Garage Sale

Before Kyle's surgery, I helped my mom host a garage sale back in Jay County. 

My family are veteran garage-salers.  We love going to them and getting good deals, and over the years we've become pretty good at hosting them, too.  We get our whole family (aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins) to throw their stuff in too so we can advertise that it's huge!  We have a sale every other year so we have some time to accumulate stuff and get it boxed up and ready to go.  I missed the last one two years ago due to a busy summer school/work schedule, so I had four years' worth of boxes to contribute!

First of all, a couple of points about our garage sale that some people (mainly Indianapolis people I know!) consider strange:

-we host the garage sale rain or shine

-we have the garage sale for consecutive days and for extended hours

-we advertise on the radio and in the newspaper (or several newspapers!)

-we put out our own signs  (about 7-10) that we reuse year after year and we know exactly which intersections they go on, too!

-we have at least ten families that contribute every sale (this year it was fourteen families!)

-since we have so many families, we have to initial our tags on our items so we can divvy the money up later accordingly

-we have to start with $100-$150 in cash so we can make change

-we don't haggle on the first day unless the person who owns the item is present and is willing to do so or the person who owns the item has specifically told those operating the sale that day that they are willing to go lower (because we might sell it for full price later)

-at noon on the last day, everything is half off

These rules help us to make the most money we can while getting rid of as much stuff as possible.  I went out to Mom and Dad's on Monday the week of the sale and helped set up the garage and fold up clothes, etc. on Monday and Tuesday.  The sale this year was on a Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.  Because of the surgery I couldn't work the sale on Thursday and Friday, but I kept track of the money on Wednesday from 8-4:30 and we made a ton!  I personally was able to fill the back of my car twice with stuff to take to the sale and when my mom and sister brought up my stuff that didn't sell, there was only about 1/3 of it left!  Nice!  I'm not sure how much we brought in total, but I do know that our sales made over $5,000 total...that total is my cut as well as my mom's, two of my aunts', my grandma's, and the kitty for my other grandparents' estate.  That total does NOT include the earnings from my sister, my three cousins, my step-cousin, my friend, and two of my uncles.  Some families make more than others, of course, but my cut was almost $200.  

Now what to do with that money?

Garage from far away...you can see the fridge, vintage stove, wagon, mattresses, and chairs that we sold.

Bikes and ladders

Bedroom sets, Christmas trees, chairs, benches, etc.  Someone saw the ad in the paper and came out early for the exercise equipment.

Free boxes and basketball hoop

Chairs, mattresses, cabinets, and (to the far right) the truck we sold

Handbags anyone?

A look at the garage.

The front portion of this table was housewares and the back portion was mens.  The rest were baby clothes that belonged to only one of my cousins!

Juniors clothes table.

View from my parents' door to the house.

Electronics and jewelry

ALL SALES FINAL!  Also not responsible for accidents!

Cathy and Blake :)

PS--my cousin's son Blake came along to help because his mama had just had a little sister for him!  Congratulations Deanna, Matt, and Blake!  Plus a belated welcome to the world Reagan Catherine :)