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The Never Ending Garage Sale (1 Viewer)

ChiefD

Footballguy
So apparently someone in my neighborhood has set up an infinity garage sale. Signs are up every day. Traffic coming through every day stopping at this garage sale.

Neighborhood is your basic suburban area - middle class. I stopped by there this weekend just to see what it was, and it was as I thought: boxes of stuff that looked like someone just bought boxes of seconds and knock-offs and such.

Think phone cases, chargers, makeup bags, portable humidifiers...just a random mix of junk. 

So what's the play here?

Shtick? Thinking I might quit my job and set up a competing garage sale.

Turn em in? I'm pretty sure you can't operate a retail store in a neighborhood in these parts. Won't be going this route. Yet. Not sure if this really annoys me yet.

At this point I'm thinking shtick of some kind. Maybe start being a frequent shopper - see if they can get me into the Garage Sale Buyers Club or something.

What say you?

 
No need to turn them in...someone else will

Show up and ask if they match competitors offers

Show up dressed up with a suit and tie. Make fake business cards and introduce yourself as a marketing agent and see if they would like to buy some time on a cable channel. When they say No, tell them you know someone that can do billboards if that's more their customer base

 
Be honest, how many shovels have you bought from these people?
See, that’s the rub. I stopped by looking for a pitchfork for my compost pile. Mine broke last year, so I’ve been hitting the garage sales looking for one.

Nothing at this sale is usable. No shovels, no furniture, no scrap lumber....just boxes of junk. 

 
Didn’t we have a FBG whose wife was getting into buying pallets of Amazon returns or something? This sound like all the leftovers they couldn’t flip.
 

They probably could have a garage sale every day, but I think up here at least you are supposed to get a permit from the city.

You could make some poor code enforcement guy’s annual quota in one fell swoop.

 
ChiefD said:
So apparently someone in my neighborhood has set up an infinity garage sale. Signs are up every day. Traffic coming through every day stopping at this garage sale.

Neighborhood is your basic suburban area - middle class. I stopped by there this weekend just to see what it was, and it was as I thought: boxes of stuff that looked like someone just bought boxes of seconds and knock-offs and such.

Think phone cases, chargers, makeup bags, portable humidifiers...just a random mix of junk. 

So what's the play here?

Shtick? Thinking I might quit my job and set up a competing garage sale.

Turn em in? I'm pretty sure you can't operate a retail store in a neighborhood in these parts. Won't be going this route. Yet. Not sure if this really annoys me yet.

At this point I'm thinking shtick of some kind. Maybe start being a frequent shopper - see if they can get me into the Garage Sale Buyers Club or something.

What say you?
Didn't you already quit your job? Aren't you the guy that left his facilities manager job in a fiery whimper?

 
ChiefD said:
At least 6 months, give or take. Maybe even since last spring. I think they tested the waters in May or so of last year and it’s escalated.
Yeah that's way beyond anything reasonable. I can't imagine why someone would do this for so long unless it's a cover for something more profitable. It seems like a poor cover for illicit activity though. Maybe just bored and desperate for cash?

 
Yeah that's way beyond anything reasonable. I can't imagine why someone would do this for so long unless it's a cover for something more profitable. It seems like a poor cover for illicit activity though. Maybe just bored and desperate for cash?
I've considered it (considered as in thought about but would never do it) but think about it...you can drive around on bulk garbage days and pick up tons of free stuff and then sell at your place. People throw away tons of stuff with moderate value.

That chair may look like crap to you but if it's not broken, pick it up  and put a $7 sticker on it.

Free unlimited inventory.

Spend the weekdays collecting "trash" and then weekends selling it. Sprinkle in some bargain hunting at stores or other garage/estate sales...storage lockers, craigslist curb alerts etc...

Little to no overhead

Could be a decent side gig

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Just checked the local ordinance for my city.

You can have 2 garage sales per year. Must be at least 30 days between sales. 

 
Just checked the local ordinance for my city.

You can have 2 garage sales per year. Must be at least 30 days between sales. 
Yeah this is where I was going to go.   You can't set up a retail business in a residential area without some kind of permit.   

 
comfortably numb said:
No need to turn them in...someone else will - Yeah, this will probably happen at some point. 

Show up and ask if they match competitors offers.  :lol:

Show up dressed up with a suit and tie. Make fake business cards and introduce yourself as a marketing agent and see if they would like to buy some time on a cable channel. When they say No, tell them you know someone that can do billboards if that's more their customer base I could probably pull this off. Or maybe walk through and give them tips on how they can set up their sale better to maximize profits.

 
if i was you i would record yourself playing some really shartiful pan flute and then burn up some cds and set up a blanket on the ground at the edge of there lot and put on fake dreadlocks and play your pan flutin on a boom box and try to sell your pan flute cds and give live performances and be sure to really get in to your pan flutin like dance around and stuff like you are rockin out with your pan flute out take that to the bank brohan 

 
6 months?  I would have called the cops on Day 3.

Also, go over there and spend about 2 hours each night picking stuff up and asking how much.  When they give you a price, look back at the item with a look of disdain and then say, "How about a nickel?"  

 
You should go every day and spend an hr or so haggling him down on prices, but never buying anything.   

Always say, "that is booolship" for every price he gives, then offer a quarter.  Give the year and state of the quarter, so he knows you know the true value. 
Damn.  I should read through all of the comments before I post mine.  I do this every time.  :lol:

 
I've considered it (considered as in thought about but would never do it) but think about it...you can drive around on bulk garbage days and pick up tons of free stuff and then sell at your place. People throw away tons of stuff with moderate value.

That chair may look like crap to you but if it's not broken, pick it up  and put a $7 sticker on it.

Free unlimited inventory.

Spend the weekdays collecting "trash" and then weekends selling it. Sprinkle in some bargain hunting at stores or other garage/estate sales...storage lockers, craigslist curb alerts etc...

Little to no overhead

Could be a decent side gig
I've also considered something like this.  I mean, I wouldn't have a standing garage sale, but at one point I had a truck and considered driving around looking for roadside junk that I could fix up and sell.

We have "large item pickup" once a year and you should see the trucks that roll around the neighborhood, looks like Sanford & Son.

 
I've considered it (considered as in thought about but would never do it) but think about it...you can drive around on bulk garbage days and pick up tons of free stuff and then sell at your place. People throw away tons of stuff with moderate value.

That chair may look like crap to you but if it's not broken, pick it up  and put a $7 sticker on it.

Free unlimited inventory.

Spend the weekdays collecting "trash" and then weekends selling it. Sprinkle in some bargain hunting at stores or other garage/estate sales...storage lockers, craigslist curb alerts etc...

Little to no overhead

Could be a decent side gig
Woodshop Basically does this from time to time. 

 
I went to one garage sale a couple years ago in Dearborn MI when I was calling on Ford motor Co. and it looked like they had knocked off a CVS delivery truck.  They had cases of Edge shaving gel, all kinds of shampoo and deodorant and laundry detergent you name it.  All brand name stuff for pennies on the dollar.  Went back to the same one last fall and again it was loaded with stuff like that.  I was thinking..this is a garage sale??  Or selling hot goods.

 
I went to one garage sale a couple years ago in Dearborn MI when I was calling on Ford motor Co. and it looked like they had knocked off a CVS delivery truck.  They had cases of Edge shaving gel, all kinds of shampoo and deodorant and laundry detergent you name it.  All brand name stuff for pennies on the dollar.  Went back to the same one last fall and again it was loaded with stuff like that.  I was thinking..this is a garage sale??  Or selling hot goods.
Extreme coupon'ers?

 
I went to one garage sale a couple years ago in Dearborn MI when I was calling on Ford motor Co. and it looked like they had knocked off a CVS delivery truck.  They had cases of Edge shaving gel, all kinds of shampoo and deodorant and laundry detergent you name it.  All brand name stuff for pennies on the dollar.  Went back to the same one last fall and again it was loaded with stuff like that.  I was thinking..this is a garage sale??  Or selling hot goods.
Extreme coupon'ers?
My thought as well. 

 
E-Z Glider said:
Da Guru said:
I went to one garage sale a couple years ago in Dearborn MI when I was calling on Ford motor Co. and it looked like they had knocked off a CVS delivery truck.  They had cases of Edge shaving gel, all kinds of shampoo and deodorant and laundry detergent you name it.  All brand name stuff for pennies on the dollar.  Went back to the same one last fall and again it was loaded with stuff like that.  I was thinking..this is a garage sale??  Or selling hot goods.
Extreme coupon'ers?
if someone is doing that and making money at it they are a lot like a fella who would rent pigs and i guess all you can really do is tip your hat because a man like that well hed be hard to stop take that to the bank brohans 

 
TheIronSheik said:
What type of clientele is it attracting?
Seems like normal people. 

The interesting thing is there was a sign at the opening of the garage that said:

Nobody Under 18 Past This Point

Didn't give it much thought at the time. 

 

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