Sensible selling
Today I managed to unload years of clothing, accessories, shoes and handbags in my first ever garage sale. Now before you say anything, yes I’ve been to garage sales before. I may have even contributed to a friend’s in the past (when I was ten and only had old copies of Sweet Valley High to offer). Nevertheless, I’ve never actually thrown my own, which after today’s success seems like the most ridiculous thing imaginable.
Let me begin by admitting I don’t know much about garage sales. I didn’t know that there were people who specifically went on Friday, or that many sellers price their stuff so low. I didn’t realize that the most absurd junk usually went first, while my Prada pants with last year’s tag would still be hanging at the end of a successful day.
It’s this type of “unknowing” that’s led me to the internet boards of garage sale tipsters…People who’ve had success and understand what it takes to make the sale the best it can possibly be.
Their tips: Make your garage sale a destination. Treat it like a true shopping experience with displays and convenient pricing. Advertise, advertise, and advertise. Put signs up everywhere while also listing your sale on both craigslist.com + yahoogroups.com. Only sell good stuff. If it’s junk it’s not worth anyone’s time.
With that said I thought it might be fun to browse the online “garage sales” or auctions as they’re called. Not quite garage sales but similar. Ebay.com is the largest and one of the most fun to browse. Lately I’ve been looking for mid-century modern furniture but if a Gucci tote pops up far be it from me to resist the temptation. Ebay has everything you could ever want from cheap, affordable jewelry to high-end, gently used designer shoes.
Another site, more under the radar than over-exposed is jillsconsignment.com. Specifically target to selling designer goods, I found a sensational pair of Celine ankle boots, which would be PERFECT for fall with a new pair of jeans and a thick wooly sweater.
In addition to the above is the chic portero.com auction site. I happened upon this while digging a bit further and what a nice surpirse! I’m still dreaming of their certified and pre-owned jewelry, specifically the Roberto Coin braided ring. Likewise, you can’t beat this swanky Jimmy Choo clutch, which would be the perfect accent to a smart tweed coat come fall. Whether you’re going all out or looking for deals, don’t be afraid to buy online (or at garage sales!). There are so many cool things out there.
