Hosting a Rummage Sale: Is it Worthwhile?

  

   When a close friend* announced she was planning on having a rummage sale, my attention was quickly drawn to the numerous extras in my home.  Going from room to room and closets to drawers, I priced and boxed up a bounty of items. The acknowledgment “my kids don’t want this stuff, why am I keeping it?” provided adequate motivation.

                                                                                                                                  

   Marlene* not only let me bring over the stash I was hoping to turn to cash, but provided lunch, laughs and sun block lotion.  Of course we did end up exchanging some “that’s so cute” junk with each other.  (I figured I could always sell it at another sale.) 

   We enjoyed meeting the various shoppers and just-lookers, as well as the characters who offered way less than our rock bottom prices.  Other than the thunderstorms Saturday morning (“Quick, move everything back into the garage!”) and the unexpected road closure Friday night (that blocked the best way to get to the sale), the rummage was a fun and slightly profitable way to spend an extended weekend.

   Have you hosted a rummage sale?  Did you find it worth your time, effort, cleaning, patience and possession purging? I would be interested in hearing your verdict.

   For those who have not yet hosted such a socializing and selling experience, the following questions will help you discover the wisest decision.

       1.  Do you have more than 5 friends/coworkers/relatives bringing “just a few things over” for you to sell?

             2.  Are you OK with items priced at 10 cents?

             3.  Do you have dangerous equipment that cannot be moved from your garage or hidden there-in?

             4.  Does your house insurance cover “visitors” falling, getting bit by animals, breaking something expensive?

               5.  Are you hoping to sell empty containers of plastic milk jugs, whipped topping, or cottage cheese?

                6.  Is your home on a very narrow, not-marked dirt road, or a busy highway with no safe places to park?

                 7.  Is it your belief that people will respect your “NO PRE-SALES” notice?

                 8.  Does your dog bark a lot, dislikes strangers, or shows his happiness meeting new people by relieving himself?

                 9.   Would your neighbors dislike sale signs, parked cars or screaming children on their property?

       10. To demonstrate your skill at kibitzing, will you start your prices ridiculously high, and give customers the satisfaction of a great deal?

                11.   Do you have a tendency to lose tract of the cash box ?

TO SCORE THE “RUMMAGE OR NOT TO RUMMAGE ?” QUIZ:

Give yourself one point if you answered yes to questions 1,2,3,5,6,7,8,9,10,11

One to three points:

You may have a successful sale, but expect STRESS

More than three points:

For your sanity’s sake, just throw your extras away.