Yikes! A Yard Sale!

If you’ve ever had a weekend-long yard sale, you probably know how I feel this Monday morning. A lot of thoughts are going around in my head like, “Was it worth it?” and “Would we do it again?”

As for the first question, my answer is: Yes, it was worth it but not for the financial aspect. As a homeschooling mom, I see learning opportunities in seemingly ordinary experiences and our yard sale certainly qualified.

My older daughter learned that she is a skilled organizer and planner, while also realizing that she doesn’t like to wake up before noon on Saturdays!

Our younger daughter has the gift of gab and could probably be a snake oil salesperson if anyone is still selling the stuff. I was amazed at her ‘best buys’ offers, rapidly calculating sales prices and throwing in a few extras to clinch the deal.

As for me, I enjoyed talking to many of the people who came to the sale, although sitting in the driveway for two days was way below my normal activity level.

However, the big question is “Would we do it again?” Perhaps. There is something exciting about feeding the entrepeneurial spirit. The marketing psychology was an interesting aspect, as my daughters and I discussed strategies and compared the buying techniques of our customers.

In fact, the photo shows one of our advertising ideas. It’s been a pet peeve of mine to rummage through buckets or barrels of ‘stuff’ at other people’s yard sales, so we decided to eliminate that. We set up a clothesline across the front of the house and hung stuffed animals on it. It made the yard very colorful, as well as created a browsing-friendly atmosphere.

Yes, a yard sale brings forth a lot of ‘treasures’ that may be hidden in closets or attics. But for my family, it also spotlighted some skills that I plan to nurture in our daughters.

Oh, I bet you’re all waiting to hear how much we made. Well….let’s just say we didn’t jump into a higher tax bracket. Sorry, any more specific information can’t be disclosed in case the IRS reads my blog!