YARD SALE 103: Pleasing Your Patrons

Welcome to YARD SALE 103: Pleasing Your Patrons, the third installment of my YARD SALE series.

Plans were to have this post complete and ready to go yesterday morning. And then computer chaos ensued. Instead I spent all day in support chat rooms and on the phone trying to recalibrate this technological piece of machinery. (I know, you thought I was going to say something else nasty. I had those moments yesterday, filled completely with frustration. Today I am much calmer, as most of the issues have been resolved.)

Back to YARD SALE 103: Pleasing Your Patrons.

There are two parties that must be happy at the end of the yard sale day.

1. Yourself - including your spouse, children, pets, and neighbors.

2. Your patrons - those shoppers who come to take away your stuff (and pay you while they are doing so).

Happily ever after is the true goal here, for all involved.

We were happy and elated with the ease and success of our sale. Exhausted? Yes. But it was a good tired. Check off number 1.

One of the main things we did at our yard sale was to keep it simple. Simple organization, simple pricing, simple transactions. Shoot, we even helped cart junk, I mean purchases, out to vehicles. We meaning my husband.

Cheap prices, lots of choices, easy layout, and great access were the strategies we used. Not sure about parking, which looked a bit dodgy at times, but we did the best with what we had.

Happy customers? I'm pleased to say, there were many. Here are a few examples of pleased patrons.

My favorite was a young lady (in her twenties) who found our ginger pot lamp delightful. It was missing a shade, but still worked. We were just done with it. I told her the story of how we've had it almost as long as we've been married, nearly 30 years. She was so excited to have a lamp AND a story. Kind of makes me want it back. No. Not really.

Another glad shopper was a middle grade boy who discovered the microscope set. He was so pleased, he stood there opening and taking out all of the items on the cash register table. This did create somewhat of a mess and nuisance for others trying to pay and leave, but no one was put out. This young man just couldn't wait to get home and start playing.

Our neighbor across the street was overjoyed to capitalize on our yard sale traffic. He put out a refrigerator. It was sold before we even knew it was available. See? The neighbors were involved and did a little side business of their own.

Two middle-aged women came both days. Friday, they paid the usual, though cheap, prices and filled several bags of new belongings. The ladies returned on Saturday and gathered even more with our reduced-to-move prices. Both were very happy as they regularly shopped yard sales to find supplies and necessities for shelters and ministries they helped.

There was a ton of Christmas stuff. I was very surprised to see several different shoppers gravitate and select Christmas goods. Guess what I said as they left? Merry Christmas!

Pleased and happy customers? Yes. Check off number 2.


And so we come to the end of yard sale mania. My hope is that you will be encouraged to simplify the experience. It will still be hard work, but oh, so much easier and more satisfying. Plus you will make some extra cash. No one can argue with that.

See previous posts YARD SALE 101: Ways to Avoid the "Y" Word and YARD SALE 102:Tips for Yard Sale Success (If You Must Have One) for more details about yard sales.

Thanks for reading and double thanks for sharing.