YardSalers

Bubblace · Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 5

Hello. This is my first post. I'm a yardsaler/eBayer in the Washington, DC area. I seem to have a knack for finding things that are worth more online. For example, I once bought a scarf covered with the Frito Lay mascots (like Chester the Cheetah) for 50 cents and sold it for $50! Another time I got a "Trailer Trash" Doll (similar to Barbie) for about $1 and sold her for over $35. My favorite places to find things are church bazaars, because the little old ladies who are manning the sale usually have no idea what their stuff is worth! (I once got a pair of Mickey Mouse hands for 10 cents because no one knew what they were. They sold around Halloween for the $20 range).

Anyway, I wanted to offer up a tip. If you need FREE packing peanuts, bubble wrap, tissue paper, etc. for mailing things, go to www.freecycle.org. From there, you can sign up for your local email list. Basically, Freecycle is an email list where people post things they would rather give away than clutter up a landfill. For example, someone might have a trashbag full of packing peanuts they received when they ordered a glass lamp. Instead of throwing those out, they would post that they have packing peanuts available. You would email back and make arrangements to come pick the bag up. I have gotten a TON of free packing materials this way.

One bad thing about Freecycle, at least in this area, is that people snap things up right away. So if you are working fulltime and don't check your email until the evening, you might miss out on something you wanted. (People are supposed to post when items have been taken/picked up so others don't continue to ask for it.)

Good luck to all the yardsalers reading this!

deeflutterby · Joined: 05 Mar 2007 Posts: 11 Location: Indiana

Welcome!

Sounds like my kinda finds!! I love it when I find something like that. I get a lot of my stuff at estate auctions. Once I bought a crushed velvet bedspread (70's) for 5 bucks and it sold for over $100 on eBay. People always ask..."what are you going to do with THAT!"... my answer... "sell it on eBay and make come bucks" Cool

Right now things are slow for me cause my husband had hip replacement surgery, and they broke his femur, accidently, which caused all sorts of problems! So I hope to get back to it soon. There is a great auction near here today, but I cant go. Sad

But yard/garage sales and auctions are starting to pick up here, so hope to hit some of those.

Thanks for the great time on packing supplies...never thought of freecycle! My dad saves a lot of stuff for me, but he is in Florida till the end of the month, and I just ran out of peanuts... so I will have to see what I can find! I live close to the esupply store which sells packing products online, so I can go pick them up and dont have to pay shipping! They are great!

Keep us posted with your finds!!!
_________________
dee

Bubblace · Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 5

Sorry, folks, I just realized there was a typo in my post. The address is www.freecycle.org, not com. I edited the original so hopefully no one will get confused.

juliawilk · Site Admin Joined: 30 Jan 2007 Posts: 21

Hi Bubblace (and a shout out to Dee!)

Thanks for the great tips re church sales! I've been to a few, but I need to look for more. Smile

Lately I've been concentrating on estate sales (see my latest issue abotu the great makeup!). i just sold a set of carved ivory jewlery for over $100! I got it for about $12 at the estate sale. I'm lovin it.

You're in DC too? Well, I am in Alexandria VA. Maybe we've been at the same sales! LOL. Do u use craigslist much?

Well, great to see you here!

Julia

Bubblace · Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 5

Hi, Julia. Yes, I am in Alexandria too (Hybla Valley area)! It's a small world, as they say.

My problem with estate sales is that I am not an expert in any one area. For example, it seems that you can pick out certain jewelry manufacturers that people collect. How did you come to learn that? I unfortunately learn by trial and error, which sometimes can be costly. That's why I love church white elephant sales and yardsales... if it's not worth anything, you probably only wasted 50 cents on it.

deeflutterby · Joined: 05 Mar 2007 Posts: 11 Location: Indiana

I'm with you on that, Bubblace, trial and error is my motto. I know a little bit about a lot of stuff so it is realllly hard to keep up to know what is best to buy. Then I ususally forget it when I need it... Shocked

But I still have fun and that is what counts...lol

We dont have very many estate sales here. Either auctions or garage (yard) sales. Funny how everyone does it different. We go to the Upper Pennisula of MI and they call em rummage sales. So just to clarify things, is what you are calling an estate sale, where they basically open the house and everything is priced? Only been to a couple of those.
_________________
dee

Bubblace · Joined: 31 Mar 2007 Posts: 5

Yes, here we have several companies who are professional estate sale organizers. They take everything in a house, price it, and sell it. One company has a 1/2 price day on Sunday.

The first time I went to one, I felt really bad, like I was invading someone's privacy. I bought this little teddy bear figurine, and when I went to pay for it, a little boy standing there turned to his father (the cashier) and said: "Dad, I remember when I bought that for Grandma." Then I felt 18 times worse!!! But I gave it to my own grandmother, so maybe that's a fitting thing to do with it.

Then of course there are garage sales, flea markets, and church white elephants. Craig's list, too. Lots of choices!

juliawilk · Site Admin Joined: 30 Jan 2007 Posts: 21

Hey Bubblace,

Well guess what..I am in the Hybla Valley area too! Specifically, I live in "New Alexandria" in the Belle View area. Well, truly small world, huh?

Hey, we may have been at the same estate sale this weekend. I went to one in the Mt Vernon area...with a lot of military books and some uniforms. The whole family went to West Point..it was a bonanza. I'll be writing about it in the next issue.

You asked how I learned about things like costume jewelry..well, just over time and watching where my interests lay. I bought a pin years ago at an antique shop and the lady said it was a Trifari, so I rad up on Trifari and found they were a really interesting co. that mad very beautiful things but also many affordable things.

I'm still learning..I've started buying books on the jewerly. So u learn a little bit more every day. Smile

Julia