Storage Auctions
The Marketplace => Selling Venues => Other Forms of Selling => Topic started by: Kinney on March 11, 2013, 07:19:10 PM
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With the weather being chilly and our booth full of the knick knacks, we found a better way to unload those low-end items. Facebook users have been setting up local yard sale/garage sale sites where members post items for sale. I can easily post something for sale and have it sold within a few hours.
For example, my husband and I bought a unit the other day full old sewing and craft equipment plus a few antique furniture pieces. There was an old kenmore sewing machine in a wood cabinet. My husband wanted to junk it. I put it on the local facebook garage sale site and had it sold within 24 hours. Sold a lot of thread within 3 hours, some cheap chairs, and some mixing bowls. Total take $90 CASH. All from facebook. We're 1/3 of the way to paying for our unit and we haven't even sold the furniture yet.
The local garage sale sites seem to be better for the cheaper stuff. Haven't had any luck with the expensive furniture...yet.
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I belong to one of those "yard sale" groups. I've posted quite a few items with no sales yet. I think it's just what I'm selling.. Nothing to pique the interest of the members of that group..
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Facebook users have been setting up local yard sale/garage sale sites where members post items for sale. I can easily post something for sale and have it sold within a few hours.
I went to Facebook and did a search for "yard sales". Three things popped up which seemed to be apps. Then I did a search for "for sale" and maybe a dozen different topics popped up including some general and some specific like "guns for sale", etc.
Is this the kind of thing you are talking about .... using an app...or is yours more specific to your geographical area?
I need a little guidance....I think the more venues the better for moving product, even if only one in ten listings might pan out. Thanks!
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My town, the neighboring towns, and neighboring counties all have a Facebook garage sale page. You request to become a member. Then just post pictures if what you have for sale. Stuff sells quick! I sold two broken dresser drawers and a broken chair to someone who is really big into Pinterest and upcycles furniture. She wants all the broken cr*p furniture that I can find. I don't sell my high end stuff on there, I.e expensive antique and specialty items I can get more money for on eBay. My husband and I specialize in midcentury lighting and furniture. Around here people think that stuff is junk.
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Try and put in "Yard Sale (your city)" That comes up with about 4 different groups for me for Raleigh.
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Try and put in "Yard Sale (your city)" That comes up with about 4 different groups for me for Raleigh.
Tried that per your suggestion but all it got me was web results most of which were Clist ads for yard sales; page two was the garage sale website which sends out alerts for one's area.
The Facebook approach sounds appealing, but guess someone has to get it started....not going to be me; there isn't time enough to do all that needs doing now.
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Search in neighboring towns too. My town is much larger than the neighboring town but our Facebook garage sale site is not nearly as good as theirs. If you can find one somewhere close, you might find some buyers.
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We found one on for the area we live in called Eastern Shore Trash N Treasure, it's a group. I did off load a couch and would of sold a dirt bike on it but I was to slow to respond. My next thing to put on it is a washer and dryer combo. With our's it is really busy with over 8800 members. It's a good way to sell,or buy. I never realized that trying to sell all this crap is like a full time job. What I do need is it to get warm so we can have a yard sell to off load the yard sale stuff....
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I never realized that trying to sell all this crap is like a full time job.
And there it is.
Add in time for auctions,picking, researching.....it IS a full time job.
I tend to rotate. Pick, collect, get inventory however. Then back off and just sell.
I'll still swing by thrift shops while in selling phase. Randomly CL stuff while in collecting phase.
But for the most part if I'm hitting auctions and estates I'm not going to spend additional time listing and meeting people. And while selling I spend my time researching and refurbishing, fixing.....dump runs.
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I never realized that trying to sell all this crap is like a full time job.
That's why so many people fail at this in a short amount of time.
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I been buying and selling at auctions for over 30 years. Picking stuff out of dumpsters then selling the stuff in thrift shops. I have only been doing the storage thing for a year now and it is more work, but more profit. For me I have a full time job to pay the bills, so as long as I cover my cost I have not failed. Like I tell people I know, it's my new hobby. Yea, it's a lot of work but fun. I just listed a washer and dryer and a small refrigator on face book, within the hour I got a message saying her mom will call in the am. What I think is one of the biggest help on doing this stuff for most people is this forum. Reading the post on this forum gives you a lot of info.
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You're so right, selling this stuff is like a full time job. I work three 12-hour shifts a week as an RN. On my days off I buy and sell. Always keep stuff listed on eBay, keep my booth full, but on my days off I hustle more to make cash sales by using CL and Facebook. Selling this stuff and making a profit is the hardest part. It takes work, knowledge, time, and people skills to sell enough to turn a profit and be successful. Buying a locker full of crap is easy. Turning it into gold is the hard part.
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There's an article that gives you the stats on how many people are on social media site globally - http://auctionstx.com/use-facebook-google-twitter-and-youtube-to-move-your-merchandise/
Facebook is a quick way to flip something with the right "audience."
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I have a facebook page for my store that I link with Craigslist. I also belong to a group called Central Coast Man Stuff Exchange. Men only stuff. It is great for car parts and such. I haven't found any other good facebook pages to sell on in my are yet but I keep looking.
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You all got me thinking about this so last night I sat down with my Facebook account and started searching. I figured some things out in my area that I thought might be useful to others.
1. search your area code (805 yard sales or 805 exchange)
2. search your zip code or nearby zip codes
3. If you have a name for your whole area use that (Central Coast yard sales)
3. Try the word exchange instead of sale (most everything I found is listed as exchange)
4. Pay attention to the list on the right as you go to pages. They list other similar groups.
Hope this is helpful to others. I joined several groups last night. We shall see how they work.
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Calcostgal - that's very clever!
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I belong to around 12 different FB Yard Sale Type Groups.
Most have rules about how many posts per day and how often you can bump your items.
I have set up 2 FB Page for my items. One is Warehouse Treasures, One is Halloween Discount. Soon to Open "Poppies' Attic" as well as a Christmas one.
Anyway - I post a few of the items w/ an advertisement to the page. All of this advertises my Convenience store where SOME of the items are sitting.
I have had some success. Good items don't seem to sell well. BUT... I just found a nice Furniture site that sells higher dollar and looks like items are moving. Going to put some of our Chalk Paint Furniture on there and see.
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I belong to around 12 different FB Yard Sale Type Groups.
Most have rules about how many posts per day and how often you can bump your items.
I have set up 2 FB Page for my items. One is Warehouse Treasures, One is Halloween Discount. Soon to Open "Poppies' Attic" as well as a Christmas one.
Anyway - I post a few of the items w/ an advertisement to the page. All of this advertises my Convenience store where SOME of the items are sitting.
I have had some success. Good items don't seem to sell well. BUT... I just found a nice Furniture site that sells higher dollar and looks like items are moving. Going to put some of our Chalk Paint Furniture on there and see.
Do I understand correctly that I should be able to go into Facebook and type in Warehouse Trasures or Halloween Discount and either of your sale pages should pop up? I tried that and couldn't get it to work. I hardly use facebook, so if it takes something special to to it, please let us know. I am interested in the concept and I don't think it is happening in central California.
Also your chalk painted furniture sounds interesting. Can you direct us to that as well? Thanks !
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You could do a group search and see what comes up. I'm not sure with the new Facebook graph system if groups and businesses only pull up in your specific area, if they are described as serving a specific area.
I did a search for "Find all groups named "fresno yard sale"" and the following link is what pulled up..
https://www.facebook.com/search/str/fresno%20yard%20sale/groups-named (https://www.facebook.com/search/str/fresno%20yard%20sale/groups-named)
Of course, i don't know what town you live in, or what semi major area you live near.. but for Fresno, there are quite a few groups that sell items online through Facebook.
If there are no groups like this in your area, I strongly suggest starting one! Create the group, the rules, put up 30 or so items on the group page, and advertise your page on busy groups in your specific area.. I make 2-3 sales a week through these pages, but it has brought in 100+ customers into the shop in the last month. About half of those customers bought something that wasn't on the group page.
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You could do a group search and see what comes up.
OK, I'm starting to get it. Looks like you have to join a group to even see the things, or as you said start one of your own. I'll do some more exploring. Every venue helps; surprised the interface through FB isn't easier, but since it's worldwide I guess they have to organize it that way to narrow down the search.
Thanks HGP !
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Exactly! There are open groups where you can see posts before joining, but these yard sale groups are largely closed groups to weed out spammers. Once you join a group, Facebook suggests other groups in the right margin specific to your area.
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Exactly! There are open groups where you can see posts before joining, but these yard sale groups are largely closed groups to weed out spammers. Once you join a group, Facebook suggests other groups in the right margin specific to your area.
OK, tried your search suggestion to the word with my city inserted and got a list of results. Here's one that I have boiled down to its lowest level which can just be used by any of you in a url approach. It will take you to the main page which then allows you to choose by state and then by city. Pretty extensive I think. I already found some yard sales which I didn't see in cList or other sources.
yardsalesearch(dot)com/
That may be old news to you (the above link) but its new to me.
I'll explore the group idea later today...have to go to an auction pretty soon, so time to get off the computer (it's 7:30 here on the west coast).
Thanks again HGP.
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Guess the FB thing works well to sell. I've gotten dozens of calls within minutes of post.
Only problem......I didnt post anything. lol
Hint: If you want sales, put the right phone number!
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I have been selling items on about 7 different local facebook groups in my area for about a year now. Works well for some items not so well for others. I have a new rule for myself, I have to get at least $20 or more for an item I attempt to sell on there, as it is not worth my time otherwise. My biggest issue where I live is most of the people in theses groups are low income or just want to get things for nothing, or they are very flaky, some items sell quickly, others take a while. If I can easily ship the item, I sell it on eBay, because even after shipping and fees I can usually get at least double what I can selling it locally. I do not have a CL local to where I live or I would do Craigslist intead, less drama. The groups in my area have too much drama, they have even set up 2 other groups to complain about people in the selling groups. And evrytime somone gets mad or banned they try to start their own selling group, it is a circus.