Successful Garage Sale?!?!
This past weekend, we had a garage sale.
We had a lot of reasons for it: we’re getting rid of things we won’t want or need when we go full-time RVing, we had an opportunity to move Amazon samples without the headache of Facebook Marketplace, we could offer good items to our community at a lower cost, and we could make a little cash to put toward paying off Lucky.
But how do you define a successful garage sale?
Is it the money? The number of items left at the end? The happiness? Or the lack of arguing throughout the process?
Krissy and I both agree—we do not like garage sales.
That said, we are very good at them.
To be honest, we don’t hate the actual sale days. It’s all the prep that gets us: collecting, storing, pricing, and staging everything. It’s so time-consuming.
Side note: garage sales in the East are typically on Saturdays and Sundays, but in Colorado they’re on Fridays and Saturdays—and somehow Fridays are busier. It still feels weird.
We’ve been told we’re great at signage, directions, and advertising. We also tend to have a good mix of high-interest items and everyday things. Our pricing is fair, and we’re always willing to negotiate. This time, we were especially aligned—we both just wanted the stuff gone.
We’ve been collecting items to sell for about a year, with a big portion coming from the September minimalist challenge (see past blog) and Amazon samples. Watch some of Krissy’s Amazon reviews on her Youtube channel, The Gear Edit.
Some of our biggest sales?
My bike, twohammock stands, two canopies, lots of camping gear, and quite a bit of grandparent-made crafts and art.
One surprise: two RV covers we forgot to sell with the wagon two RVs ago. We assumed they wouldn’t go—but they were gone within the first two hours.
We started with more than a garage full of stuff and ended with just two totes heading to The Arc. Watch our response to all this on our Youtube channel, Team Freirose Fun.
That feels like success.
And the Amazon samples? Gone.
Yes, for less than we might have made elsewhere—but still gone. Facebook Marketplace has been frustrating, with lots of interest and too many people backing out. So again… success.
We price things low and then negotiate even lower. So many people in the community were genuinely excited about what they found. True treasure accumulated! We even had repeat customers both days.
Happy people = success.
Did we make money?
Yes. Around $1,500.
Another step toward paying off Lucky. Success.
And then—my favorite part.
The last hour of the sale, and for a few hours after, we put everything else out for free.
I love this part.
It’s amazing how appreciative people are. Even with signs everywhere, people still ask how much—and then can’t believe it when you say it’s free.
This year, as I was starting to pack up what was left, three kids rolled up—one on a bike, one on a scooter, and one on a skateboard. They loaded up as much as they could safely carry: Christmas ornaments, clothing, frames, and more.
For them, it felt like a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
Major success.
So yes, I’d say this garage sale was a success in every way.
At the same time… I never want to do it again.
What do you think about garage sales?
What’s the best treasure you’ve ever found?
And more importantly—do you want to come price and organize our stuff next time cause it is the only way we would have another one?
Enjoy your search,
Anne
