Yard Sale Selling Tips

I've held about a half a dozen yard sales and am an experienced yard sale shopper. Here are some things that I do to target specific shoppers and stay organized when I'm hosting a sale.

•  Advertise your sale. Tell your neighbors of your intentions the week before, at the same time put a sign up in the yard that says, "Yard Sale here Saturday". Post a listing at craigslist.org under the "garage sales" heading. Spend some time making large visible signs. Keep it simple, include an arrow, the words "Yard Sale" and your house number. The morning of the sale post signs at the end of the block. Remember to take them down when you pack up and save them for next year! We've been using our yard sale signs for years. 
• Try to sell larger and more expensive items on Craigslist first. If you have something that is still in great shape and is still sold in stores, chances are you'll probably get more money if you try to sell it on craigslist than at a yard sale. Craigslist.org is free to post so it doesn't hurt to try.
•  Post signs that specify larger amounts of goods for sale. I make my signs on the computer in large bold font that fills up the whole paper and hang them on the porch posts up high. Some examples include: "Boys Clothes 3T", "Women's Shirts Size M", "Men's Shoes, Size 12", "Toys, Toys, Toys", "Kitchen Gadgets", "Tools and Garden Equipment". Print out an extra sign to hang on the table or box where the specific items are located to make it easier to locate items and reorganize later in the day.
• Keep as much off the grass as possible. I only put large bulky items on the ground. Everything else is on tables or in boxes on benches so shoppers do not have to bend down or kneel.
•  Have small bills and change ready. The week before the sale I start saving small bills and change for the early bird customers. It's been my experience that the first customers usually only have a $20 bill, and once I even had a man pay with a $100 bill!

 

• Have plastic bags on hand for people who buy a lot of stuff. Some customers will love your taste and will pick up several items. They will need a bag to carry it all home. It helps to be creative, if you have a huge amount of purses that aren't selling, stuff the items in a purse and tell them the purse is free. One time I had an abundance of sand buckets and told the children that they can have the bucket and all the little toys they can fill in it for $1. They loved the idea and the parents were happy that it kept them busy while they sorted through the clothing piles.
•  Grab some spray cleaner and paper towels and dust things off. People will pay more for things if they look clean and in good shape, so grab some cleaner and make it shine. A Mr. Clean Magic Eraser can get mysterious hard to remove marks off of most anything.
• If you have time bake some cookies! If you have a gift for making the perfect cookie then whip up a few batches the night before. Wrap them in cellophane or Ziplock bags and sell 2 or 3 for $1. Set up an area with the cookies, water, or other snack items you happen to have in the house and you'll make a few extra dollars.  I've found that later in the day as the items left for sale are diminishing most people will end up buying a bag of cookies even if they don't see anything else they want. TIP: Kids go crazy for anything with sprinkles and m&m candies. They'll beg their parents for a bag of cookies and parents usually give in!

•  Know when to call it a day. At our house around 11 o'clock it starts to wind down, customers aren't as frequent, people will slow down in their cars to look but most drive on. We experimented one year with a sign that said, "Everything 25 cents, no joke!" I stood at the curb for an hour and held it up at every passing car and surprisingly it worked! About half of the interested shoppers stopped and picked up something, and those that didn't buy anything bought cookies. We still do the "25 cent blow out" at every yard sale.
•  Plan what to do with your items after the yard sale. If it's a small amount you can leave it near the curb with a "FREE" sign. If you have a bit more to get rid of, read places to donate your stuff here.

 

Read more about yard sales!

 

Yard Sale Shopping Tips 

 

 Montebello's City Wide Yard Sale Weekends

 

 

 

 

 

Vons, Ralphs, Albertson's, CVS, Target, Superior, Food 4 Less, Payless Foods Coupon Policy

Vons doubles coupons up to $1.00 value. Vons often has coupons in the weekly flyer. These can be combined with manufacturer coupons for extra savings.

On 1/8/11: I spoke with a Vons: Montebello supervisor and she said they only accept 2 identical coupons per transaction and only one coupon will be doubled, the second identical coupon will be accepted at face value. Expired coupons are not accepted. If a coupon doesn't scan, they don't accept it. The coupon policy is under plexiglass at each register on the shelf for writing checks. Click here for details on Vons coupon policy. The fine print at the end of the weekly Vons flyer reads:

On Buy One, Get One FREE ("BOGO") offers, customers must purchase the first item to receive the second item free. BOGO offers are not 1/2 price sales. If only a single item is purchased, the regular price applies. Manufacturers' coupons may be used on purchased items only - not on free items. Limit one coupon per purchased item. Customer will be responsible for tax, CRV and/or bottle deposit on the purchased and free items.

Ralphs coupon policy is similar to Vons. Ralphs will double coupons up to $1.00 total and will only double the first coupon for similar products, all other coupons are accepted at face value. Ralph's coupon policy is printed at the bottom of their weekly flyer and it states:

Applicable sales tax charged on Manufacturer's coupons. All manufacturer's coupons doubled are subject to the expirations and specific language contained in the manufacturer's coupon. The following are excluded from this promotion: all liquor, tobacco, fluid milk products, "Free" coupons, coupons marked "Do Not Double" or that exceed the value of the item, and except as we specifically advertise, any coupons that require the purchase of multiple items. If a coupon exceeds 50 cents and is less than $1.00, its value will be increased to $1.00. A limit of 1 coupon per household for each coupon offering will be doubled or have its value increased to $1.00. All other coupons of that offering will be redeemed at face value. All coupons $1.00 or greater will be redeemed at face value. A limit of five (5) FREE coupons per household will be redeemed. We reserve the right to accept, limit or refuse manufacturer's coupons issued by other supermarkets.

Albertson's accepts coupons at face value only. Albertsons often has coupon booklets available in store, these can be combined with manufacturer's coupons for extra savings.

Super A accepts coupons at face value. Each weekly flyer has 4 coupons that double any coupon up to $1.00 total value.

Superior Market, Food 4 Less, & Payless Foods accepts coupons at face value only.

CVS accepts coupons. They also issue store coupons at the in-store coupon kiosk or at the end of your receipt which you can combine with a manufacturer's coupon for extra savings. CVS also has coupons on their website.

Target accepts coupons. Target publishes store coupons and they can be found online at their website. These can be combined with manufacturer's coupons for more savings.

Strawberries!

It's strawberry season! At our house that means strawberries are a common side dish at breakfast and lunch, and served as dessert after dinner.

The best local strawberries are just a stone's throw from the mall found on the northeast corner of San Gabriel Blvd & Rosemead Blvd. Look for the signs with a big strawberry, drive into the dirt lot, check out the strawberries growing in fields and then hand over $10 for six pints of bright red, perfectly ripe, naturally sweet strawberries in a cardboard box. Six pints of strawberries is a lot of strawberries! Share with friends/family and experiment with new recipes! My strawberry creations include strawberry-lemonade, strawberry popsicles, strawberries dipped in chocolate, quasi-jam, and strawberries with freshly made whipped cream.

For a more in-depth strawberry experience make a trip down to Tanaka Farms in Irvine, http://tanakafarms.com It's quite a drive but a fun afternoon is guaranteed. For $13 a person you get an hour tour which includes a tractor ride, fresh from the field vegetable sampling, and 15 minutes to roam a strawberry field picking and eating as you stroll.

Wherever you chose to get your strawberries, be sure to close your eyes and savor each bite. There is nothing like the taste of a fresh strawberry in spring. Enjoy!

I don't leave home without it: The Coupon Wallet

All couponers need a system of organization for their coupon collection. Some chose envelopes, binders, small card filing boxes, and some use coupon wallets. The best coupon wallet I've found is at http://thecouponwallet.com

It is by far the best storage system yet. It's extremely roomy, includes a calculator, scissors, printed dividers, and a pad of pre-printed grocery lists. There are sections for supermarket savings cards, extra large coupons, and any other extras. I ordered a deluxe wallet in pink and black stripes, the fabric is canvas, much like that on outdoor furniture.

My favorite feature of this wallet is that it is large. It measures 8.5" x 4", my wallet when full is about 2 inches wide. The bright colors and size make it pretty hard to lose it in a pile of mail on a counter top.

The deluxe model is $20, the basic model without all the extra storage compartments are $14. The money you save from being organized and knowing where your coupon wallet is at all times is worth the cost of "The Coupon Wallet".

Craigslist.org

I love craigslist.org. It's a free online classified ad where people sell, buy, barter, volunteer, find work, find vacation homes, chat, carpool, and rant. The homepage for craigslist is very dull but the lack of bells and whistles makes it easy to navigate.

I've gotten gardening advice, given away left over beer after a party, sold baby items, and bought just as much all for yard sale prices on craigslist. It's truly a bargain hunters dream.

If you ever have a few minutes take a chance and browse through the various categories on www.craigslist.org there is literally something for everyone.

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/

Costco EXPO

Just returned from the EXPO at the Costco Business Center in Commerce. It exceeded my expectations. Vendors and/or samples at the end of every aisle, bargains to be had at every turn, and lots of friendly people. It was getting crowded but it wasn't crazy like at the Costco in Montebello on a weekend. It was easy to navigate the store because there was a lack of children and large families, it was mostly business owners stocking up on discounted goods, the parking lot was full. After our visit we now have a favorite beef jerky and fell in love with and bought a case of Dole's pineapple juice.

There is still time. Doors close at 6pm tonight but the Expo runs tomorrow from 8am-6pm. The EXPO is a must for any Costco loving member!

Costco Business Center, Commerce

A new Costco warehouse store opened about a year ago in Commerce. It's a Costco Business Center and gas station.

The Business Center store carries many of the same products as a typical Costco but the packaging of items is geared towards retail sales. For example, diapers are sold in packs of 14, the type you might find in a 7-11 or AM/PM. There are also a wide variety of restaurant supplies and there is a huge walk in refrigerator with complementary bright orange loaner jackets, one size fits all.

There are a few fabulous points about this new Costco location.
1. The gas station is open from 6am - 8pm. The gasoline is typically the same price or cheaper than Arco. Unfortunately I found that it left deposits in my gas tank that made the "check engine" light come on in my car. It might work well for you though, it won't hurt your car to try one tank.
2. The food court is outside with ample adjacent parking, so close I felt comfortable leaving my kids in the car on a rainy night when I found a prime parking spot right in front of the order line.
3. Every time I visit, the store is never crowded.
4. This store hosts an annual Expo.

The Expo boasts special pricing on hundreds of items including my favorites, Kirkland/Hansen juice boxes and Huggies wipes. There are free samples at the end of every other aisle, with some companies giving out full size samples. This year the Expo is Thursday April 8 and Friday April 9, store hours are 8am - 6pm. For more information visit

http://www.costco.com/Browse/BDHome.aspx?browse=1&whse=BD_569&topnav=bdoff&lang=en-US

While you're on the other side of the tracks please stop by two of my favorite south side stores. The Orowheat Bakery Outlet, (480 S. Vail Ave, Montebello) for breads and pastries, and Broguire's Dairy (505 S. Maple Ave, Montebello) for some glass bottled chocolate milk. There's just something about the glass bottle that makes it a special treat!

Credit Reports

Within the past year I was notified that my personal information was compromised when two companies I had done business with had their computer systems hacked. I spent a few minutes today checking my and my husband's credit report. https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/index.jsp It was totally free and a lot easier to navigate than I remember in the past. The first page gives a synopsis of your personal credit report and contains links that give details about potentially negative items, accounts in good standing, requests for your credit history, and personal information.

There are three credit reporting agencies, Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. Everyone is entitled to check each report once a year for free. If you start with the first company, Experian, and don't find any discrepancies, then check back four months later with TransUnion, then four months later with Equifax. I alreaady marked on my calendar in August and December to check the credit reports. However, if you find major discrepancies with the first report it's probably best to check all three at once.

Trash: Athen's Disposal

When the new contract with Athen's Disposal went into effect last summer we citizens were told we would get the same services, new free trash cans, and free bulky item pick up anytime. I was happy with the new service until I called Athen's to arrange a bulky item pick up.

I told them I had two large cardboard boxes filled with wrapping paper, and other trash from presents from Christmas. The representative told me that what I had was not considered a bulky item but rather plain trash. I could request a special pick up for a $20 fee or I could request an additional trash can for $2.50 a month. I told her of the city's promise to us that we'd get the same services and in the past on special bulky item pick up days it didn't matter what was picked up and the same should apply to scheduled pick ups. The representative didn't budge on her statements.

I called the city for help. http://cityofmontebello.com/ A city clerk took down my information, called Athens on my behalf, and I had a free scheduled bulky item pick up within minutes. If all else fails, call the city for help when dealing with Athen's Disposal. www.athenservices.com

Easter

Easter is almost here and the other day I told my husband over dinner that I heard "on the news" that the Easter Bunny is only going to be bringing eggs this year and not any toys. "It's all due to the national financial crisis" I said, "he has to cut expenses or he'll have to lay off some of his helper bunnies." So this year it's only eggs. My kids were quietly listening and were so shocked their mouth's formed little "o" shapes.

I found a really cute and easy idea of dyeing eggs in a Family Fun article years ago. http://family.go.com/entertainment/craft-ff-26313-tie-dye-easter-eggs-t/ It was really easy, took only a few minutes and I didn't have to spend any money on egg dyeing kits from the store.

There are a lot of egg hunts in the area. None in Montebello that I could find, but there are others that aren't too far. http://www.insidesocal.com/free/2010/03/hunting-for-free-easter-egg-events.html

The city of Santa Fe Springs is also having activities. http://www.santafesprings.org/news/displaynews.asp?NewsID=128&targetid=1

We'll attend Easter sunrises services at the Montebello golf course with Our Lady of Miraculous Medal Church. Services begin at 6am. There is no seating, so bring your own folding chair, if you have extras bring them along to share with others, they will certainly appreciate it. In the past I've dressed up for the service, but I've seen many people in jeans with sweatshirts/jackets, and some younger people wear pajamas.