Garage Sales!

Re: Garage Sales!

How many of you bargain at sales? <Offer a price lower than what the seller has marked>
I used to just pay what people wanted, then saw so many others bargaining I decieded to try it. Most of the time I get it at my price, but I have seen some sellers get angry. It's like they take it personal and it's an insult to them.
I have never asked for a drastic reduction.
The few times that happened to me I just put the item back and walked away.
What are others experiences with bargaining? Any tips on being a good bargainer?

[SuzeOFan]

Re: Garage Sales!

allyourworth, good question!

I make it a rule to never try to bargain when it's under $1

...although I have also been known to break that rule from time to time!

Hey, if you think it's too much - it doesn't hurt to ask if they'll come down some.
The worse they can do is say 'sorry'.

[jodi]

Re: Garage Sales!

Personally, I bargain a lot. I won't bother if it's one thing for a quarter, for example. But if I am buying multiple items (i.e. kids clothes or books) I will almost always round down and ask the seller if they will take less - like if I have 5 items for $.25 each, I'll ask if they will take $1 for all. I bet they say yes 95% of the time.
If I'm buying something for $5, I'll ask if they will take $3 of $4 for it, even if I would actually pay $5! It never hurts to ask and I can always pay full price if they say no. I can't personally remember anyone ever being offended by my asking, even if they do say no. I think most people expect it.

[Cheetahwoman7]

Re: Garage Sales!

My best find would probably have to be while I was garage saling (sp) with my mom. This sale had TONS of stuff you had to dig through. I spied a turn of the century Japanese wood block print (I didn't know it was that at the time, just knew I liked it). After I bought it, I took it up to an appraisal event in San Francisco a few months later. There was no one else at the table for "oriental art" so all three "experts" looked at it. They LOVED it!! Told me that it would sell at auction for over $1200, but that I should insure it for more. Didn't have the heart to tell them I only paid $7 for it. When I told my mom that, she said that I always had a good eye for things.

As far as bargaining goes. If I think the item is worth the price, I pay it. If I'm on the fence about something, I bargain with them. Doesn't hurt.

P.S. Oh, I forgot to tell you that I still have that print. It hangs above my fireplace. It still puts a smile on my face every time I see it.

[toys]

Re: Garage Sales!

I found a full length green silk Victoria's Secret robe for $20... and I know it was a good deal because I'd priced a similar one (in black) just a few weeks before.



I'm thinking of having a yard/garage sale for Labor day. Should I take Friday off from work so I can sit outside all weekend?

[kealina]

Re: Garage Sales!

Yard Sales Thread

Kealina started a similar thread in Frugal Q & A's....you both seem to have the bug! (I have it too.)

thanks for remembering irjohnson... yeah, i posted some of the things i've gotten over the past weeks in that thread.... i am a total addict... my mom (who has been going for over 25 years) used to drag me when i was a kid and then i stopped as i got older and busy with schoolwork... then she had some health issues a couple years ago but refused to stop going while she was recuperating so DH and i agreed to come chauffer her around and then got hooked ourselves... not just for household things but for fun things too...
i have to admit i love yard sales because i love the variety of clothes they provide... i like being able to mix and match and experiment depending on how i am feeling...i like being able to buy lots of different things (sometimes brand name) for the price of one of those items brand new in the store... i love wearing something and having people compliment me and tell me they've never seen it before...
lol... i don't cost much but i'm still very much a girl who loves to look good...

some of my best deal favorites all the way up until yesterdays haul include 2 fur stoles that got rained on (bought yesterday, now airing out) for $1 each...
my wedding reception dress for $5. it is a gorgeous vintage champagne colored dress with a brocade halter top and a full circle chiffon skirt...
$1 each for two pairs of vintage shoes with the coolest strap buckle i've ever seen, you just pull the strap through the buckle until it's tight and that buckle catches the strap and holds it. no need for holes in the strap or anything...
i love my classic leather Coach purses (as of yesterday i have 3, black, brown, and blue)...i use the brown one almost every day...
there's probably more but that's all i can think of...

[kealina]

Re: Garage Sales!

ima, actually the nicer neighborhoods tend to have worse sales where i live although there are exceptions... in general, at least here, the best sales tend to be moving sales in military neighborhoods because they do not want to ship this stuff off the island, they understand that things can depreciate, and they tend to be flexible....

Same here. Although I have a fetish for mismatched fine china and I can only be able to afford them used.

I had a set of tea dishes that are gold-plated. Unfortunately hubby washed them with some harsh stuff and the plating went off.

yeah, i wouldn't buy china new either... just keep looking at yard sales and maybe you'll get lucky...over time my mom bought sets of china for each of her kids to inherit (whenever we marry)... they range in size and completeness but they were fairly affordable... my set is white with blue patterns earthenware?/stoneware?... she let me choose between this one and a japanese set with golden wheat on it... i chose it because it had cool historic scenes on it... stuff like independence hall and the Boston tea party.... i've always like to be a bit different and this appealed to me.... my siblings didn't care... my sis wanted the gray roses with white gold rims and my brother got the golden japanese wheat by default, especially after he broke a few and made it incomplete... lol... of course, luckily, he's happy with it...

[markio26]

Re: Garage Sales!

i think it depends on the motive of the person who is having the garage sale and the timing.. we have gone to over 35 garage sales, good neighborhoods and bad... i have not purchased a thing... there was good furniture, clothes, etc.. some priced high, some priced low, and lots of toys and books, etc.. i simply could not use anything... however, my son who sells on ebay, my spouse and my friend beverly bought a cpl hundred dollars worth of stuff.. my son bought a box of tins, with different celeberties on them, for $60.. he will sell them on ebay for 3 times that price in sets... i don't know how many he got, big box, elvis is on some of them... really nice... it was a last day moving sale..