 10-30 different garage sale signs. The majority of them may say yard sale or garage sale but there are the few that may say something different. There is truly an endless amount of ways to tell people you are having a sale but only about a handful that you will commonly see. For sellers, the choice is yours on how you want to word your sale but sticking with the more common names will likely not confuse your potential customers like some of the others. For buyers, be aware of the signs and know your limitations. If you don't feel comfortable going into someones home or backyard, stay clear of these types of sales.
I have laid out these names in order of how common I see them.
- Garage Sale - Outdoor sale of used items held on the seller's premises
- Yard Sale - Similar to a garage sale however may be located on a yard rather than a drive-way
- Rummage Sale - A sale of donated items, commonly seen at a church.
- Estate Sale - The sale of property left by a person at his or her death.
- Back Yard Sale - Again, like a garage sale except setup in the owners back yard.
- Car Port Sale - Just like a garage sale except may be located within a car port.
- Jumble Sale - A British term for a sale.
- Car Boot Sale - A British term for a sale.
Garage sale finds as Christmas gifts?
With Christmas nearly here, I have noticed a lot of people talking about whether or not it is acceptable to give away items that you find at a garage sale as a Christmas gift. Many people are going to immediately say no while others may think about it and say sure. I believe that it would certainly depend on what the item in fact and the person who would be receiving the gift. If you have a sister who loves antique Coca Cola items, and you find a great antique clock, would it be acceptable to give it to her as a gift? I would say definitely. On the other hand, maybe giving someone clothing that you purchased from a sale would not be acceptable.
The answer to the question is solely based on your opinion and the opinion of the person who would be receiving the gift. One person made a good suggestion which would be have the 2 types of gifts separated so there is a pile of "store bought" gifts and "garage sale" gifts. I certainly think that this would be a good idea for families who are big into garage sales. Families who understand the great items that are possible to purchase, new or used.
I am curious to see how others feel about this topic. Please leave a comment with your opinion. Thank you.
What to do during the holiday season?
In many parts of the country, garage sale season has been pushed aside for the winter season. While in many states, you no longer have to fight off a crowd at a sale, you would have to fight off the inches of snow. In Arizona however, while it is cold in the mornings, garage sales are still readily available. Despite the weather though, many garage sales are pushed aside so people can focus on other things. What do you do during this time however? Here are some suggestions on what you can do to possibly cure your garage sale blues during the holiday season.
For Buyers:
- Try your hand at a Thrift store.
- Look for an indoor swap meet or church sale.
- Sleep in.
For Sellers:
- Get everything ready for your next sale.
- Sell some of your items to a Thrift store.
- Give any unwanted items to a charity.
- List your items on EBay.
- Sleep in.
I am curious to see how others get through the off seasons? Please leave a comment.