Thur. 10/7/ 04 9:17am
I are attempting to take back the house from the mess monsters that tend to take over. The dish retalliation was won yesterday but the floors are still setting traps and have an alliance with the cabinets. A complete restructure in command needs to take place. The kitchen table has been camoflaged for weeks with a hidden agenda. A majority of the chairs have been contained but 2 still maneuver the diningroom floor. The TV and Computer are seriously sabotaging much of our efforts. Unplugging is our last line of defense. The laundry conflict is currently in isolation and interrogations will continue until the last man comes clean. The office the hall and our bedroom were successfully taken back into control last week with the aid of our allies the filing cabinets, the dresser drawers and the closets armed with only a vaccum and a dustrag. Things are looking better and moral is up. We will try to get out as soon as possible. Guilt tends to build near the doors preventing escape. I don't think we will be able to make it anywhere till at least next week now but hopefully by then we will only have to police the few repeat offenders. Happy to see so many as happy as I am about Fall.
Mon 5/3/04 1:00pm
I finally finished my article on yard saleing and sent it off to the local paper...I really hope they publish it. Here it is as I sent it.
Yard Sale season is already upon us and from the perspective of both a buyer and seller I believe there are a few courtseys that if used will help get your items sold and keep your community happy.
First and for most, feel free to put your signs up anytime the week of your sale. Buyers are driving about looking for the closest sale to their homes so if you are on their route they are more likely to hit your place as soon as you open. Also be sure to advertise in your local papers. The Intell is always very useful but also try the Penny Pincher. In your ad list what you have an abundance of such as books, records, antiques, tools ect. plus any large furniture with prices. People appreciate the heads up when it comes to items they might be looking for and will go out of their way to come to your sale over others in the area. Don't bother listing your phone number you'll be too busy to give directions instead list a nearby cross street if your location is tricky to get to. Also list your hours and expect people to arrive an hour before unless you explicitly state no early birds. Professional buyers are out at 6 am or earlier to buy your valuables for less than they can sell them for in their stores or on ebay.
Your signage should be big enough to read going 45mph. I love these bright orange and pink signs but they are only 8.5 by 11 sheets of paper. How much and how big can you really get? Expect to make additional signs and put them everywhere. Always list the date and your number address. If your place is far from a main road and you intend to put up signs that lead to your sale be sure to have a sign or colored paper at every intersection or mile, whichever comes first with a very visable arrow. You may also want to write how far they will be traveling such as 5 mi. ahead and follow signs. By providing this information you will get more traffic to your sale and have happier arriving buyers. Multi family sales are great too because you are able to draw larger crowds than singles scattered throughout the county.
In addition to the above listings and sign installation when your sale has come to an end, whether it be Friday, Saturday or Sunday at 1,3,or 5pm, if you have no intention of selling any more that week take down ALL of you signage as soon as you empty your lawn. The most frustrating and annoying thing to a buyer is to follow a sign to a dead end or an empty yard sale address. Even when you have the date of your sale on your signage rarely is it the first thing read while traveling at even 25mph. I have personally experienced returning a sign to a family only to be called nasty names and their only excuse was that they had not been out yet that day. Didn't your sale end yesterday? Your community will also appreciate your quick action to remove your waste from the telephone poles and stops signs on their daily commute to work come Monday. Another thing to keep in mind is that if you don't take all of your signs down, and the right person complains, we might not be allowed to post signs in public anymore so don't ruin it for everyone only put up what you intend to take down.
Pricing items is a true art, and people get creative. On the average, items should be priced at 10-25% of the retail value so if you bought that arm chair new for $100 you can confidently price it at $25. Be flexable and haggle a bit, don't let that sale get away. Give something away for free or better yet have a box full of items you just want nothing for. If one of your customers has a large purchase and they are figuring out the price round down to the neaest dollar or include something they are already taking for no additional cost. It makes everyone feel good when they get something for nothing and it is one less thing to lug inside after your day is done.
Be aware that as helpful as those prepriced stickers can be they can hurt the sale of some of your items. Any adhesives if placed on more collectable items can and will rip paper covers such as records magazines and the like. Think twice before you place that sticker, would this item be better off in a box labled clearly with the price. It also helps to have your similar items together for easier browsing. Please do not sell used underware just throw it out. If it is still in its original plastic or has the price tag still intact there is a chance it will sell but used is just gross; and that also goes for lingerie and stockings.
As busy as our lives get, we have certianly seen a lot less of our neighbors and friends. This is definatly a great opportunity to reconnect. If you have placed yourself behind a table invite them over to your side and chat a while. I've actually stopped at a yard sale where the seller was chatting away face to face with an old friend who was right infront of the table of stuff I wanted to look at and never even noticed me. Yes, I should have said "excuse me please" but I was too intimidated and just got back in my car instead. Treat everyone like a neighbor and you will sell more, I love the presonal hellos and chit chat, plus surprisingly I believe I buy more from the friendlier folks out there.
If after your sale you have lots of big furniture left over put an ad with just your phone number, the items and what you want to sell them for. A more detailed description can be given over the phone or in private. Besides not too many peple can truly accomidate a large piece in their vehicle so they often have to make two trips anyway.
When your day is done and you have stuff left over that you can't bear to bring back in the house put everything together in a bag or box and put it in your car. There are needy families everywhere. Clothing specifically can be dropped into collection bins conviently located all over Bucks County. Check with your local church, goodwill, salvation army and other charitable organization to donate furniture, toys and other useful things that we all take for granted. May your sale fall on a sunny day and your items sell like hotcakes.
For a more in depth look at yard sales and their Do's and Do not's go to http://www.yardsalequeen.com/
Wed 04/28/04 10:30am
I made a blog today and the newsletter archive. I really need to work on the message board but I am ptting it off till next month. Hopefully things will look up soon. My grandmother went in to the hospital on Wed. last week with pneumonia and they discovered her glucose(blood surgar) was dangerously high over 500!!! She is going into a nursing home soon to rehabilitate back to where she was if she can. I hope she keeps up and stays positive. It is so easy to loose your hope in those places. Our goal is to get her back into her own apt. again in the senior community. We'll know moore in the next few weeks hopefully. I finally fully completed Hilary's site andshe is really happy with it.