Hanging out with Chelsea. . . and our garage sale cash.
I finally had my garage sale this last Friday, and it was really fun. Good company, nice communion with neighbors, got rid of a ton of crap and I made $320!
Here are some of my favorite moments from the sale:
- The young woman and her mother who bought a large amount of my dug-up day lillies and iris, as well as all the leftover stone from my backyard landscaping project. They were super excited to take it all home to plant in the daughter’s garden. I was happy to thin out my garden and take their money.
- The two young women who each bought a pair of my son’s used Vans sneakers. Their tiny feet are my favorite new discovery.
- The man who bought my bright red Merrell slip-on shoes. He felt that the color would help motorists see him when he cycled.
- The dealers who showed up before I had put anything out yet. They stood around waiting for any underpriced treasures, but ended up only buying a cat scratching thing-a-ma-bob.
- The woman who wanted to know if I would take $10 for all of my old magazines. Uh . . . yeah!
- The woman who wanted to know if I would take $10 for all my Red Rose tea figurines. Uh . . . yeah!
- The woman who wanted to know if I would take $10 for all of our Neopets to sew onto a dress. Uh . . . yeah, and please bring us a picture when you’re all done with it! (Can you tell that I really like it when buyers want the entirety of a certain item?)
- The woman who bought both the big bin of Lincoln Logs and the bin of Tinkertoys. I bought the Tinkertoys from a garage sale when I was pregnant with my 15-year-old son. I think I sold them for $3 more than I paid.
- When my neighbors brought out a large memory foam camping pad for my free box. It was gone within 60 seconds.
In the end, I packed everything back up into bins and put it into the garage. There was significantly less stuff than I started with. I’m not sure if I’ll take it to Goodwill or maybe do one last sweep through the house and put together another garage sale together in a month or so. (I didn’t get to my older son’s room or the mysterious deep of the coat closet.)
I really enjoyed the time spent chatting with neighbors, many of whom I’d never met before, as well as hanging out with my friend Chelsea. My mother also spent a few hours with us, as well as providing a delicious takeout lunch.
I am dedicating the money to a summer vacation fund, and already have my eye on a cute A-frame cabin at Lemolo Lake. Ahh . . . vacation!
Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without”
Addendum: I ended up selling my son’s bicycle the next day, (which had been in the garage sale) for $120 via Craigslist, so I am upping the garage sale total to $450!
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
What a beautiful street you live on. Do you have maple trees in Portland? (I’ve never been west of Iowa, so I don’t know what grows out there in the Pacific Northwest.)
I have a small maple tree in the front yard and an overly enormous one in the backyard.
Katy
Glad to hear the garage sale was a success!! I’ll be having one this year too once summer actually arrives in the Greater Toronto Area. Certainly hope mine is as successful as yours was!!
Ah, heaven! Isn’t it nice to see stuff go?
Yes it is, it’s so cathartic!
Katy
Yeah, Katy!!!! It was a good day for you all the way around.
Sounds like you had a good day and a successful sale!! I’m to the point in my declutering that I no longer have garage sales, the few items here and there, that I decided don’t need to reside in our home, just get donated or passed on to my daughter who now lives in her own apartment.
Your street looks gorgeous, Katy!
Thanks, although that’s the neighbor’s house.
Katy
Hurray–you may have inspired me to have one too! We certainly have enough in the garage to make it possible. I also have a “travel” fund where I’m putting “extra” money that comes in not part of our usual budget. It’s exciting to watch it grow and think about where to go. Ever been to Paulina Lake/Newberry Crater? That’s nice too!
I’m curious what you priced the Merrells at. I have a pair that also need to go. They never quite fit right so they’re barely worn. I’m torn between recouping the $80 I spent on them and just finding a new home for them. Help!
I received them as a gift, (my sister bought them at Goodwill) and I priced them at $5. They were bright red and a women’s size 11, (which I’m not!) and had been turned down by two different consignment stores. I priced them at $5 and was happy to see them leave.
You should check “completed listings” on eBay to see if it’s worth selling them there.
Katy