whats your strategy when going to a sale???

[cyberdan]

Re: what's your strategy when going to a sale

Check out some of the garage sale vids on YouTube for some great advise.

never thought about that.

 

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[jnkhntr]

Re: what's your strategy when going to a sale

Check out some of the garage sale vids on YouTube for some great advise.

never thought about that.

My three favorites: terminal99, marionspringspickers, and mypakrat

 

[diggummup]

Re: what's your strategy when going to a sale

Be nice and polite. Make conversation. I usually buy something right off the bat for .50 or a dollar (something I'll use at home like a tool or knife, and then let them see the cash in my wallet). If an item is .50 cents, I usually just say "oh, just make it a dollar." This generally lets them know you're a swell guy and not a thief (I'm not kidding- I get people following me around garage and estate sales like The Thomas Crown Affair). I take off my Rolex, though, and since I drive a Lexus, I park a little ways down the street. If I don't buy anything else, I'll then hit them with "My dad collects coins, or guns, or trains, or Beatles albums or whatever and then ask if they have any.

In the South, we're still having garage and yard sales. When it gets too cold, research ebay. I try to only look at vintage (whatever the subject) and Complete Sales. Also look at what gets a lot of bids (example: Polaroid XS-70 cameras.)

I had to laugh at this one. I recently got a BMW and since I started driving it to sales, I noticed people's reactions to me are probably hurting my negotiating edge. I do best when I drive my van to a sale and wear some old "metal detecting" clothes.

Yup, we drive my van or the Hyundai and I don't wear any of my gold either.

Check out some of the garage sale vids on YouTube for some great advise.

never thought about that.

My three favorites: terminal99, marionspringspickers, and mypakrat

I'll have to check those out.

 

[Produce Guy]

Re: what's your strategy when going to a sale

I always "ask" if they have something I don't see,this really helped one year with the "Hot Wheels" fine of all times,over 100 cars with track for $5,but we gave her $10 and then screamed with delite when we got in the car and drove away.Took the cars and track to a Hot Wheels buyer/collector and he gave us 5 -$100 dollar bills.
Also check Craigs List for ads and then check the "Free" section on a monday,alott of people who have garage sales on Saturday & Sunday and don't sell everything,sometimes run an ad and put out the nosalable stuff at the curb for free.
It also doesn't hurt to find out when they close and go there when their putting away their stuff that didn't sale and make an offer.

 

[clovis97]

Re: what's your strategy when going to a sale

Here is a hard lesson that I learned several years ago:

I got into a mind set for a while about yard sales, that I only hit certain areas, and avoid others.

There is a street in my town that is very neat and clean, and a little upscale...or at least it was upscale when I was a kid. I have to stress that this street is a good area to live, with nice houses and manicured yards. The problem is that the garage sales are typically awful.

If you like buying dirty stuffed animals, used plastic butter tubs, hangers from a dry cleaner, toilet seat covers knitted out of yarn, and boxes of used Christmas tree tinsel, this street would be great for you.

So, one Friday, I passed up that area, and told my mom that "the street was a waste of time...I will no longer be hoodwinked into coming to one sale on that street again."

At my mom's insistence, we stopped at the most promising sale on the street, but only after we had hit nearly every sale in town.

The woman that lived there was selling nearly everything in sight, including tools. She was pulling them from the garage as I got there, and I scored HUGE.

Starrett, Brown & Sharpe, Snap-On, Craftsman, etc, all sitting in Kennedy signature boxes. I filled the trunk and back seat of a new Impala for less than $160.

I learned a valuable lesson about keeping an open mind to areas, even if they haven't produced before.

 

[Ursus]

Re: what's your strategy when going to a sale

I tend toward asking follow up questions. Example: A yardsale had a perfect used Polaroid camera in the original box with manuals, etc. I knew I would make a few bucks off of it so I grabbed it, then asked if they had any Polaroid film to go along with it. Said that they did have some but they threw it away since it was expired. Offered to buy the unopened boxes if they were still in good condition. Thankfully, they were unopened with no coffee grounds or anything yucky on them. Paid 10.00 for three boxes of SX - 70 film, plus 2.00 for the camera. Did well on the tranaction ... They were happy, I was happy.