Last years learns vs this years goals

[Beachkid23]

Maybe I do have too much time my hands!

But what is the best thing you learned last year and what is a goal(s) for this year?

For me, was don't buy with credit! Cash only, besides 2 surgeries (my wife) I put a lot of my purchases on a credit card... We paid off $9800 in CC debt in December.... Not fun! Having no debt besides 1 car payment should be great!


This years goal-

not to be greedy. I would turn down offers on items waiting for top dollar. Some of those items were gold and silver and you know how prices have gone the last couple years.... Waiting for top dollar has usually been expensive or a big loss! Gonna try to be satisitlified with what I can get or pretty darn close.

And more importantly put my family first. I went to yard sales either 3 weekends out of 4 or 4 outta 4. What did I gain? A pile of crap I can't get all listed no matter what and my kids missing me along with my wife... I learned it's only stuff and things... I can't take it with me! Taking off the last 6 weekends besides 1 has Been very different for me.

 

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[JimDon]

Maybe I do have too much time my hands!

But what is the best thing you learned last year and what is a goal(s) for this year?

For me, was don't buy with credit! Cash only, besides 2 surgeries (my wife) I put a lot of my purchases on a credit card... We paid off $9800 in CC debt in December.... Not fun! Having no debt besides 1 car payment should be great!


This years goal-

not to be greedy. I would turn down offers on items waiting for top dollar. Some of those items were gold and silver and you know how prices have gone the last couple years.... Waiting for top dollar has usually been expensive or a big loss! Gonna try to be satisitlified with what I can get or pretty darn close.

And more importantly put my family first. I went to yard sales either 3 weekends out of 4 or 4 outta 4. What did I gain? A pile of crap I can't get all listed no matter what and my kids missing me along with my wife... I learned it's only stuff and things... I can't take it with me! Taking off the last 6 weekends besides 1 has Been very different for me.

You touched on two of the most important things. Family and buy within your means. Thanks for sharing!

 

[diggummup]

You touched on two of the most important things. Family and buy within your means. Thanks for sharing!

Yeah, family, cash only and buy only what you will list, lest you be left boxing it up and forgetting about it. I've never been one for buying anything on credit. My family has just about all moved out of state except the wife and she goes with me to the sales. I have slowed down my buying drastically. For no particular reason, I walked out of an estate sale a few days ago. I just left my "pile" sitting there as I was standing in line waiting to pay for it. There was nothing there that I couldn't live without, so I just left. I already have way too much "regular stuff" that I can list already. I slowed down a lot last year. This year I will tighten it up even more. Might even go metal detecting again on the weekends instead!

 

[Junk_Puppet]

Don't butt into another persons negotiations at yard sales, flea markets. It will be hard and I will probably slip up somewhere

 

[jason4kstate]

I will probably stay away from porcelain, glass and other breakables. This has been a record breaking (no pun intended) year in terms of shipping these items.

 

[mugsisme]

Buy less jars? 😂😂😂 Seriously, I'm getting slightly better at walking away and keeping my CC in my pocketbook.
Instead, I've been encouraging friends to buy them and drooling their finds.

 

[OldSowBreath]

I will try to remember Cyberdan's advice this year. Buy nothing bigger than a breadbox. I had to rent storage for all the accumulated large items that are hard to sell and will be hard to ship. I probably need to do craigslist.

Smalls for me this year; e.g. jewelry.

Oh, another lesson learned - don't get hung up on Sterling jewelry (or anything) unless really a knock-out piece or by a well known, valuable maker. As Beachkid once pointed out - Sterling is only (adjusted to today) 45 cents a gram.

 

[diggummup]

I had to rent storage for all the accumulated large items that are hard to sell and will be hard to ship.

Don't feel bad, I had to rent a second storage unit last year. The bad part is I stopped buying anything larger than a breadbox a year ago. My goal is to get rid of that second storage by April.

 

[Baltimore]

My lesson from this past year translated directly to my goal. The lesson was that pricing through the moon and hoping for the best works on occasion, but the best way to actually sell something is to price it so someone will buy it. This year I've been putting best offer on all of my items, and I'm really trying to accept whatever comes my way, because cash in hand is significantly more useful than high priced items sitting around doing nothing, and when someone makes an offer and I accept it then all parties are happy. I get money, they get something they want for a price they like. I've noticed that buyers who have their best offers accepted almost always leave positive feedback, whereas people who just buy it for the listed price frequently don't, so that's an added bonus.

Also buying less, of course. I never buy outside of my means anymore (used to do it, not good), but I still have more stuff then I know what to do with. I have gotten much better at having much more money come in than go out, and this year I'd like to get even better.

 

[cyberdan]

I will try to remember Cyberdan's advice this year. Buy nothing bigger than a breadbox.

Funny! Just two weeks ago i told my daughter something was the size of a breadbox. and she said:

HOW BIG IS A BREAD BOX?

Thats what 6 years of college does to you.

 

[Yehuwdiy]

My goal is to keep shrinking my possessions. Even sentimental value has taken a back seat for many items. I'm really only saving stuff that I know I'll use, know I'll derive great and ongoing pleasure from or that I know my little girl will think is neat when she gets older (ok, that one's a crap shoot!).

 

[billjustbill]

Don't feel bad, I had to rent a second storage unit last year. The bad part is I stopped buying anything larger than a breadbox a year ago. My goal is to get rid of that second storage by April.

Digg,

When I read your point about getting rid of it by April, something "clicked". Down here in Texas, people stay inside during the cold weather as much as possible.... What I've seen, and what other long time pickers have said, is that when MARCH gets here, with its warmer winds, people are ready to get out. Taxes are still a month away, there's some Christmas money still burning a hole in their pocket, and getting outside to find a bargain all come together...kind'a like Lemmings running to water.... The first weekend of the month followed by a Monday is the regular flea market date. If it's dry and warmer, the vendors make a killing that month with April and October being the next best sales' months!

The first time I experienced it was when I'd spent a winter repairing 10 chainsaws.... to begin funding my solar electric project. I took them down there and sold out by 10:00 A.M. with prices of double and triple my original costs. I'm doing March this year, but my "Inventory" is so large and so varied, I'm running a three day sale here at home the weekend BEFORE the MARCH flea market weekend.... Vendors from there, Dealers looking for fresh stock, and those wanting to get away from the house will have a lot to look at.... The Long Range (Guess) Forecast shows the weekend to be clear and sunny.... "Timing is Everything".

Bill