lessons learned from a garage sale

Two weeks ago Purgefest 2K11 officially came to a close when the last Garage Sale sign was pulled out of the ground.



And that, friends, was one fine moment.

No more boxes stacked in my guest room; no more Sharpies and pricing tags camping out on my kitchen table; no more tripping over garbage bags, poster board, and ground stakes.

Technically, the mission was accomplished: stuff was purged, laughs were abundant, and some funds were raised for Peru.

But as usual, we learned valuable lessons:

1. For some people, spending $1.00 on a shoulder bag is a little risky, but negotiating down to $.50 means "they won't be out anything if it falls apart when they wash it."  I'm not sure I've ever valued $.50 quite like that.
 
2. If you're not afraid, respond to the hagglers with something like, "You know we're raising money for a mission trip, right?"  (I mean, only say it if it's true, of course.)
 
3. Every garage sale host needs a friend who can provide lots and lots of tables.
 
4. Never underestimate the power of the laptop and an Excel spreadsheet (and a capable operator) at your check-out counter.  Calculators are so out.
 
5. People will not buy a brand new bike rack, or a working lamp.  But they sure will buy a dog food bowl that looks like a toilet bowl.
 
6. When bemoaning the unfortunate return on investment (garage sales are not for the faint of heart, people), keep an objective friend nearby to remind you that it's not about revenue, it's about "making memories."  Thanks, Kels.

Ah, memories.  It's good to have some things in the past tense.