Tips for a Successful Yard Sale

Ok folks, this is going to get down to the nitty-gritty.  I am speaking from both sides of the fence - as a buyer and a seller.  My Pastor always says "take the olives out of the salad if you don't like'em".  This post is about having a successful sale.  Call it what you want - yard sale, garage sale, carport sale, tag sale, rummage sale, estate sale.  And no - just because it has the word "estate" attached to it does not mean prices should be "high as a cat's back".  Yes, I am from the south.

 

Every year in our town and across the state we have a weekend around the first of August where folks have sales spanning the length of Hwy. 64, which is aptly named "Bargains Galore on 64".  Suffice to say, sometimes I have renamed it "Bargains are Poor on 64".  The reasoning behind this has become evident to me - some people think that because an item is old or they overpaid for it or it has sentimental value - it justifies a high price.  FYI, just because you have a pencil that you bought in 1942 from your Uncle Homer that used to be a master carpenter and each of your grandchildren made their first scribbles with it - IT IS STILL JUST AN OLD PENCIL.

Even more annoying to a seasoned seller, is the recently adapted phrase of "Well, I looked'er up on eBay and they are goin' fer over a hunnerd dollars".  First of, all, I used my speaking voice because I was told last week while in Missouri (several times), that I sound like I am from Georgia, not Arkansas.  Plus, I figured it would get the point across a little better.  I am an Authorized eBay Trading Assistant and have sold items for myself and other people for 13 years.  Just because something is "listed" online for "a hunnerd dollars", does not mean it will sell for that.  Plus you have to factor in, condition, rarity, etc.  Even if you do research the SOLD listings, it does not mean that your item will sell for that at a yard sale.  Online listings reach buyers across the world.  Our yard sales don't reach quite that many people.  In my years of buying and selling it is blatantly apparent that an item is worth what the buyer is willing to pay for it.  Example - if someone has been looking for a turquoise, shabby chic table with 3 legs and a square top that is 32 2/3" long and you have one, odds are - you will make a sale and can probably name your price within reason.

See the resemblance?

On the flip side, at the risk of offending someone, last year I attended a garage sale during this special yearly event and I overheard a customer ask the seller "How much is your ottoman?"  I knew that the punchline was coming when I heard the seller respond "That ottoman is from Pottery Barn - it's $150.00".  First of all - IT'S A YARD SALE!  Second of all - the ottoman had cat scratches all over it!  Third of all - I think #1 and #2 covered it.  If you have an item that is a genuinely unique or expensive item, you may want to sell it on Craigslist or through some other avenue.

 I am not saying you have to give your items away.  Reasonable prices are just that - reasonable to most people.  I am a manager at a flea market and I tell my vendors "If you keep your prices reasonable, you will do well".  I have booths myself in addition to selling online and I am not opposed to paying a reasonable price for something.  I do not believe in cheating anyone or haggling them to death.  I shop for my booths in other flea markets more than I do at yard sales simply due to my work schedule.  If I see an item that I feel is priced fairly, I do not ask for a discount.  I don't know the man in the photo below, I just thought it was a fitting example.

On that note, to the defense of you folks that have slaved to dig out and price items for a sale, it is also annoying to me when buyers see a fair price on an item and feel they MUST ask for a lower price.  Come on people, if an item is priced at 50 cents, don't ask to get it for a quarter!  Organizing and holding a yard sale is HARD WORK!  I have probably had over 100 sales in my lifetime so I am speaking from experience.  Don't insult folks with your offers or negotiating tactics. 

Here are 10 Tips for a Successful Sale:

1.  Have your sale in a good location.  If your home is not a good location, don't have it there.  Yes, it is a LOT of work to haul your stuff to another location but if you are going through the sweat of having a sale, you might as well make it the best it can be.

2.  Make sure you price EVERYTHING.  There is a chance you will lose out on a sale if you don't.  Some people are too afraid to ask about something that is not priced simply because they are scared it will be too high.

3.  Be organized.  Put "like" items together.  If someone is looking for something specific and you have multiples of that item they may buy more than one if they can see them all together.

4.  Don't price your items high just because you will have some "wiggle room" to negotiate with when asked.  Lots of folks won't ask, but will just walk away.  If you price your items fairly to begin with, you will get less haggle from potential buyers.  Beware, as I said before, some people will feel the need to be REDICULOUS with low-ball offers anyway. 

5.  Don't be rude when faced with a reasonable offer to negotiate.  Put yourself in the buyer's shoes.  Everyone likes a bargain but as I said before, there are more people that will accept your prices as-is if they are reasonable to begin with.

6.  Have plenty of change on hand.  People "just passing through" or beginning yard salers may not have thought about getting small bills if they did not intend to stop at a sale.

7.  Don't wait til the last minute to have a sale.  A good sale takes a lot of preparation so if you don't have a lot of time, start weeks ahead. 

8.  When making signs and posters, don't try to cram too much information on it.  There is nothing more aggravating than driving by a sign and trying to read a whole paragraph when all you really need is the address, the date(s) of the sale, and if it is a multi-family or neighborhood sale (only if it's true) you can add that because it will draw people to sale.  Mo people's junk = mo people comin'.  Lol.

9.  Have a spot where buyers can make "piles" instead of trying to carry everything.  You will sell more because folks will sometimes stop buying if their hands are full.  However, make sure you keep customers' piles well separated.  You don't want buyers scrappin' over a pile of stuff in front of other buyers. 

10.  Most importantly - BE FRIENDLY.  Talk to potential customers as they approach your sale and as they leave.  Don't badger them or keep them from shopping but a simple "Hi, how are you today?" or "Thank you for coming!" is a polite gesture that will go a long way.

The following are some funny signs I found:

I hope these tips will help you have the most successful sale you have ever had!

MORE SPACE, MORE JUNK!

I am so excited about our expansion here at Picker's Paradise Flea Market!  We are in the process of "bustin through" to the other side.  We are creating several new booths to bring in additional vendors or for our vendors that want more space.

I went over this morning before opening and snapped a few shots.  It is still in the rough stages but the outside walls are up.  Next step - clean up and mark off the new booths.  Then the building process begins again with individual booth walls.

 

The photo above shows where I write tickets and update Facebook (and the blog of course).  When the expansion is complete the back wall will be gone!

This is what it looks like in its current stage.  The wall on the right is my wall that will be removed.

Here are two more photos that show the actual size of the expansion.

Sorry for the poor quality of some of the photos.  It was a little dark and I was shooting with my phone.  So there you have it.  Hopefully it won't be long and I will have more "good junk" to sift through as it comes in the door!  Come see me at Picker's Paradise Flea Market!

Paris Flea Market

The Paris Flea Market.  Why would anyone NOT want to go there?  Paris is a place of beauty and mystery.  At least that's what I hear because due to things such as bills, children, etc., etc., I have yet to see this marvelous place.  For now I am forced to attend merely through the world of photos, movies, and my own imagination.  Some of these photos, thanks to the world wide web, are fascinating by themselves.  I have decided to share some of them with you! 

I chose to start with this photo because it seemed to say - "Welcome".

I would not only love to have this piece of drawer-laden furniture but would love to pilfer through it as well!

At first glance I didn't know what these were, but found out that they are vintage cheese labels!

I know there are many treasures to be found in this place!

That huge clock is so beautiful, but I don't think it would fit in my cabinet with the rest of my vintage clocks!

I don't even know what some of these items are, but I would love to dig in and find out!

For some reason, I have a big affection for baskets and I NEED THAT SIGN!!!!

This makes my heart go pitter-patter.  I would love to spend hours scouring displays like this.

One of these days, I will make it to the Paris Flea Market(s).  I am hoping that it will be a GIRL'S ONLY trip!  I can hear the laughter and smell the coffee now!  Until next time . . .

Nuthin' But Cornbread

One Wednesday evening at church, years ago,  Pastor got up to the pulpit and announced that he had prayed for a sermon, but had simply not received any instruction for a message.  His next words shocked us and made us laugh at the same time.  He simply stated that all he had for us was a recipe for cornbread - yes, you read that right.  So - he proceeded to read the recipe for cornbread and when he was finished, we prayed and he dismissed the congregation.

Today is one of those days for me.  So, since I am experiencing creative writer's block, I am going to post an interesting video tutorial that I found.  Watch this cute lady demonstrate with her quirky style how to make a very large distressed mirror from old fence pickets, some chalk paint, and wax.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.  Amen - you are dismissed!

A Very Junky Day

This past weekend I was planning a trip to one of my favorite towns with a dear friend of mine.  We had a scrapbooking event to attend that weekend but decided to take a little junkin trip during the day on Friday.  Lo and behold, we discovered that it was Junk Fest weekend in Mountain View so we were even more excited! 

Junk Fest was more of a Junk Snooze because even though we found some good junk, there were very few vendors set up.  However, we did manage to find some bargains.  I got this cute little chandelier at a steal of one whole dollar!

 

I plan to "dress it up" a bit and then I will reveal it again.

After we cruised through the festival vendors, we went to one of my favorite antique malls - Rainbow Antique Mall.  The creaky wood floors were silenced by the sound of chattering from several ladies milling about.  We spent almost two hours pilfering in and out of the booths, finding tons of treasures at bargain prices.  I came away with six sets of blue bubble glass teacups and saucers, four beautiful old feed sacks, another hanging iron planter that will resume life as a chandelier, and some other things that have slipped my mind so I guess it will be like shopping all over again once I unpack my boxes!

After the antique mall, we walked across the street to the old-fashioned soda fountain for some yummy food and a short rest.  One of my favorites is their fresh-squeezed cherry limeade. 

After lunch, we were refueled and once again ready to dig for junky goodies.  We went down the road to Calico Rock, to my new friend Kim's shop Wagon Wheel Antiques.  Here are a few photos of Kim's shop.  Please excuse the photos that are out of focus as I was snapping these with my phone.

I made a small pile of things on Kim's counter such as some vintage jewelry, sheet music, some bags of watches to take apart and rework into jewelry, and a project bag of crocheted pieces.

Before we left, I took one more loop around the store to make sure I hadn't missed anything.  I walked past a large cabinet and noticed the drawers were partially open so I peeked inside and found a small treasure - a little silver metal tray that was a souvenir from Paris.  When I took it to the counter with excitement because I love things from France and Italy, Kim took one look at it and said "I usually hide the ugly things in drawers!"  I preceded to scold her about calling my cute little tray "ugly" and she started to total my purchases.  She told me to take a look at my receipt and that stinker had actually typed on my receipt "Ugly Paris Metal Tray" but to redeem herself she also gave me 50% off of it!

 

 

Every time I look at that little tray I will get a chuckle and think of Kim at Wagon Wheel!  Thanks, girl for half off and thanks for all the "extras" that you sometimes sneak into my bag!

 

We had a relaxing day of moseying about in a leisurely fashion.  It was a wonderful day!

Vending "Machines"

Having a flea market booth is a way to justify my ever-changing collections, decor style, or whatever "phase" I may be going through at any given time.  My current rule is if I bring something new into the house, I need to take something out.  So far it seems to be working fairly well!

I have noticed that every vendor whether at a high-end antiques mall or at your average flea market have one thing in common - we are all different!  We use different methods of tagging, arranging, record keeping, and even shopping for inventory!

Since I began working full time at Picker's Paradise Flea Market I notice everything that goes in and out which has been somewhat of an eye-opener.  I am amazed that just because I think something is "super cute" that not everyone thinks that as well!  I guess that means not only are vendors different but the buyers are also different from one another.

The following is a photo of my booth.  I love shabby chic, rustic, chippy paint on old primitive furniture and wouldn't know what to do with a piece of fine European antique furniture, but I have had customers today that were looking for iron skillets, green depression glass, vegetable cookie jars, and vintage model cars.

I love hearing stories from other vendors that seem to be vending "machines", going from auction to auction and from yard sale to estate sale.  I have a friend who's van is full at all times and when he heard there was a cancellation at a local antique show at the last minute he registered for a booth and like a herd of clowns coming from a compact car (which terrifies me) he had a booth full of merchandise ready to go!  I am apparently NOT a vending "machine" if you go by those standards.  Some people could sell salt to a slug, to borrow a phrase from another vendor friend of mine (Hey Berni!).  I am more of the "sell a basket to an apple picker" type.  

My husband and I went on a weekend trip for our 24th anniversary and between walking downtown, eating, driving, and  - did I mention eating - we found time to stop at a couple of yard sales and several flea markets.  This is what the back of my SUV looked like (excuse the blurry photo) from the front seat.

On the way home, my husband quietly asked me where did I suppose we would put our daughter, who we had to retrieve before going back to the house.  In my excitement of finding bargains I had forgotten about having to pick her up!  Fortunately, I am a very good "packer of the goods".  So, after hearing my dear husband voice his doubts, shifting a few things and containing small pieces of junk inside larger pieces of junk, I made room for our dear daughter.  Every time he says that, I just tell him - "you don't know who you are dealing with.  I am a machine!"

Window Shopping

With the DIY and Pinterest craze, here at Picker's Paradise Flea Market we have sold sooooo many windows in the past few months.  After seeing a vendor bring some in this morning, I decided to see how many different project ideas I could find.  After looking about 5 minutes, I had a bunch!  Check out these ideas . . .

 

 

I love the look of these clock faces . . . hmmm . . . could it be

because I collect clocks?

 

 

I think this next photo may contain doors,

but it was so cute and inviting

that I wanted to show it.

 

 

 

I love the graphic nature of these letters!

 

 

 

 

This is probably my favorite!  I love the patina of this piece!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And last but not least - a massive colorful collage of windows!

 

 

Not a "wordy" post today, but maybe it has provided you with some great ideas.  Now - go window shopping!  Til next time, see ya at Picker's Paradise Flea Market!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



It's Not That Complicated!

It's pouring down rain outside, which makes it a great day to snuggle up in front of the fireplace with a comfy throw and watch a movie.  Since I'm at work, I guess that's not going to happen.  At least we can chat about movies!  I wanted to show some photos of homes that are from two of my favorite movies.  When I watch these movies, and yes, I have seen them so many times I could quote the lines from every actor of both movies, I catch myself looking in the background at all of the furniture, items on shelves, and things hanging on the walls.  Have you ever noticed "movie homes" and thought you could never have a home like that?  That is so not true.  I gain inspiration from those homes and search flea markets like Picker's Paradise Flea Market, and yard sales for pieces that are similar in style or feel.  I soooooo love the homes in the movies, "It's Complicated", with Meryl Streep and Alec Baldwin and "Something's Gotta Give", starring Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson.  Check it out for yourself and see what I mean.

View 1- Kitchen

 

View 2 - Kitchen

 

 

 View 3 - Kitchen
Love the white(ish) dishware!

 

Living Room
I love the comfortable rustic feeling
this room gives.

 

 

 I couldn't post photos from this film without showing the incredible bakery that Meryl Streep owns in the movie!

 

 

Now - Something's Gotta Give 

 View 1 - Living Room

 

 

View 2 - Living Room

 

View 3 - Living Room 



 

View 1 - Dining Room

This room is what started my growing collection of aged, white plates and platters!

 

 View 2 - Dining Room

 

 

 

Master Bedroom

 

 

The next few photos I just ran across on the internet and they became my inspiration photos for my own living/dining room.

 

View 1 - Coastal Inspiration Room

I have to find a chandelier to paint this beautiful coral color!



 

View 2 - Coastal Inspiration Room

 

 

Ok - now for my living and dining space.  I am not a trained decorator, just a person who knows what she likes when she sees it.  I am very eclectic.  I love vintage, coastal, rustic, farmhouse and industrial and I love to travel.  I collect vintage cameras, alarm clocks, trophy cups, pyrex bowls, and hotel and restaurant tableware.  Therefore, my rooms are a combination of things I have collected on travels - such as sea shells, coral, and driftwood, vintage maps and numerous items scavenged from the corners and basements of flea markets across the south, as well as in Mexico.  These photos were taken with my camera phone so they are not of excellent quality.

 

Dining Area - Corner

 

 

View 1 - Living Room

 

View 2 - Living Room

 

Hopefully by now, you are feeling rich with creativity and inspiration or are thinking of that "movie home" that gives you that warm, cozy feeling.  Don't ever feel like you can't have that same feeling in your own home.  Now, crank up the dvd player, watch that movie, and then get out there and scour the flea markets, thrift stores and yard sales for those special pieces.  After all, HALF THE FUN IS IN THE FIND!  Til next time - see ya at Picker's Paradise Flea Market!