Yard Sale Adventures

After receiving moving quotes and estimating the cubic feet and weight of all our belongings, we decided we needed to loose about 4,000lbs of stuff in order to have an affordable move. For the last two days I have felt like I was on a sinking air balloon frantically hucking stuff overboard to make the balloon level out. Shelley and I have been merciless. I think when Jonathan and Ellie went into their rooms Friday night, they had that feeling you have after you've received a way too short haircut -- you know, its gone, and there's nothing you can do about it!

We have a huge three-car garage, and Shelley and I had to park outside because the entire garage was filled with our household blubber.

We woke up and started moving things out and putting up our signs around 6:30 am. Madison and I were on sign duty and Shelley and Kate were trying to organize everything from the garage out on the driveway. People started showing up at 7am, while I was still putting up signs. And if you were in the market for Marc's tools, this short period of time before I returned was the jackpot baby!! For example, my Paslode cordless framing nail gun that I bought for about $400.00. Well, a nice lady paid 10 bucks for it! When I express a little consternation over the selected price, Kate simply responded, "I wondered why she ran to her car."



Needless to say, there were many, many bargains to be found at our garage sale. I mean we had to get rid of 4000 lbs. For example, I had 500lbs just in dumbbells and other weights. Which actually brings me to another point I learned about moving sales: a guy's stuff obviously weighs more than a girl's stuff. Clearly, tools and sports equipment weigh more, than say craft supplies and Christmas decorations. I mean, anyone can tell that a sewing machine is more important to the well being of the entire family than a commercial grade air hockey table. I am just saying that a moving sale can help solidify families priorities.

One thing that drives me crazy at yard sales are the true hagglers. No matter how good a deal (or should I say "steal") I gave them, they were still going to keep asking for a lower price. But sometimes I just loose it! I feel like I am going to turn into the moving-sale Nazi and scream, "Enough! No deals for you! Get out of my yard! No deals for you!"

There were a couple times during the moving sale though where I did loose my patience, forgot that we were generally negotiating over quarters and single digit dollar increments and the unsuspecting haggler found himself face-to-face with a cold-hearted, Georgetown-law-trained, nerves-of-steel, hired-gun lawyer.

For example, a haggler that has a huge pile of items that even at give-a-way prices adds up to a grand total of $8. The haggler still wants a better deal and offers you $4.50. However, when I accept, he has no change and hands me a five dollar bill. I am sorry, but I won't make change for this person. I don't care if I have so much change in my pockets that when I walk I sound like I am wearing sleigh bells, I am not making change. The price just became $5, take it of leave it. The pile sells for $5!

Then there are the "unbundlers." For example, Shelley had found in the basement a utility sink in an unopened box that we should have taken back to Home Depot, but we don't have time now. Remember, our balloon is sinking? The tag says it cost $80. A haggler, who kept calling me "chief," said he would pay $5, I said $15. So then he grabs about 100lbs in dumbbells and say he'll give me $20 for the sink and the dumbbells. I agree. So he comes over to pay and says he no longer wants the weights, he'll just take the sink for -- $10. Nice try -- sink sells for $15!>


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Lastly, there was a very nice Russian guy with his cute daughter. She was buying up our girls clothes and we were happy to see that she was happy. At first he said he wanted to buy a piece of sheet metal vent pipe for a buck. Ok, sure. But then he then said he wanted the pieces in the garage too, and I said I didn't have anymore. To my surprise he showed me that under a small pile of scrap lumber there were actually about eight more pieces all in a neat roll. Oh, man! another $90 bucks in Home Depot returns down the drain. Oh, well, too late -- while frustrated with myself, I agree to $1. But then he returns to Marc's wondrous table of tools and it hits me, I have a beautiful pair of duct snips that I bought for about $30 bucks. I walked over to Shelley and Madison and explain that if I was busy with someone else, the duct snipes go for no less than $3 dollars -- non-negotiable. That's right folks, a line had been drawn in the sand at this one-day tool bazaar. The stage was set. As I turn around, he was walking toward me waving the snipes in one hand and with his other hand he held out a quarter and smiled. I smiled too. He complained a lot, and even told me I was ripping him off, but heh -- the snipes sell for $3!>


Its not like we aren't practically giving the stuff away. Right? Remember, our air balloon is sinking, we have to shed 4000lbs. In the end we made just over $500. It made me wonder how the sale would have went if we had just posted a sign that said, "Moving Sale -- All Items $0.25/lb." It would have been fun, like the big lunch buffet bars where you pay by the pound.

As long as we judged well and are not required to immediately repurchase the items at full price, in California, the real savings was the over $2,000 we hopefully are saving by not moving all that stuff.

And, man, we sold almost everything. Even after the official hours were over, people were still coming and we stayed out a little extra time just selling anything thing (half full cans or bags of fertilizer and cleaning supplies, bags of snow melt, light sockets, door knob parts, etc.) for $0.25 or best offer. I am always amazed at what will sell at a yard sale.

And best of all, our household is close to 4000lbs lighter. Packing starts Tuesday!