Lynn’s eBay ezine Volume III, issue number 33

This ezine is published once a week.

August 30, 2007 Volume III, Issue 33

‘Garage Sale Lessons and Goosebump Moments‘

by Lynn A. Dralle, ‘The Queen of Auctions’

This may be the strangest feature article I have ever written. What happened this past weekend was so weird that this article had to be about Garage Sales and Goosebumps. So here we go. Hang on-it is going to be a wild ride!

The story begins last Saturday morning when we have a mini-van full of kids and adults. We finally head out at 9:30 to hit the sales. Thank goodness that most sales don’t start until 9 or 10 am in Bellingham! My kind of town. I really hate those 6 am sales in Palm Desert. Way too early!

Even though we were still out before some of the sales started, my sister (Kiki) was saying, “It is too late to go, we won’t find anything.” I said, “Trust me, you can find amazing things at the beginning, middle and end of sales. It just doesn’t matter because not every knowledgeable dealer can be at every single sale at the right time.”

#1 Lesson Learned for Garage Saling–It doesn’t matter what time you go out or where you end up. Just be smart and try and pick the most appealing sales from the paper. Even four hours after a sale has started you can still find amazing things if you take the time.

The first sale we hit was the YWCA Soroptomist sale on the South Hill. It was funny because this was one of the same sales that my Bellingham Live Boot Campers hit with me last year in August. Talk about déjà vu! We spent $25 at this sale and got a lot of merchandise including some mint-in-box wine glasses that we used to carry at the May Company when I was a buyer. Life has a way of cycling around–doesn’t it?

#2 Lesson Learned for Garage Saling–Look for Charity Sales first and hit those as soon as possible.

Click here to see what they sold for. It doesn’t even matter if they didn’t sell for more than the initial $9.99 bid price because we only paid 50 cents! And we got 4 boxed sets for only 50 cents each and they all sold!

#3 Lesson Learned for Garage Saling–Mint in box is always good at cheap prices–especially 50 cents per box.

Next, we saw in the paper that there was a sale to benefit the Lou Gehrig’s Disease Foundation (another great charity). It was in a neighborhood where I and my mother used to have houses–so off we went. Nothing had been put out on the tables in the driveway because of the threat of rain. (Hard to believe in Washington state, right?)

OK, I just have to interject. When we used to plan yard sales for my grandmother’s antique store it was a nightmare. We would have to look at the weather forecast for the week, get out our crystal ball (just kidding) and then gamble on it not raining. Usually we were lucky, but it was always a crapshoot.

Here is one of my grandmother’s world famous yard sales at her antique store. See why we couldn’t hold it if it were raining?

#4 Lesson Learned for Garage Saling–If there is inclement weather and it looks like a chance of rain–go to every garage sale you can. What we found this past Saturday was that no one had been to this charity sale (and it was 10:30 am) most likely because most of Bellingham thought the sales would be cancelled because of the dark and gloomy skies! Score!

So, I got down on my hands and knees and went through every box on the floor of the garage. I quickly realized that these were all boxes full of donations. I found antique dresser brushes (one was even sterling), antique tea sets and super newer collectibles.

Nothing was priced and the ladies just said make us an offer. I always feel funny doing this so I made a huge pile on a couch.  When I was done, I said, please tell me what would make you happy. I waited and waited and finally the ladies said $20 for everything. In my head, I had been thinking $40 to $50. So, I said, “You know, I was thinking more like $30.” They were thrilled and so was I. It was a win-win situation!

#5 Lesson Learned for Garage Saling–Ask the price of one item first. If it is a fair price you can feel confident making a big pile of items because you can assume that overall they will price realistically. If they were overpriced on the one item–this strategy may not work. So if the test price on an item was fair, make a huge pile before talking total money and let them name the price. Then offer more if it is a low figure, especially if it is for a charity. You are helping others!

By this time Kiki and I had only spent $55 and the mini-van back area was filling up. How fun!

Next stop was a sale in Edgemoor, my old stomping grounds. This is where I grew up and where the kids and I had last lived. This is also where my dad currently lives. We needed to have Houston and Indy to my Dad by 11 am so that they could spend the day with their Grandpa!

The sale was huge! Everything was priced, and from the moment I walked into this sale, I knew we were in for a major score. On a table in the garage was a Goebel Hummel figurine priced at $3. I said to Kiki, get some boxes and start making a staging area for our items.

Here is a photo of the Goebel Hummel Figurine

Click here to see what it sold for.

You may be wondering why we only did 3-day auctions. You will have to come to my Live Boot Camp in 2 weeks to find out…Please join us.. Just one seat left.

We ended up spending $43 at this sale. So our total for the morning was only $98 and we probably had 75 very saleable items. Perfect!

#6 lesson: Try and spend on average no more than $1 for each item.

As we were leaving that great sale, my mom said to me, “Did you see those Hummel bells?” I said no, and then I remembered seeing some Goebel Crystal Bells that don’t sell for a lot that my grandmother used to carry in the shop. I said I did see the crystal ones and she said, “No, the bisque ones.” I said, “Well, we had better go back.”

Since Kiki, Zach and my kids were already all buckled up, just my mom and I went back across the street. On the table with the bisque Goebel Hummel bells MIB (mint in box) were some Ferrandiz plates. I always have good luck with these, so I made a pile and it all added up to $50. I asked the ladies “since I have already spent so much, can you make me a deal?” They said sure and asked me if $35 would work. SOLD. $133 and still one more sale to hit!

#7 final lesson: go back one more time (if not two more times) to any great sale.  You may have missed something great.

There was one more sale on the South Hill that we thought we would swing by before arriving back at Kiki’s house. We had to be there by 11:45 am because I was meeting my great friend and personal shopper Audrey Mortensen at noon to find outfits for my infomercial shoot. Very important to look good on national TV.

At that final sale on the South Hill, Kiki and I spent $2 for some brass dresser hardware (drawer pulls) and a crystal bohemian votive holder. Grand total for the day $135! And we got a boatload (well a mini-van) full of stuff!

Goosebump time:

This is what I hope you have all been waiting for. My sister was so excited to have all this really wonderful, cheap and highly saleable merchandise that she just couldn’t wait to get it all listed. I stopped by on Saturday afternoon after my shopping spree with Audrey. Audrey is so good that I got about 10 outfits for $300. She doesn’t ever pay full retail and is the most amazing shopper.

I was just checking in on Kiki to see if I could offer any suggestions to help her list items on eBay. She was in the process of taking photos of the Goebel Hummel Bisque bells and she couldn’t get the box open. I was like, “Look genius, you just open it from the side, not the top.”

She had started her listing when she said, “Oh my gosh, I think I see a price tag with Grandma’s handwriting.” I said, “No way!” She pulled out the sticker from inside the box–a 1980 Hummel Bell and the tag said $85.00 in my grandma’s handwriting. We were both silent for quite some time. I said it again, “No way!” But we both knew it was her writing because we remembered how she used to cut big tags into smaller tags to save money. This was one of those tags. With two square corners and two rounded corners.

We both felt her presence at that moment and were freaked out that 27 years ago our grandmother had priced this item and most likely Kiki and I (in addition to our grandmother) had touched this item in the shop.

Then Kiki got out the next bell to photograph. It was from 1978 in a blue box and on the very front was the same shaped price tag. Only this time it wasn’t in my grandmother’s handwriting. It was in one of her three grandchildren’s handwriting and it said $50. We both looked at one another and no words were required.

I finally said, “That is not mine, not Lee’s, not G’s, not Dad’s and not Mom’s writing–it is yours.” She said, “I know.” We both had tears in our eyes. At that moment we knew that someone was watching over both of us. Grandma Cheryl Leaf was trying to tell us something, maybe just saying, “I’m here.”

I left my sister’s house kind of in shock. As I was driving back to my mom’s, I started thinking about the $85 tag in my grandma’s handwriting and the $50 price tag in Kiki’s handwriting. I realized that they added up to $135. Then as I added up what we had spent at the garage and charity sales that day–I also realized that it had added up to exactly $135. The message was super strong and clear. Cheryl Leaf was saying something important to us.

What was the message? We will never know for sure but we do know this…Love goes on.

Two days later, I took my kids to see my grandmother’s grave in the mausoleum where she is buried next to my grandfather. It was a somber day. We also went by my very good friend Jodi’s grave at the same cemetery. Jodi chose a very special song for her funeral–it was by Leanne Womack. And that song still means a lot to me.

My message to you is this. Live every day of your life to the fullest. Don’t forget to tell those who you love that you do love them. Make your work your passion or make your passion your work. If you love doing eBay (like I do)–quit your full time job and make eBay your livelihood. These 7 tips for garage sales can help you make this a reality and finally “I hope you Dance.” (This was the special song that Jodi chose for her own funeral.)

Godspeed and Happy eBaying,

Lynn

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Happy eBaying!!

Lynn

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