Canadian Personal Finance Blog

Archive for May 20th, 2009

It is that time of the year again, when neighbours attempt to fob off their crap that they don’t want, on their friends, neighbours and complete strangers, yes it’s Gar{b}age Sale time again. 

Helpful Hints

Garage sales are great for getting rid of stuff you no longer: want, need, can use, or is usable, however, they are not “get rich schemes”. Your goal is to rid yourself of things you no longer need to make space in your house, not to make $200 selling your priceless Art Bugotti Plate.

If your goal is to make enough to take your family out to dinner, that is not a bad goal, but your dinner should be at MacDonald’s not the Ritz. 

Bring $20 with you in cash as your budget (better still $5), that way you won’t buy too much (unless you have a crafty seller like me, who will keep stuffing crap into your bag before you leave).

I don’t like doing Gar{b}age sales, they are not worth the time and effort (in my opinion), I donate things to my Church’s Bazaar, and their Garage Sale and I simply throw things out (which don’t last long at the curb as I have said before).  I do not get rid of nearly enough crap in my house, and if I had to use Gar{b}age Sales to accomplish this goal, I’d be waste deep in crap (instead of only ankle deep, as I am now). 

I hate shopping, so you won’t catch me at a Gar{b}age sale either (unless dragged there, or to ask someone to move their car). I don’t shop, I buy, shopping is not therapy or relaxing to me, I shop occasionally for special things for my wife (OK, I let the sales lady tell me what to buy), but that is the only time.

Conclusions

If you have Gar{b}age Sales and you de-clutter your house with it, Good For You! If you make money selling stuff you no longer need any more, Good For You! If you simply give the stuff away to de-clutter your house, Good For You!

However, if you go “bargain hunting” at Garage Sales, Shame on You! You do not find diamonds in the pickled egg jar. If you have Garage Sales and then go out and buy more stuff from your neighbours sales, Double Shame on You! The idea is not to make room for more crap, it is to make more room. If you think you are going to make a fortune from your gar{b}age sale, More Fool You, you are doing it to get rid of stuff, if you think you can get rich on this stuff, sell it on Ebay (good luck). 

Stay the hell away from Garage Sales.