When you have kids, you collect a lot of stuff. First comes all the baby gear. Then the toys that multiply themselves every Christmas. And the clothes to fit growing young bodies. After a while, it’s time to purge and get a little money in exchange for all the stuff. Some people turn to Craigslist or eBay, like fellow blogger Elizabeth. Others go to consignment or resale shops. I usually have an old-fashioned garage sale.

My mom, aunt, and grandma used to have huge garage sales when I was a kid. The sales were always at grandma’s house because she has a large garage, and mom and my aunt sold a lot of baby items, toys, and clothes my siblings, cousins and I had outgrown. Sale days were busy, with cousins to play with and perhaps some money for me if I sold some of my old Barbie things.

While I have fond memories of garage sales as a kid, they are not for everyone. It all depends on what you have to sell and, maybe more importantly, your personality and preferences. Garage sales do have a potential downside:

1. Garage sales may be less profitable than selling online. It depends on what you’re selling and the condition of your items. If you have a lot of small items, or if your items aren’t in top shape, a garage sale may be the best way to go. If your things are in very good shape, you might get more money selling bigger items on Craigslist and smaller items on eBay, but be sure to factor in shipping costs for eBay.
2. Garage sales can take over part of your home for a while. Part of my basement can get pretty cluttered when I’m organizing a sale. It’s all for a purpose, though, and the mess is temporary.
3. Garage sales take time to organize. This goes easier if I collect items for my sale throughout the year, a tip I learned from Money Saving Mom. When I come across something I no longer use or want, I stash it in a box in a small storage room in my basement. After a few months or a year, when I have collected enough for a sale, I take a day to sort through everything and slap on price tags (Nothing sophisticated here. I use a pen and masking tape). If you’re selling a lot of clothing, you can simply make one sign that says all clothing is 50 cents a piece. Do the same for books, Barbie dolls, shoes, or Christmas ornaments. It saves you from having to make tons of price tags.
4. While we’re talking about time, you also must set aside (at least) one day to have the sale. Some people don’t like having to clear their schedules for a day or two so they can sit and sell their stuff. I actually look forward to that time. I frequently have sales with family members or friends, so it becomes a social day to hang out. Sometimes we chat, and sometimes during lulls in business we enjoy sitting outside and reading books. I’ve also found that many people who shop at garage sales are friendly and talkative, and I enjoy people watching.

Garage sales can still be a good option for many families looking to de-clutter and make some money in the process:

1. Garage sales feel less stressful to me. As an introvert, the idea of arranging meetings and negotiating prices with strangers to sell my things via Craigslist is not my idea of fun. My friends who are the most avid Craigslist sellers are also some of the most extroverted people I know, and I think there’s a correlation. There’s also the hassle of hauling your stuff to a parking lot in a public space if you follow the safety recommendations and don’t allow buyers to meet you at your home address. However, my limited experience buying and watching friends sell via Craigslist indicates most people simply have buyers come to their homes and meet them on the front porch. If you go the eBay route, it can feel stressful if you’re selling multiple items and making continuous runs to the post office.
2. Having a garage sale allows me to get rid of everything in one day. Garage sales are a good route especially if you have a lot to sell. It could take weeks or months to clear it out if you sell on Craigslist or eBay, and that’s a lot of back-and-forth with e-mail, phone calls, meetups and trips to the post office. I love looking at my driveway at the end of a garage sale and realizing how much less stuff I have compared to earlier that morning.
3. Garage sales satisfy the organizer in me. I am an orderly person. I enjoy planning garage sales, from sorting items to pricing items to setting up the sale tables. As I mentioned previously, there is also something nice about looking at a large collection of stuff early in the morning and watching (most of) it disappear by afternoon. It makes me feel like I’ve made real progress in keeping my home free of clutter.
4. I like shopping at garage sales, so having my own sale helps contribute to all the fun. It can be great entertainment to putter around town on Saturday mornings looking for bargains. We go as a family. I
   shop mostly for clothing – and the occasional toy – for our daughters. My husband looks for technology. We also add to our book collections. It’s nice to know I can eventually resell kids’ items and clothes purchased at garage sales in my own sale, often for the same prices. There are few cheaper ways to keep my growing kids clothed.

This is not to say I never use Craigslist or eBay. I have a few ads for some larger children’s toys that didn’t sell at my garage sale posted on Craigslist right now. Whether I’ll enjoy the online selling process as much as garage sales remains to be seen. If not, there are always charities in need of donations.

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Category: Family Finances

Tags: Craigslist