This weekend, we had a garage sale. Actually, my wife had a garage sale. I just took the stuff to the garage and stood around while she used her salesperson charms. That means she had to deal with those known as Garage Sale People – the ones who scour newspapers for sales that might have a hidden treasure.
Some Garage Sale People like to show up early. When they read that a sale starts at 7 a.m., then they show up at 6:30 a.m. After all, you have to arrive first to get the best stuff. On Friday morning, I went outside to put my stepdaughter’s lunchbox in the car and found people roaming around the driveway. During our conversation, I learned that they thought about knocking on the door but decided against it. If they found something before we came out, then they were going to leave money on the table. However, that brings me to a trait of most Garage Sale People.
I took my stepdaughter to school, and my wife came out to help them. Whenever they picked something up, they asked her if she would less for it. She politely said, “No, ma’am.” In reality, she should have said, “I put $2 on it because I wanted $2. If I wanted $1, then I would have priced it at $1. By the way, we paid $30 for it, and it has hardly been used. If you feel the need to haggle over a dollar, then watch me throw it in the trash. I would rather throw it away than sell it to someone too cheap to hand over $2.”
Garage Sale People see a garage sale as a challenge where bargaining is the rule of the day. That is too much like a car lot. We did not drag this stuff out of the house to play a game of wits. Everything should be straightforward. $2 means $2. If you do not want to pay it, then put it down.
Other Garage Sale People are busy and cannot make it during the prescribed time. Our sale ended at noon. My wife put the stuff in the garage; closed the garage doors; and took a nap on the couch. She was tired because of the Garage Sale People who showed up early. Anyway, someone knocked on the door at 1 p.m. and asked if the garage sale was still going on.
My wife explained that it was over, but they asked if they could see what was left. She took them to the garage, and they looked around. Of course, late arriving Garage Sale People like to skim the items before leaving without buying anything. They would probably haggle, but, in their eyes, the good stuff is gone. Those are the same eyes they could have used to see that the garage sale is over, which means the good stuff is most assuredly gone.
I write all of that to write that Garage Sale People are usually rude. They are so blinded by the prospect of getting something for nothing that they lose sight of proper behavior. With that being said, here are some garage sale rules that I think should be followed.
- Arrive at the sale during the scheduled time of the sale. If the stuff is there 30 minutes before it starts, then it will be there at the starting time. On the other hand, the stuff will not be there an hour after it is over.
- Pay the price. If someone does not want to pay $2 for something, then they do not really want it.
There you go. Two simple rules for Garage Sale People to ignore.
SBI: A Thinning Crowd 
I hate garage sales.
They are easy to hate.
It’s a big thing around here. The true church are tag sales. I went a few when we first moved here, but it’s so very NOT my thing.
It takes a certain kind of person to get into it.
Clearly, we are not those people. For which I think we ought to be grateful.
Some of those who are constantly trying to barter are professional sellers themselves, either selling back to consignment or their own yard sales. You’re messing with their (potential) profit margins, man!
I would hate to cost them a dollar. Their entire enterprise might blow up.
Funny post because my mom is a Garage Sale person. She wouldn’t dare knock on a door or haggle though. She’s sit in her car and wait for it to start. 🙂
I like your mom already.
LOL, I totally agree! Having had a garage sale recently for 2 weekends, you got it right! OMG, and we are having another one in November. 🙂
You must be a glutton for punishment.
I have only had one yard sale. I put “no early birds” on the sign because I didn’t want to deal with them. They still show up.
Haggling is kind of a part of the garage sale culture, so I overlook that one. I don’t go to too many sales, though. I’m trying to declutter my OWN life!
We are in the midst of decluttering. However, it was mostly my stuff that got decluttered.
Funny how that happens!