Yard Sale

There are few things more year-round Saturday-morning American than the garage/yard sale. To make it even more fun, organize your community and have a few neighborhood sales a year. Just encourage people to haggle. It's fun!

Remember, the idea isn't only to make money; it's to get rid of dust-collecting stuff. Figure out what an item you're going to sell is worth, then lower the price. Now be prepared to lower it again when people haggle. Sometimes I think if people don't haggle, then you should encourage them to do so by saying something like, "Well, it's my sister's and she wants $40 for it but if you ask, I'll let you have it for $30, as long as you don't let her know."

Here's a person who obviously hasn't bought a paperback for under six dollars in a while (which means she doesn't read very much)...

"How much are the books?"
"The hard backs are a dollar and the paperbacks are fifty cents."
"Fifty cents?! It's amazing how much yard sale prices have gone up."
Gone up? What do go up to fifty cents from? A quarter? Some people...if it's not twenty-five cents they won't buy it. Some people will come up to your sale and ask for a price on something and if it isn't twenty-five cents, they will walk away. Walk away. Needless to say, she didn't buy anything.

Hello...? Haggle...!

"How much are the books?"
"The hard backs are a dollar and the paperbacks are fifty cents."
"How about a discount?"
"Okay. How about you buy five and you get one free?"
"Excellent. I might have to get a bunch."
"Great. Here's a paper bag."

A big paper bag.