Venting garage sale pet peeves :0

[Keith Jackson]

I have gotten in arguments before with people on line about yard sales. This was in a video game forum but the concept is the same. People would brag about how they got some video game worth $100 from a yard sale. It was priced at $2, but they got them down to $1. They would then brag about how they talked down these stupid people who didn't even know what they had. But, if they had been at the same yard sale and the person had realized what they had and priced it accordingly, they would complain that they weren't going to pay @#$%ing eBay prices at a yard sale. When I commented, the reply that I got was, "It must be nice to be in a place in life where you don't have to worry about every nickle and dime."

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

A Handbook of Civil War Bullets and Cartridges - Grab it through Amazon!

[kali_is_my_copilot]

I don't nickel & dime people like that but (as others have already said here) if I am digging through a pile of dirty jewelry that you dumped out on a table and you decide to start upping your prices because I look too long/closely at stuff we're going to have a bad time. I put the time in to educate myself, I put in sweat/time/fuel equity, I turn my hands black sifting through stuff you consider a step above trash. Obviously not all sellers are like that but good grief some of the prices I've heard thrown out for stuff are obscene.

 

[Beachkid23]

I did a similar deal once. There was a bag with misc jewelry, in the bunch was a native american signed sterling bracelet. At first I pulled it out & was going to ask how much.......then I decided it would draw attention to it & I asked how much for the bag....he said $15. so I bought it & went on my way...I did kind of felt guilty about it.......Well what do you think....am I honest or dishonest?

That's the point. Get it for as low as possible. I went to a sale this weekend and the lady had a box with jewelry in it marked two dollars each. I picked out a whole handful and there was still good stuff in the box. So I said how much do you want the whole box figuring she would say $50. She said how about $10! Of corse! 8 g of 14 K and a ton of silver most of it signed. I didn't feel bad about it and I never will.

Dishonest is when you stick it in your pocket walk away. Getting a good deal, there's nothing wrong with that. Every single one of us gets up for that every single day!

 

[kcm]

Again, "most" people having garage sales are the original owners of the items, or they just bought them somewhere for less and are still making money. What I've been talking about - it doesn't happen all that often, but it "does" happen. And again, there is no right or wrong answer.

 

[kha924]

1. Sellers expecting me to buy sentimental value!!!
2. I hate when a sale starts at 9 and i get there 20 minutes early and people have cleaned the damn thing out early!

 

[boogeyman]

and #3 womens used bras.
why in the world would a woman put her used undies out for sale?
& why in the world would someone else buy them?

He's just trying to save a little, since he paid too much for his high heels.

 

[Rodbuster209]

1. Sellers expecting me to buy sentimental value!!!
2. I hate when a sale starts at 9 and i get there 20 minutes early and people have cleaned the damn thing out early!

A common occurrence here where I live, you have to roll bye at least an hour early to see if they are setting up and then see if they will let you buy. Good luck!

 

[boogeyman]

and people say pot is harmless. not to her jewelry collection.

hope you did well. she probably needed $60 to buy her next lid.

Cripe Dan!!! You must be as old as me! Every time I talk about a lid the youngster look at me like I'm stoned. Try explaining a 4 finger bag and they'll think you're from mars Don't even say you could buy a 4 finger lid for $20, their heaqds will explode!!

 

[boogeyman]

I hate, "What do you think it's worth?"
I hate "I got this from my aunt martha, I got that from Uncle Shmoe, I got that on sale at Barbie's...
I hate, "Do you need some empty band aid boxes, How about used underwear, how about some socks, size children's small, how about a parcheese set. Need some candles. (continue for EVERY FLIPPING ITEM at the sale).

That's my favorite!!! "What do you think it's worth?" Response? "Nothing but I'll give you a buck anyway cause I'm in a good mood."

 

[boogeyman]

One of my biggest peeves is when they give you a price, then assume the crossed arms stance give the pawn stars sigh waiting to do the dicker dance. I usually tell them this ain't TV, and walk off. Thing is probably 80% of the time they run down the driveway or start yelling OK! I'll take it! Sorry! I don't have time to play games.

 

[Beachkid23]

That's my favorite!!! "What do you think it's worth?" Response? "Nothing but I'll give you a buck anyway cause I'm in a good mood."

Speaking of candles, eBay yankee candles... just saying. Black label or whatever..

 

[Beans]

One of my biggest peeves is when they give you a price, then assume the crossed arms stance give the pawn stars sigh waiting to do the dicker dance. I usually tell them this ain't TV, and walk off. Thing is probably 80% of the time they run down the driveway or start yelling OK! I'll take it! Sorry! I don't have time to play games.

That is how my brother in law does it at the flea market. I won't take less then 40 for that widget! Person walks off, OK you can have it for 30 to keep you from walking off. I not going any lower than 20. I just have to shake my head and wonder.

 

[dejapooh]

That's my favorite!!! "What do you think it's worth?" Response? "Nothing but I'll give you a buck anyway cause I'm in a good mood."

I usually say, "I was hoping to buy it, I didn't realize I had to sell it too..."

 

[Peyton Manning]

Getting Hit On
I am not trailer park trash that cruises garage sales, flea markets and second hand shop to be hit on or hear about how I look.

People Who Follow Me
They just stick around and have more questions than I ever would.

People Who Have An Opinion Towards Americans.
For some reason certain Europeans think that we want to hear their opinion about our nation, I mean seriously. I always turn it around on them and tell them I am from Texas. They of course try to argue and say that is part of the US and I say yeah sure, and the national Language of Luxembourg is French too right.

People who ask why I have a gun.
Because my job requires me to carry one you idiot. The ones who catch my accent right away that I am American ask directly, what do you do for a living. Really dumb question, the only people who can open carry pistols are cops, so I screw with them and tell them I am a private broker selling information to Mexican based Cartels on key areas for their distribution overseas. Actually had one go straight to his cell phone and pick it up, I could nolt help but walk up behind him and ask him who he is calling.

Then those people who want to know the most rude thing you can ask.

How Big Are You.

Kids I can understand, I get it I look a little out of place, but 36 years of lifting will do that, especially when it goes hand in hand with your job. But adults, I always look right down at my crotch and say I really could not tell you, never had the desire to measure it but there is enough there to turn some heads at the beach or pool.

I miss the US, it is a whole other rude in the US, a rude that I am used to. Been here for a while and still will not get used to the weirdos.

tell me about it bro. Just because I was the body double for arnold is no reason to accost me

 

[Beachkid23]

I have a new turd I see out. Two weeks ago she yelled out" he's buying all the gold." Like 18 times. I wanted to kick her a€*! Today I ask for gold, and this girl speaks up... what do you have??!? It's the same noisy B as before. Omg. I wanna kick you!! She flew ahead of me. All mouth no brains. She only missed 23 grams of 14k.

 

[GarageSaleKing]

I have a new turd I see out. Two weeks ago she yelled out" he's buying all the gold." Like 18 times. I wanted to kick her a€*! Today I ask for gold, and this girl speaks up... what do you have??!? It's the same noisy B as before. Omg. I wanna kick you!! She flew ahead of me. All mouth no brains. She only missed 23 grams of 14k.

Too bad you have to deal with her. I've never had someone do something like that to me before. Only the typical, oh no, you beat me here, everything good will be gone, remarks, which I just find humerous.

 

[T.C.]

The 2 most seen items at garage sales...

#1. Christmas items.
#2. Kids stuff.

Don't forget exercise equipment!!

 

[Detecto]

I have been going to garage sales since I was a kid, so I will chime in...

1. My biggest annoyance is the "eBay garage sales", people will have a garage sale, and when you find something, they go "Well I looked it up on eBay and they sell for $100, so howmuchyougimmie?"

I leave usually. People like this don't even know eBay, they look at active listings, not what stuff has SOLD for.

I do eBay as well. But I find it a slap in the face that people think they can put something that sold for $100 in front of maybe 100 people and sell it, vs putting it on eBay with over 100 MILLION people, photographing it, boxing it up, etc.

It's like they want all the money without all the work.

To me...a yardsale is "I have crap and I want it gone", and should be priced accordingly.
I've had a few sales myself, stuff that didn't sell on eBay. I usually ask 1/2 or LESS than I was asking (always ask within past selling prices), and stuff still doesn't move.

The biggest fit I through, is when someone advertised a "family tag sale" "generations of antiques" "priced to move" in a town a good hour drive.

Hoping to find some deals, I drove an hour, only to find out it was a ESTATE LIQUIDATION COMPANY....not a family, and they had EVERY THING looked up on eBay, and they did not want to take a dime less.

Every coat, pair of shoes, etc was looked up on eBay. I've never saw anything like it. Needless to say I got irate and called them out on their phony advertising.

2. I buy gold and silver scrap.

If you find say a small basket with maybe 50 little baggies of rings, bracelets, etc, and find at least a couple solid gold items, instead of digging through the basket, ask what they would take for the whole basket.

If it's not much, sort it out on your own time. There is about 5 people in my area who buy scrap, so spending as little time as possible at a yard sale is key.

It also prevents other people from hovering over you and digging through the basket. I hate when people do that.

If they seem like nice, chatty people, I usually leave my business card and tell them to call me if they run across more stuff, I've had a few good leads like this.

At one sale, I bought about $200 in gold scrap for a few dollars, so when the lady called with more, I paid it a little more than I usually pay to make up for it.

I feel bad when that happens, but you can't really go "you had 50 cents on this, but it's actually worth $50, so here's a $50 bill"

3. Quality yard sales are starting to become a thing of the past. Almost everyone knows a brother, aunt, cousin etc that has the capability to look stuff up on eBay.

So your typical yard sale anymore seems like clothing, kitchen utensils, books, etc.

4. I've been to some really odd yard sales.

I went to one once, and the couple was moving into a retirement home, they were in such a hurry to move, they literally told people everything was free, take it.

Then you have some where the family has no idea what anything is worth, so they put "make an offer" on a large sign.

I hate this. I always feel like I am going to either insult them, or overpay.

Then I went to one once, about 5:30am, they opened at 6:30. A lot of people open before they post they are open, and the phrase "the early bird gets the worm" prevails.

There was a line of about 5 people, I was 6th in line, standing at the gate. They yelled at the couple in front of the line, and said they are "trespassing and need to leave or they would call the cops".

Needless to say, that was a crappy business tactic. I doubt anyone else showed up.

I love garage sales 1st, auctions 2nd. Buying $100 items for $1 is always fun. The best I ever did at an auction...I bought a camera lens for $17.50 and sold it on eBay for almost $3,000 dollars.

 

[Paleo_joe]

I had a garage sale and some dude was knocking on my window before dawn to see what I had. Bad business tactic or not, I threw his butt off my property. Only dealers are out that early anyway so they can just wait for their profit like I do at estate sales, lol

 

[oredigger62]

There is a place at the end of my street that has a yard sale every weekend , friday thru sunday.... Lots of stuff and everything you can imagine . They must spend hours moving all the stuff out to the front and the big furniture items would really bite. Come to find out they constantly run the craigslist free stuff ads... pick up everything that is for free. Sort it when they get home. Then next weekend it is for sale at the yard sale. My neighbor threw out some old mattresses and they were seen bopping down the alley with the old mattresses. Too funny.