Getting ready for the Garage & Estate Selling Cycle

“The more material things that we possess, the less clear life becomes. Therefore, if you want clarity, have a garage sale.”: This quote, from Craig D. Lounsbrough (Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of Colorado)

It’s warmer weather. Now is the time to open the windows and let in fresh air, getting rid of the bad, stale air. Now is also a good time to look at all your “stuff and things.” You might be thinking about downsizing, or you might be looking to turn your things into cash. The million-dollar question is: Do the things you’re keeping serve a purpose, or make your life better in any way? If not, it’s time to replace it for cash. Can it be donated? In some cases, you might decide to throw it away. You must decide when it’s time and what you want to get rid of.

Tips & Strategies

• Prepare your mind. What is the goal? I want to get rid of all the things that don’t really matter. Or It’s time to make money from unwanted “Stuff and Things”. One way to deal with this is to declutter and organize your life before you die. This makes it easier for your family to deal with your things after you die. IE: Swedish Death Cleaning

• You have to market and raise awareness for your garage sale weeks before the event. – Making signs for garage sales and posting them on social media. – There is a process to assemble all the items that you want to sell in separate boxes. – This cannot be done the night before the event. – Research what to ask for your items. – The physical help needed to move items from the storage area to the selling area. – It takes time to fix the price tags on all the items. – The time to do so is the day before the event. Not when people are arriving. – Make sure you have the proper change. – Ask for help in arranging the items on your selling day. – What do you do with the items that didn’t sell?

• Research what you think might be valuable. Use Google, eBay, or Etsy to look for similar items and see how much people are asking for them. It’s best to use completed sales because they show the item’s true value. People can ask whatever they want, but that doesn’t mean the item is worth that amount.

Errors to Avoid

• Give yourself enough time. The preparation of all the items, researching values will take more time than you thought.

• Check the weather many days from the event. Have a back up rain date. It is a waste of time and money to hold a garage sale on a rainy day, unless you have a large indoor space.

• Do not sell any item that has the following hallmarks engraved. “Sterling”, 925, .800 and in the cases of Mexican Silver: A symbol of an EAGLE and STERLING, are the most frequent marks present on Mexican silver, HECHO EN MÉXICO, MEXICO, TAXCO, PLATA, SILVER and fineness numbers as 0.900, 925, 0.925, 940, 950, 980

• Do not sell any item that has any gold hallmarks. It’s a mark that is stamped on gold jewelry to indicate its purity and value. You would be looking for a mark that states, 9K, 10K, 14K, 18K or 24K.

• For any silver or gold item, making a mistake in determining value can be costly. You do not want to sell an item that is very valuable for pennies on the dollar. This is why it’s best to see a jeweler for any of your jewelry or items that might be gold or silver. Yes, it will cost you to get an opinion on what your item is worth, but what would you rather have? Selling something for $50.00, when the real value is $ 1,500.00? So the money spent on knowing what you have is more than worth it.

Good Luck on your selling, and we hope your goals are met.

Next Article: Religious Objects of Faith. Do they have any value? What to look for?

About the Author

John H. Grow, ISA-AM, is a partner in the appraisal firm Prestige Evaluation Inc. The firm specializes in antiquities, watches, clocks, jewelry, fine art, and collectibles of all types. John works with clients worldwide, museums, corporations, foundations, financial / Insurance firms, and government agencies. He regularly appears on radio and television shows and charity appraisal fairs. A long-time member of the International Society of Appraisers. (ISA) & Canadian Chapter of the ISA. https://www.isa-appraisers.ca/appraiser/
john-grow/
Prestige Evaluation Inc. can be found at http://prestigeevaluations.com and the email is [email protected].