HERITAGE
SECOND FRONT PAGE 4-A
www.heritage.com
July 1, 2010
Area residents buy into yard sale fever By Jana Miller, Sean Dalton and Jeremy Allen Heritage Newspapers
R
obin Early was passing through Dexter Village June 18 when she spotted toys laid out on blankets on the front lawn of a residence at the corner of Baker and Main Street. “I’m just grabbing some of these doohickeys for my children,” Early said while rifling through a pile of toy vehicles. “I found Buzz Light-year,” she squeals while holding up her prize. Early doesn’t usually “do garage sales,” but she knows that her 3-year-old son will appreciate fresh booty for his toy chest. Early is among many people who take note of Aaron Kennedy’s corner yard sale, which is primarily packed with toys and clothing appropriate for young children and babies. “My advice to anyone having a yard sale is, if you want to have one (in Dexter), Main and Baker is the place to be,” she joked. Kennedy is actually a Huron Farms subdivision resident, and is simply administering the sale on another homeowner’s property, who also donated items. It’s a unique partnership in which both individuals can take advantage of the location. The details of the agreement hadn’t been hashed out yet, Kennedy said, but she guessed that the take would be split down the middle. Friday was the first day of the two-day effort to sell items that had been cluttering up their basements. Having started at 6 a.m., Kennedy said that their yard sale had raised $400 as of noon that day. It’s a pretty good experience for someone who had no previous experience with holding garage sales, but since she was cleaning the unusable items from her basement she figured she would raise some funds for a family vacation. “It has been an all-week thing for us,” she said. “I’m just glad that people are buying. I don’t even mind a little haggling since I just want it gone.” Most items are priced at $1 or $2, with some items, like a double stroller, toddler bed, a desk and a train table, going for $50. Kennedy plans on having another garage sale later in the summer to sell the rest, and whatever doesn’t catch the eye of opportunistic bargain hunters will go to Purple Heart or the Salvation Army. One certainty above all others is that the stuff “is not coming back into my home,” Kennedy said loudly. Alethea Chaconas and her daughter, Hailey, stop in on the way from a Dexter District Library function to look around. As a shopper, Chaconas concurred with Kennedy that location is extremely important. “If you pass by one it’s more convenient than seeing a sign and driving around looking for it.” Alethea picks up a small Thomas the Train for her son at home and Hailey has her heart set on a miniature Etch-a-Sketch and a pair of
binoculars with only one in-focus lens. “The Etch-a-Sketch will be good for the car, but I don’t know about the binoculars,” Alethea says to her daughter. After some negotiating she relents and lets her daughter keep the binoculars with a lazy eye. “That’s what’s great about garage sales, it’s only a dollar,” Alethea says. She plans on having her own yard sale in Saline at her mother’s house, which is more of a moving sale in her case. “I’ve been procrastinating though,” she said. “We were supposed to have it last summer, but it’s a lot of work. “If only we could skip to the sale part,” she said before going to pay for her children’s prizes. Alethea is right. Skipping to the sale part would make yard and garage sales easy, because plenty of hard work goes into preparation for the big day. For example, each item must be tagged and priced accordingly. The seller must then spread the word either through social media, signs, newspapers, online sites or word of mouth. It also makes sense to set up a refreshment table, as well as tables and benches for showcasing sale items. So is it worth all the hard work and preparation just to sell items priced at $2 or less? It is if you want to manage any clutter in your home. At least, that’s what Scott Stoll has come to find. Stoll moved from Ann Arbor to Chelsea recently and got together with other family and friends to hold a multi-family yard sale. “Everyone accumulates stuff in their homes, and yard sales are a great way to purge the things you no longer love,” he said. Old clothes, Nintendo games, baseball cards, books, dishes, furniture and Beanie Babies were among the popular items the Stoll and Richards families had for sale. Business had been brisk, he said, adding, “We would rather have these things go to a good home.”
Be flexible Yard sales might be a way to eliminate junk, but they’re also a way to make money. So, what makes one yard sale good and another a failure? Being a good haggler doesn’t hurt one’s cause because, at the end of the day, the point is to have visitors leave with as many items as possible. Sometimes that means bartering or selling some items in bulk or bundles. It might also mean creating “clearance” bins and offering buyers a cookie with lemonade. Here are a few basic tips to
A yard sale sign is an important tool for bringing in customers. Invite potential customers into your space with brightly-colored, welcoming signs. McKenzie Kennedy and Ava Demmers (inset) sell icy treats to customers at a recent yard sale in Washtenaw County. He said the families advertised in several newspapers, on Craig’s List, every bulletin board they could find, as well as inside Chelsea Community Hospital. They also put up multiple signs on the road directing people to the site. Some yard sales, however, extend beyond a single family or two. If they are anything like the yard sale Mary Covington of Ypsilanti recently took part in, then a single yard couldn’t possibly hold all the stuff. Covington is a resident of the Normal Park subdivision in Ypsilanti. She took part in the annual communitywide mega yard sale, which the neighborhood holds each spring as both a customer and a seller.
“I have a couple yard sales every year, but the Normal Park community sale is one of the best of the year for buyers and sellers because there are about 200 yard sales in the neighborhood all going on at once,” she said. “I mostly sell things that I acquire over the year and just don’t have a use for, or things I didn’t sell at the last yard sale. Sometimes I sell things I buy at other yard sales.” Covington also said that even though she has her own yard sale, she also frequents other yard sales in the area. “I think I do it out of habit,” she said. “It’s a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon and I just love getting good deals on things.”
Mother-in-law provides advice on hosting the perfect garage sale By Steven Howard Heritage Newspapers
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ith peak garage sale season in full swing, some people who have never set up one of these makeshift showrooms might be considering doing so for the first time this year. After all, there are many good reasons for having a garage sale. Sales of this kind can potentially bring in extra income that, in a less then lackluster economic climate, can help with everything from paying utility bills to facilitating a night out on the town. Giving your neighbors a good deal can also help encourage a sense of community and togetherness. Another good reason is that garage sales promote the concept of recycling and reusing, both of which can help us become better stewards of our environment. However, garage sales can be intimidating for some people, which is why those holding the sales must be thoughtful about how they orchestrate their event if they are to attract a diverse clientele. Many people still hold to the old notion that only worn out and dirty items can be found at these sales, and that nothing of value could ever be sold at them. And there are those who don’t like the idea of having to barter for items, and worry about falling prey to overzealous backyard salesmen. As the one holding the sale, doing your best to alleviate these concerns can potentially bring in a much larger crowd than the steadfast yard sale crew, and will greatly increase the likelihood your profits will be to your liking. To seek out advice concerning the components of a good garage sale, I decided to talk to my mother-in-law, Shirley Zabczynski. Robin Early impulse shops for children’s There is no one better I could think of to ask toys. The seller placed toys on blankets with for advice on this subject than Shirley, given room to walk among them.
TIPS FOR YOUR SALE
Photos by Sean Dalton
holding a good yard sale, based on the best practices observed at area yard and garage sales over the past month. By mastering these, the only hard part will be picking and choosing which items are ready to say “goodbye.”
Don’t be afraid to invite friends Crowds attract more crowds. By inviting your friends and neighbors, it will make it easier to attract people who are driving by. Larger crowds mean more merchandise will be sold. While you’re at it, advertise your yard or garage sale on area bulletin boards, Craig’s
she has a reputation among family members of consistently being able to find the diamonds in the rough at these backyard sales, and she has been honing her skills for many years. Shirley said her own fondness for garage sales started when she and a friend wanted to find something unique to do one STEVEN day. “My friend and HOWARD I were looking out for someway to spend a day together,” she said, indicating an abundance of neighborhood signs advertising garage sales piqued their interest. “That was about 20 years ago.” With so much experience, Shirley has a lot of advice for those considering putting on a garage sale of their own The first thing to do, she says, is simply make your sale look appealing, which will help advertise the fact you are selling things of interest. “A good idea for someone giving a garage sale is putting your most interesting items near the road,” she said. “I usually don’t stop if I don’t see anything interesting.” Just as easily as a nice looking item can draw customers in, one bad one can quickly turn them away. “Don’t put out soiled or dirty things,” Shirley said. “It gives shoppers a bad impression of the whole sale.” Putting out broken items and not labeling them according to their defect is also something to avoid. It seems like common sense, but Shirley said
HOME FRONT
List, in newspapers, at work, online and at grocery stores.
closest to the road. Feature them in an attractive way to draw attention.
Treat your yard like a store
Be flexible
There’s nothing more unattractive than an unorganized yard sale. Buyers want to get in and get out without having to sift through piles of junk. So set up display areas and separate items by theme or use. For example, if you’re selling a dining set, consider reconstructing a dining table setting that places sale items among your own things. Set the scene and buyers will be attracted to the area. This also means making sure that the “hot items” are
The whole point is to make money, so be willing to barter. Visitors likely will only carry between $30 and $50, so be willing to negotiate package deals or two-for-one sales. It also wouldn’t hurt, as a selling strategy, to price items and then immediately slash them. Dump them in a clearance bin and everyone will take a peak.
Equip yourself Make sure you have all the tools you need to run the sale
she often sees sellers break this rule. “If you put an item out that needs repair, just put a sign on it that it needs something,” she said. Some people enjoy fixing things anyway and might buy a broken item. Many people are uncomfortable at garage sales, and not pricing your items can make customers even more uncomfortable. A price tag creates a tangible context that can still be flexible. “Just mark things and people can ask you to lower the price if they want,” she said. Another important factor is to give some serious thought to the time and date of your sale because you want to have hours that accommodate the needs of your clientele. “Garage sales used to be Thursday through Saturday, but now I’m seeing more Sundays,” Shirley said, citing the need to be open when people with a more traditional work schedule are available. Also, Shirley said it’s worth finding out if your subdivision has an annual block sale, as participating during this time will maximize your potential customer base. Finally, once you are ready to sell, be sure to advertise appropriately so people know where to find you, Shirley said. “I first look in the local paper to find garage sales,” she said. Having appropriate signage in the neighborhood is also important. “Make sure your sign is brightly colored and you write in bold, dark letters,” Shirley said, indicating if she cannot read a sign from the street, she often keeps going. “I would also put up a few more signs, even just arrows. Getting though the subdivisions can be tough.” Steven Howard can be reached at 429-7380 or showard@heritage.com. Follow his blog at http://heritageweststaffblog.blogspot.com.
properly. This means keeping plenty of small bills on hand, as well as a few rolls of quarters. If you need, make sure a calculator is handy. It also doesn’t hurt to wear an apron or a loose shirt with pockets. This gives you mobility so you can make change and interact with customers away from the buying table.
Offer refreshments Food attracts people. Free refreshments will attract even more people. But if you think your yard sale will have a steady flow without a lemonade stand, you can always sell food items for a cheap price. Good items to have on hand include water, juice, cof-
fee and tea, as well as small munchies like chips, cookies or nuts.
Price accordingly This isn’t the place to be a stickler for what something is “worth.” The key to a good yard sale is getting items to move quickly. Unless an item is large like a bed or desk, or expensive like stainless steel kitchen ware, keep everything below $2 or $3. To make your job as cashier easier, avoid strange pricing. It’s easier to deal with dozens of $1 and $2 items than it is when they’re priced at $1.25 and $2.60. —Jana Miller, Heritage Newspapers