April 6, 2008

Adoption Garage Sale

This weekend we took part in a multi-family garage sale with some other IHOP families that are adopting. We passed the word along and had friends and family donate items to sale as well as our own stuff and we would then split the proceeds between the four families. Word spread fast and we had so much stuff to sale. All types of furniture even and air hockey table. Lots of clothes and the usual stuff you see at garage sales like Christmas decor and old books. So bright and early Saturday morning(6am) I got up and headed out to the garage sale. As I was driving I noticed that a few of our signs had fallen so I checked them all. I got to the garage sale and things were ready from the day before. 7am a few die hard salers drove up and started scouting the stuff. After 9am though not many were coming. So a few of us went out for reinforcements. Neon signage and standing on the corner with signs. I bought some balloons and hung them from our street sign. That caused business to pick up a little.Some of the families that participated are true geniuses. They got out the grill and made up hotdog deals with chips and a coke. I think it would have been a smash if our sale had been a few weeks later in "the season". At 1pm we decided that everything should be half off. That helped sales as well. Then Kelsey came up with a brilliant idea using the millions of target bags we had. "Fill a target bag for a dollar" We had so many clothes that it would have taken us ages to cart them all to Goodwill if they didn't sale. Well I think that was the high point of everyone that came to our sale. It sure took care of the bulk of the clothes. Most of the larger pieces sold. Steven and I bought a queen size mattress/ box springs and a nice entertainment hutch for 50 bucks. We got it for down stairs for when guest come to stay with us. I also got a little wooden zoo animal pull toy for the baby. I couldn't resist a good wooden toy.Well then I though "hum.. what am I going to put the babies toys in?" So I saw this great large basket and picked it up for $2.00. I thought that we had hit the jack pot, til later when trying to get the box springs downstairs we realized it wouldn't fit. So if anyone needs a queen sized box spring come and get it.

All in all it was a good garage sale. Each family is walking away with a little over $300. There was still enough stuff to hold another sale so we are all talking about collecting again and giving it another shot. I think we might have rushed the "season" for garage sales by a couple of weeks. I think in two or three weeks the die hard salers will be out in force. I'll let you know!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

hey, this is darin damme's fiance and i got referred to you guys by mrs. i about your box springs; do you still have it available? we're getting married next month and would love to take it off your hands if we can. let me know: kaciewatson@ihop.org