Yard Sale

Ever had a yard sale? Some of you may be nodding in your heads, although I’ll bet that most of you are thinking, “Well yeah, I have thought about it, but I’ve never actually done it.” I can’t blame you. As someone who has had a number of them, I can tell you unequivocally there’s a fair amount of work involved. You’ve got to set a date and time, get a permit, make signs, and post ads to get the word out. Then you’ve got to go through all of that junk that’s rotting away in your closets, attic, shed and wherever else you stash the stuff you no longer have any use for but have been inexplicably hanging on to for more time than you care to think about. Once you’ve completed those tasks, all that remains is to haul that junk out to your yard on the appointed day and hope that at least a few people actually show up.

And they will. You’ll probably be surprised at how many, but here’s the rub. People who go to yard sales are cheap, and when I say cheap, I mean spectacularly cheap. I once had an item priced at 25 cents, and someone tried to talk me down – tried hard. I didn’t take the deal. I held out for the quarter, and you’ll be happy to know I got it. Nope, I didn’t roll over. I had to draw the line somewhere, and that was it. Not that I never engaged in any price negotiations. I did, but by and large I drove a hard bargain. I was not going to let any of that broken down, useless trash go without a fight.

At the end of the day when all was said and done, I always made money and you will, too, if you choose to take on an undertaking of this magnitude. You might even have a little fun. I always did. And it was for a good cause, like perhaps a looming deadline for my property taxes or something of that nature, although I never mentioned that to anyone. They didn’t need to know.

So if you’re considering a yard sale, what are you waiting for? Take the plunge. When you’re done you’ll feel good about it, and you’ll have a few extra bucks in your pocket. There’s just one last thing I should tell you. Don’t price anything below 50 cents. Leave yourself a little wiggle room.