Frugal Challenge Saturday - Consignment vs yard sale
There seems to be a great debate on whether you should give your stuff to the local consignment sale to sell or have a yard sale. I thought I would try out the local consignment shop that I love to go to to see how it compared. I gave them a sling that didn’t fit me to sell. I got $5 for it and they had it on the rack for $15. I got more than what I thought I would get for it but still, they are making a killing on it. So here are the pros and cons to both sides of the debate and you can figure out which works better for you.
Yard sale pros:
- You usually get more for your stuff.
- I love people watching.
- Every once in a while you just don’t want to load up your car. The front yard is closer.
Yard Sale cons:
- You have to worry about the weather.
- You have to advertise to get traffic.
- You have to sit for hours and be nice to people who snob your stuff.
- You have to price and sell your stuff.
- Don’t forget to have money enough to make change.
- What are you going to do with the stuff you are left with?
Consignment sale pros:
- You don’t have to sit for any length of time.
- You don’t have any leftovers.
- Drop it off and be done with it
- You can take that money and immediately spend it on stuff you already need without making 2 trips
Consignment sale cons:
- Its a big one: You don’t get much money for your stuff!
It really is a personal preference as to what you want to do with your stuff. I love going to yard sales but my husband refuses to have one. I think I might load up my stuff the next time my girlfriend has her neighborhood yard sale. It would be free publicity and they always do really well. But for time’s sake, I will take my stuff to the consignment sale place or give it to someone who needs it. That is probably what I will do with all my baby stuff when I know for sure that I am done with it. I have been blessed with hand-me-downs so why not bless someone else with them as well? Sometimes, being thrifty or frugal means giving away instead of just finding a good deal.
Tags: consignment-stores, frugal challenge, yard-saleRelated Stories
POSTED IN: budget, clothes, frugal challenge
2 opinions for Frugal Challenge Saturday - Consignment vs yard sale
Maria
Aug 2, 2007 at 1:03 pm
I think that a third option should also be analyzed– Goodwill or charitable donation.
Karen
Aug 2, 2007 at 3:47 pm
I do a bit of all of these. I consign some of the nicer items. If I’m having a yard sale, then I will save my stuff and try to sell it there first. Sometimes people are pleased with a very nice outfit for $2 and sometimes they stick up their nose and others want to give you 50 cents. It really depends on what the item is. I’ve sold stuff in the yard sale, taken it to the consignment store, sold some on ebay, and now I’m getting ready to try some of these free online listing websites. There’s a Thrifty Mommy article coming about them tomorrow. I’ve also given away many trashbags full of clothes and such to friends. After all that, I still have WAY too much stuff!!! That’s why I’m looking into the online websites. Maybe if I list a little at a time I can get rid of this stuff.
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