Friday, May 28, 2010

Hanging Up My Yard Sale Hat


Last week was our community Yard Sale. I always have so much fun on this day. It's a way to get the house clean, socialize, and maybe if you're lucky, make a few bucks.

But, as with any event, there is a lot of preparation needed. I always find myself at the last minute trying to affix tiny price stickers to every item. (Those same stickers are the ones that don't want to cooperate once they hit the heat). Despite all my hard work, I end up selling things for $1.00. And like the optimist I am, I have to keep in mind: "It's a dollar I didn't have a minute ago."

So there I am standing over my table of treasures. I have to wonder how I accumulated all this stuff. Among it sits a large bowl filled with chocolate chip cookies. I sell small batches of these fresh baked cookies every year for $1.00. And like clockwork, the bowl is just about empty at the close of the sale.

So while I spent the week price tagging salt and pepper shakers, Halloween costumes, baby monitors and exercise equipment; I realized where I had gone wrong all these years. There may be a few people out there that love to buy your old junk, but there are a lot more who enjoy buying cookies.

The truth is, it was actually Hubby that brought it to my attention. If it weren't for him, I probably would have kept doing things like I always have. When I bring up a flea market that I was interested in, he suggest that I use the event to launch my cookie business. Funny thing is, I don't have a cookie business. "Oh, I get it." I say.

Sometimes it takes a little while to sink in, but eventually I catch up. After seven years, it's finally time to hang up my Yard Sale Hat. Now, if I only owned a baker's cap. I think I need to find a Yard Sale!

3 comments:

Aimee said...

A cookie stand sounds like a much better way to spend your time! I much prefer those over yard sales. =)

-Aimee
www.aintyomamasblog.com

FranticMommy said...

Thats how businesses are born. An idea and a passion :)
Funny story. My blog just turned TWO! Whoot! I read somewhere that two is really like TWENTY in Blog Years. Anyway, I went back..way back to those early days when my blog was a baby. I read the stories...and WOW, I was pretty green back then. Then I read the comments and there YOU were! Cool! So THANKS for supporting me "back then" and stop back by for a peek of me two years later. Thanks!

ethelmaepotter! said...

I'm with ya!

I've had three yard sales in the 14 years we've lived here...at the forst, I made more than $1000...second, about $700, and last, not quite $200. My junk is just not very desirable.

BUT...I do sell homemade brownies, bags of popcorn, soft drinks, and grilled hotdogs.

The drinks sell the best.