garage sale pricing
 

I am having a garage sale and have priced my fabric (most of it is quilt shop $9 - $12 A yard) at $2 - $3 a yard and have had alot of quilters complaining that it is too high priced. What do you price it at? I was also shocked to see a women about 70 shop lifting. Her husband put movies in their bag with purchases from next door and she was putting Aida cloth in her purse. If they were hard off I would have given them it if asked but they were dress to the high and driving a newer car. Would you have asked for payment of the items or as I did not say anything.

I would of in a loud voice have said" So what goodies did you get from next door that your putting in that lovely bag of yours? Can I see what I missed out on??"

As for the garage sales prices, most- including me- are looking for pieces $.10 up to $.50...

I know most people are looking for a huge bargain . . . but I'd rather give the fabric to a charity, than sell it for a few cents on the dollar.

As for the thieves, I'd have loudly said something like, "Oooops! I believe you forgot to pay for that!"

I have not had the luck to find a yard sale with fabric, but would be thrilled to find good fabric @ $2.00 a yard. I see it here on the board for $5.00 + a yard with postage on top of that, so $2.00 - $3.00 @ least gives you some bargaining room for those folks that love to barter.

As for the shop-lifting not sure what I would do. It seems hard to believe they both did it by accident, but I would hope that I would say something to them just to let them know it was not okay to just take the items. It's one thing to ask if the prices were negotiable it's another just to take them.

I think quilt shop quality should be priced $4-5/yard. Shopping at a Guild sale a few years ago quilters were complaining about expensive quilting books being priced at $3-4! There's bargain hunting, and then there's just plain cheap. You can sell fabric in the appropriate section here following the rules.

id be interested in seeing what you had.. Who knows you may be able to sell it here..

Me too , please think about selling some/all here

If yhour fabric is from quilt shops your price is very reasonable. Was to a rummage sale where the fabric was from Walmart and they had it marked $5.00, what she paid for it. Thought that was terrible.

Shoplifting at garage sales: I like luvTooQuilt's reply: "I would of in a loud voice have said" So what goodies did you get from next door that your putting in that lovely bag of yours? Can I see what I missed out on??"

Prices: I'm happy to pay $2 - $3 yard for high quality fabric .... but I was wondering why you didn't offer it here first with buyer paying shipping. QB people appreciate good quality.
A lady offered fabric on Craigslist with advertised prices of $1 - $2. I drove 50 miles only to discover her prices were actually $4 - $5. I did buy one piece but was disgusted with myself for driving that far for so little and with her for misleading buyers ... and then, when I went to use the fabric the finished project was wonky !

IMO, a garage sale is not the place to be selling good fabric, UNLESS you simply want it gone. Your prices are decent for the fabric, just not low enough for a garage sale.

I think your price is fine. My general take on garage sales is, it's my stuff and if you don't like my price you don't have to buy it.

I had that happen to me at one of my yard sales several years ago...I said to them: "If you don't plan on paying for that, put in back on the table on your way out, there's nothing else here you would be interested in either." They were so shocked that I confronted them, they just sat the entire bag down (including a blouse they had previously purchased or stolen next door) and left. And you usually get, oh I thought my husband, sister, mother paid you already. But this lady said nothing - she was publicly embarrassed. (And that's ok with me!)

I would offer your fabrics here for a much more satisfying experience :)

If I was at your sale I would have wiped you out and then some! I would have no problem paying what you were asking. Please consider selling on this board.

Sell here I'd pay your prices!! Gladly! Shame on the shoplifters!!!

the last time i checked stealing was a crime.

follow them to the car, take down the license number, cell phone photo(s) ...

911 - in a heartbeat.

most of the yard sales i have stopped at with fabric the fabric was priced by the piece - not by the yard- i have never seen any priced that high- i've bought 1 1/2 - 2 yard pieces for $2- $3 each-
i know location always matters-
and people tend to expect deals at yard/garage sales-figuring you are trying to clear out and what doesn't sell usually goes to a thrift store...priced to sell-
if you want to make some money from your fabric there are better places to sell it- here, ebay, guild sales,
or advertise your yard sale as a 'quilter's sale'- detailing in the ad what you have to offer & perhaps include (quilt shop quality items)
just like people who are trying to sell antiques cover that in their ads- otherwise they would not sell anything...you need to 'draw in' the right crowd. :thumbup:

What if you put a big sign, Fabric at 75% OFF? Then they would know they were getting a bargain, not just cheap fabric.

Shoplifters, I would just say, "did you want to pay for that________ now?" Some people, jeesh....

If I could find yard sales at that price I would have loaded up. I live in Dutch country and if they don't get their money out of left overs it is a no sale.

Barb's idea of a sign saying 75% off is a good one. I certainly would have bought fabric at your price.

I was at a garage sale last week where someone had taken a number of cd's without paying for them. The seller didn't know what to do, but had taken down the licence number. I encouraged her to call police and held down the fort for her while she did so. Unless the situation is dangerous, I would definitely confront someone who is stealing items that are already being practically given away because of low pricing.

I agree, if you still have it and want to sell, put it on the QB, I have had a lot of success and happy with what I have purchased here on the board. Please put it on the site here.
Pat

I guess that the best pricing test would be: How much did you sell? if you are happy with the yardage you sold at the price marked, then who cares about the complainers? if you didn't sell what you had hoped, then looks like you priced it a bit high for your geographic area.

Ditto to this

"Ma'am, when I give things away I have the right to choose who receives them. Today, this garage "SALE" is being held because I, myself, need the funds I will raise by selling my things. As this is not a garage "TAKE", if you do not care to pay for them, please return them to the table so that I can sell them to another honest person. Thank you."...with that oh-no-you-didn't mother glare we've all perfected.

Just as I would refuse to open my door to someone I didn't know or care to deal with; or talk on my phone to a sales pitch or wrong number; or allow someone to cross my yard and pick all my flowers or dig up my shrubs; or stand by while someone beat up on my kid......I would not allow someone I didn't know walk off with MY possessions while I was standing in MY yard/garage.

Jan in VA

yes, garage sales aren't what they used to be. MY SIL talks people down to $1.00 or $1.50. I've thought of clearing out all the stuff we have in this house but it's not worth all the trouble. and stealing is getting bad, kids too (with the knowledge of the parent).

or sell your fabric elsewhere online. good luck.

save your fabric and sell it here. you will get more for it and it would be sold to quilters.

One of our guilds had their quilt show and a huge room was devoted to quilt items for sale including fabric. It was all $2 per yard and flying out the door.

I dont mind paying $3-4 per yard at a garage sale but it has to be what I will need for a particular project or some collection of fat quarters that are just wonderful. I have been to 3 in the last few weeks.

1. Sold all fabric by the pound. Needed to do this because of all the sizes and lack of room to lay out and cut. Worked well for everyone and was easy to check out. I think they priced too low but still had fabric left over. $4 per pound. Did not matter if 6 yards or a box of scraps.

2. Not priced or ready to sell "wife ran out" sale. We could only agree on the prices for some really good kits and I actually spent 50% off retail for one kit I wanted. Got another one for $40 that was missing one month (but I can easily make it up from leftover fabrics and got the pattern from the company) that sold for $250 on ebay at the same time. If his helper had properly organized it, there was a couple of thousand dollars she could have made from the items.
3. Fabric saleswoman was selling excess stash. Got 62 coord. fat quarters for $36 with the ribbon still around them. Fabric was $3 per yard and well worth it. Spent $200 and was happy to do it.

I always remember that I can get fabric from Eleanor Burns at her sales in Paducah for $5 a yard (minus any special daily discounts) and consider this when evaluating garage sales.

Older fabrics or "Walmart type" fabrics I will only look at for charity quilts or their backs and would only spend about $1 per yard on a good day. Once I filled the back of my Accord from side to side with well stored vintage cottons for a total of $75. They had finished selling fabric on Ebay and this was perfect for quilt backs. Just a garage sale we stopped at.

As for shoplifting, I would have absolutely said something very loudly! Like "I can not believe that you just stuck that in your purse. Are you actually stealing at a yard sale?" I'm very vocal when I see someone doing something so wrong, like stealing from another person.
And I think your prices are reasonable. Like you said, we pay at least that here on the board and then we have to add in shipping and we don't have the chance to really look and feel the materal here. I think yard sellers just want to spend very little for as much as they can. I had someone tell me at a yard sale of mine once that my prices were out of line, but I sold most of everything by the end of the day. And my yard sale was from 9 am to 2 pm. But I understand how people think that a yard sale is suppose to be a real bargain. Some times people don't know what they are selling and are "giving" expensive things away for next to nothing.
I quit going to yard sales quite a few years ago because I don't need another thing in my house and it seems like I always find something at a yard sale that I can't live without. So I don't go.

If I liked it I wouldn't mind paying that at all---in fact, I'd been happy to only have to pay that small amount.

Some people will always steal no matter what, others won't steal even if you try to let them by charging them less than they new they were supposed to pay. That happened to me at a garage sale just yesterday. The lady told me that I owed her $3.50. I told her that she needed to add me up again because I new that wasn't right. What I actually owed was $5.25.

Just this weekend, I had an interesting time at a garage sale. 6 yards of beautiful yellow fabric for 6 dollars.
I still feel bad, I did not have enough money on me to buy it! I will carry more cash next time!

Your price is reasonable!

As far as the "stealing" I have no tolerance at all for this behavior!

The quilters want you to give them the fabric absolutely free. Even though they probably have the money to buy your stuff with ease. As for the older people, shoplifting is a game to them. Not only they want something for nothing, they want to see if they can get away with the stuff. That is why I don't have yard/garage sales.

The sad thing is that the folks who have so very little always make sure they pay, while those who seem to have a lot try to steal. I think a previous poster was right when they said, "It's a game." And you were so shocked that it was hard to find the right words. We just had an auction and the folks were supposed to take everything from their lot away...whether they wanted it or not. They didn't and we've spent the last month cleaning the left behinds. I think TV shows are leading to some of the bad behavior. in MHO.

Regarding the fabric prices if they are not willing to pay at least $2-3 a yard tell them to move on. It's ridiculous for folks to think they can go to a garage sale and get something for a few pennies on a $10-12 a yard fabric.

As for the couple shoplifting I would have challenged them to pay and if they made a stink of it and took off I'd have gotten there car tag number and called the police and had them charged for shoplifting or theft by taking. There is no excuse for there actions. Someone needs to stop them. If they did it at your sale they are doing it elsewhere.

Don't know why folks think they can come to a garage/yard sale and get things for free by taking it or thinking they can get it for a quarter.

My sentiments exactly.

Did you sell much with your prices the way they were? Unless traffic was light at your sale, the market will tell you what the right price to move the fabric is. The larger question is this -- what price are you ok with? Selling our good fabric involves our emotions.

And shoplifting at a garage sale (or anywhere) is deplorable! It is awkward to confront people when there is a crowd and you are busy with the sale. But even if you aren't successful in getting them to pay, calling attention to them and letting them know that you saw it will be an embarrassment to them and may put a damper on their shoplifting.

Dayle

People want really cheap at garage sales.

DITTO! It's not up to buyers as to how much you charge. Either pay it, or or counter-offer. If you feel your price is fair, and it truly is, too bad if they don;t want to pay it. This is why I HATE having yard sales. Folks offer you 50 cents for a dining table and chairs then get huffy if you don't jump on it... And as for the thieves I would have marched right up to them and told them I saw them stealing.... They probably get away with it all the time.... sad...

I gave up on doing garage sales years ago. People practically expect you to pay them to take it away. If it isn't worth any more than that, I throw it away. Otherwise, I give it to charity.

I put a bunch out at 1.00 yard. Sold some kept some. I refused to lower prices unless they were buying a lot of other things. Fabrics I didn't want to return to stash I donated to chairity like Angels of Mercy they do Pillowcase dress projects, Schools also looks for stuff like that. Quilt stores often collect fabric for linus project. Also your local animal pound can use it. You will at least get more on your donation as a tax write off. Make sure you list what you donate. IE 3 yards of yellow cotton valued at 12.00 and so on in case of an aduit.
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I don't sell stuff I don't want any more. I take it to the Goodwill, ask for a receipt, and turn it in on my taxes. I get some credit off what income taxes I have to pay, hopefully someone needy gets what I don't want/need any more, and I don't have to fool with people bargaining on what I think my stuff is worth. I only have to sort it and carry it out once, unlike the last yard sale I had many years ago where most of it didn't sell and I had to haul it all back inside. It's all good.