Thursday’s Thoughts – The Dreaded Garage Sale!

Man, do I hate garage sales!  Other than the part of the morning where I get to sit in my nice lawn chair, coffee in hand and no other expectations, hosting a garage sale is right up there with having my teeth cleaned!   The last few years I’ve managed to escape the annual community garage sale.  This year, we have way too big of a pile taking up my parking spot in the garage to ignore.  I agreed to participate in this year’s circus, so this evening I’ll be locked in the garage attempting to get everything priced before the big event.

The sale begins at 8:00.  By 6:00 am we’ll have people driving by like the paparazzi, real slow with their windows rolled down, carefully scanning our merchandise.  Before we even get a chance to get everything organized in the driveway (there’s no way it will all fit in the garage) we’ll have the regulars (the same people I see every time we have a garage sale) asking us if we’ll settle for half of our asking price.  This makes my blood temperature rise every time.

I know times are tough and everyone is looking for a good deal but why is it people feel the need to ask for more?  I can have a brand new unopened widget, $100 new, priced at $20 and someone will ask me if I’ll take $10 for it!  I typically price everything so low the likelihood of me having to box it up again is very rare.  Everybody gets a good deal at the Minick Garage Sale because it’s more about getting rid of the stuff than it is making a fortune.  We’ll probably sell 70% of everything we put out ranging from kid’s clothing, toys, coats, shoes, decor, furniture and bicycles.

What ever is left over goes to Goodwill and the Women’s Shelter in our community.  I’ll get my parking spot back again, assuming the kids park their bicycles in their appropriate spaces.  My wife will find a good cause for the $400-500 we’ll end up making.  Yes, that figure always amazes me.  I’ll probably find myself laughing out loud for the remainder of the day at someone’s ridiculously low offer on an already great priced item.  If you’re in the market for a nice Loft Bed with a built in desk, come on by.  Please, don’t offer me half price!