A graphic of various different items in front of a garage and a car with signs saying Garage Sale
Episode 127 – Is a garage sale a good idea?

In this episode, we are speaking about all things to do with garage sales and car boot sales, and whether we think they are a good idea or not.
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Episode 399 – What to do with soft toys with Loved Before
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Transcript of this podcast episode
Intro  0:07  
Welcome to today's episode of The declutter home podcast, your channel for super easy, no nonsense advice on how to declutter and organise your home. Please welcome your host professional organisers, Ingrid Johnson, and Lesley Spellman.

Ingrid  0:31  
Hello, and welcome listeners to Episode 127 of the declutter hub Podcast.

Lesley  0:36  
I'm Ingrid. And I'm Lesley.

Ingrid  0:38  
If you have clutter and want to sort it out, this is the show for you. Now, in today's episode, Lesley and I are talking about a garage sale or a car boot sale, if that's a good idea or not. So, Lesley, what why are we talking about a garage sale or a car boot sale? Let's just say garage sale to make it easier for everybody. At the beginning of March, it's like freezing cold if it's raining, what why are we talking about garage sales when it's like winter,

Lesley  1:09  
because Ingrid, a car boot sale or a garage sale is something that people tend to plan for. And when people are decluttering, they keep things in their garage in their loft in their attic, ready for that sometimes very elusive car boot sale. And so it's something that even though we can't do a car boot sale, there's an argument that says we can't do a car boot sale or a garage sale at all this year, because we're still in the middle of a pandemic. So depending on where you are in the world, we will determine whether or not that's possibility. But really today is about whether or not storing things up for a car boot sale is a good idea when you're decluttering.

Ingrid  1:47  
So let's just first then talk about a garage sale and a car boot sale because the terminology as per usual will probably confuse some people here. So as far as we know, garage sales are very common in the US. I think when you hear people talk about a garage sale, it's a lot of times in the US or when maybe when it's warmer weather, I'm not sure. And car boot sales. It's very much an English thing, isn't it?

Lesley  2:15  
Yeah, we did a little bit of research. But of course, our experience is kind of limited, isn't it to Europe, US and UK. So we haven't gotten experience between us. Unfortunately, we aim to change that, of course of New Zealand, or Australia or Canada, which is where most of our listeners are coming from. And so we know that a car boot sale is a thing in the UK, we know that garage sale is in the US. So we assume that garage sales happen in Canada as well. And we think that car boot sales and just in case you don't know what a car boots is you like car boot, what's a car boot, if you're American, we're talking about a trunk. So basically in the UK, we sell things out of the back of our cars, because that's the way we roll here, slightly different than you guys. And so if you're thinking what's a car boot, it is the trunk of your car. So what we do is we go to a destination not our house, it's a field or marketplace or something like that. We take our car, we unload it onto a table, we sell things from a little table, don't we. So it's a little bit different than the type of items that you would typically sell in a car boot sale and a garage sale are very different because of the size of things.

Ingrid  3:23  
I noticed it started the saddle a bit dodgy we sell stuff from the trunk of our car. So I think it's a good idea that we explain it. This is actually something that happens a lot, especially around summertime, you know when there's actually really a field and there's lots of people who kind of descend on that field all with their cars to put their tables out. And all the stuff comes from the car boats. And it's a completely different experience. I've never even thought about it that way. But I think you're right. Of course your car boot sale is probably more about toys and clothes and smaller items because it has to actually fit in your car. While a garage sale you can probably just even sell like garden equipment or furniture or because of course you don't have to you don't have to put it in your car. It's interesting. Yeah, so

Lesley  4:13  
I'm happy to say that I have done both have done a garage sale. So as a lot of you know, I lived in the States back in 2001 to 2003 in New Jersey, which I absolutely loved. And we moved over there just for a couple of years. And so when we left we did a garage sale to sell the stuff that we didn't want to bring back to the UK. So I did that experience of a garage sale in the US and what that looks like. I've also done probably two or three car boot sales here back in the late 90s, maybe early noughties I'm trying to think but it's been a long time. And we're going to try to hold back my feelings about car boot sales because I'm not really I need to put it out there. I'm not a big fan. And I think that might come across in what we talk about today.

Ingrid  4:55  
Interesting. We'll talk about why we're not a fan because I think that's why they were doing it sportscast isn't it, we want to kind of talk through all of these things. And I've done a couple of car boot sales as well. Back in, it must have been like 2010 2011, when the kits were still very small. And there was one actually like in the school grounds with the school, which is across the road from where I live. So it's like, this is the perfect opportunity to try this out. And I did another one on like a Sunday morning at six o'clock when you drive up, and it's still dark. And I was like, What am I doing here at this time of night, it should be a bed on a Sunday morning. But there are people who love a garage sale or a car boot sale, right? They absolutely love them.

Lesley  5:43  
Yeah. And so you've got those people who love the thrill of the sale, you know, so people who sell things from the house, and car boot religiously every week, let's mean. So people who do that every Sunday, they go in there sell more stuff, they probably buy stuff at a car boot sale and sell it on as well. So the more trade is than anything else. And so you've got those people that love the thrill of the sale. And you've also got those people who love the thrill of the purchase. And so a car boot sale, or a garage sale is perfect territory for somebody who likes to acquire and recall that acquisition, not surprisingly, because it's acquire. And some people as we know, and a lot of people who will be listening, have over acquired in the past shocked a little bit too much and it becomes a little bit compulsive. So sometimes a car boot or a garage sale can be a dangerous place to be if you fall into that category.

Ingrid  6:33  
Yes, and I think it's the same with people who always love to go to the to the charity shop or goodwill or the op shop, you know, if it's something that's in your plan weekly to go there have a little nose your round, you can fall foul, very easily of shopping a bit too many items that you absolutely don't need, you know, if you go to the charity shop or up shopper goodwill with a plan of something that you're looking for. But if it's one of like, Oh, I like to have a little much around. And before we know it does your basket with items that you actually never thought about planning. It's a bit like going to a grocery store, like every day you go in for a pint of milk, or you come out with three bags full of groceries that you didn't know you needed. I think it's a bit about the same thing, isn't it? We kind of sucked in the experience.

Lesley  7:20  
Yeah, we do. It's classic retail therapy really isn't it and it becomes a hobby, it becomes a habit. And that's when it becomes quite dangerous. And it is a tricky habit to break. So there's one part of it, which is don't go to a car boot sale, if you're that kind of person who loves the thrill of a purchase and loves a bargain. Because it's a dangerous place to be particularly if you're on a decluttering journey, because it's not intentional shopping. But what we're actually going to focus our attention on today is doing a car boot sale, doing a garage sale yourself to sell your stuff rather than to buy stuff.

Ingrid  7:49  
Yeah. And what we see Lesley, with our clients over the years with our members, they're like, oh, a garage sale sounds like a really good plan on decluttering. I'm going to put the stuff in my garage, I'm not going to get it out of my house. But I'm just going to move it from one place in my house to the other place in my house, which is the garage. So at one point, I can do a garage sale. And then it sits there and sits there and sits there, doesn't it?

Lesley  8:21  
Yeah. So there's there's lots of problems associated with the garage. So let's just say first of all, there are some Garrett, some people who do garage sales and car boot sales, who were very successful at that. And so if that's you, you go for it. But it's about what we're talking about here today is realism. So you have to be realistic about whether or not you are likely to follow through with your ideas. And you really need to think about the why why am I doing this? And is this going to be detrimental to my decluttering journey. We're here focused on decluttering first and foremost, and one of the big problems that we see whether it's car boot sales, or garage sales, is that people become focused on the money that they're going to get from the stuff they are getting rid of. And that is it's hard really for us to say this because we don't want to be, oh, just forget about the money. That's not what we're saying. Because money is so important. And some people are on a very tight budget and so therefore, recouping money from things that you have Miss bought in the past or you no longer have a use for is important, but you have to balance that out. And our advice is always the decluttering needs to come at the top of your list of priorities higher than the real recouping money from the things you sell. So therefore, we are not big fans of car boot sales or any kind of selling eBay selling whatever that is, unless it's absolutely essential because it can have a very detrimental effect on your mood and your feeling about how successful you've been in the decluttering process. One of the other things that I wanted to talk about when I first became a professional organiser I used to offer eBay selling as a kind of add on to my business. I didn't do it for free really long, I did it for about nine months because I very quickly realised that exactly what I've said it has a very detrimental effect to the way that people perceive the success of their decluttering project. And the reason for that is we inflate the value of our things, basically. So we always think that our things are worth more than they actually are in monetary value. And so what happens then is you store all these things, if you're lucky enough, you sell it on eBay, you outsource it to an eBay seller, you try and sell it at a car boot sale, you want to sell it at a garage sale, and you get pennies for it. And then you become disappointed, because what you remember, is the end point of that process, which is the selling and not the fantastic feeling that you got when you decluttered it and created space and control and organisation back in your home. So what you've got to do here we talked about realism is you've got to really think through what is my priority, if you can afford to let that money go and not worry about it. And there are many people out there who can, particularly people that have got lots of clutter, have spent that money, so typically do have excess money to spend, really think that through and think do I really, really need to get this money back? Or can I afford to donate it to charity, or to put it on Freecycle and give it away for free. Because if you can, that's going to mean that you are going to get this fantastic feeling from decluttering, that won't be diminished by not getting much money for it when you sell it. So it's quite a difficult concept to explain, really. But I think it's really critical because a lot of people never think about it, because people have a natural path that they go on, which is I bought this stuff, I feel guilty about how much money I wasted. I know that it needs to go, and I need to get the money back. The money was wasted at the time that you purchased it. And that's something that you really have to sort of focus on the money's gone, you spent it, can you afford not to get that money back or some of that money back? If you can, then you're going to be all singing, all dancing with your decluttering journey. That's That's all we're saying. That's why we are not huge fans of selling generally, are we Ingrid? Yeah,

Ingrid  12:06  
I think it's really true, Lesley. And I think when you're decluttering, and you're organising and you're putting in the right place your house, you can use your items, you become much more aware of the things that you've Miss bought over the years. So you don't make those same mistakes over and over and over again. And I think that's really important. Because if you've got an end goal, I'm going to sell this when I no longer needed, so you can recoup some money, the item is attached to money. While we are really big advocates of Yes, of course, decluttering organising. But also, let's look at what comes into your house in the first place. And once you start to control that stream of stuff that comes in by unsubscribing, going shopping a bit less doing a weekly meal plan, not going to every car boot sale or garage sale that's ever existed in your area. By thinking about buying quality over quantity and all of those things, then you have less stuff to deal with later. While if the selling is the main point of a garage sale and the money that's involved so you can buy then more stuff that comes in, you stay in that same cycle. While we want to kind of think, can we be more sustainable here? Can we be more mindful of what comes in? Can we be better customers and better consumers. And I think having that part I did and a talk for a group of women. And one of them said that the enemy you know, England, I've got a whole cupboard, absolutely Packed to the Rafters with stuff that I want to sell. And she said it's been there for three years, and I still haven't done it. Because it's overwhelming. It's just too much stuff. And I think that whatever happens with stuff that ends up in a garage or in a loft or in a shed to be sold at some point when it gets too many items, it gets too overwhelming. And I said if this is something that really is important to you, why don't you find that one handbag or that one pair of shoes that was really expensive and you feel that you have to give it a go and let all the other tops that were five pound 10 pound into cheaper items that that money is gone. Let those go and she went oh, I she said I feel so much better that actually it was almost like she needed permission from somebody else to kind of go, it's okay to let that go. You've had your cost per wear out of it, you know, and just try a couple of items. And if you then realise after a couple of months, I still have not done it then you can go you know what this is just not for me. This is not my thing. A car boot sale with all the best intentions that I've had or a garage sale. I'm just basically holding my own stuff hostage in my garage. It's building up and building up there. is a boxes and boxes full, I'm holding it hostage because I can't feel I can't let it go because I have to do this elusive car car boots on his garage sale. And it's all still cluttering up my house that I've just moved to start from one place in my house to the other. And it's still there. And I still feel that I have not had that win of releasing it and feeling positive and, and have given myself a pat on the back goal. Yes, I did this, it feels great.

Lesley  15:29  
I think you're right, Ingrid, we have been working with clients for a long time. And this is something we see. And we have to tackle as organisers and try and convince them or explain what we've just explained to you about the fact that you need to be realistic about what that looks like what a car boot sale looks like. And we need to sort of almost prize the idea of a car boot sale away from our clients. But I can honestly say, Ingrid, that I've never had anybody come back and say, You know what, I was really so disappointed that you didn't let me do. Let me do that sounds wrong, that I'm kind of dictating things, which I'm not. But we're there to advise and to give people strategies for moving forwards, ultimately. And so we do advise, and we sometimes we're a little bit strong with our opinions and others. And certainly car boots is something that I feel very passionate about, that holds lots of people back in the decluttering journeys hugely. You know, if we go into a house that's very full of stuff and guarantee that a car Boots Sale will be on that person's agenda. And we have to try and convince them. That's not the case. But I don't see anybody that's disappointed that they didn't do one never, people need that permission and find it very empowering for someone to say it's okay to just let it go. Don't worry about it. So what we're kind of saying to you guys today is really think that through, we're going to talk a little bit in a minute about realism and what the reality of doing a car boot sale looks like. And we've not even talked about that the workload involved in that. But first and foremost, think about the emotions, are you letting the guilt of the money that you spent on the item and the fact that you possibly haven't used it guide you into making the decision to try and recoup those costs? That's just not worth it. And that's going to impact and have a negative effects on your decluttering journey. Really think that through? That's the most important message of this podcast?

Ingrid  17:15  
Yeah, for sure. Okay, Lesley. So, right. I am listening to this podcast and thinking, but I still want to do a garage sale. I'm hearing what less than a word of saying, but I'm determined to do a garage sale. As soon as the weather clears up. I'm going to do it. Let's just talk them through a couple of bits that are involved with doing a garage sale, and you're the one who has done a one. So I'm suggesting Let's talk this through together. And I'm sure you've got some nuggets and some good stuff to share with our listeners. Because in my head, again, a shell or a garbage shell, you need to properly plan it. You can't just kind of go on Saturday evening. Yeah, let's do a car boot sale tomorrow or yeah, let's go to a car boot sale. Unless you're like a proper car boot. Person who does these on a weekly basis? You can do that. So you can't just on a Saturday night gonna go? Well, I'm going to do one tomorrow. It needs proper planning and organisation, doesn't it?

Lesley  18:14  
Yeah, definitely. I mean, the first thing to know is that a garage sale is definitely easier than a car boot sale, because you got to make sure it all fits, you've got to take a table with you. A car boot sale is more complex than a garage sale, because you can just put it in front of your garage and you can pull things back and forth throughout the day. You don't need to take everything all at once. So let's talk predominantly then about a car boot sale. It's hard work. You know, I'm a very organised person. And I found it a feat of organisation to try and get that off the ground. Because if you want it to work well, you've really got to think through how it's like sell it sell in sales tactics. How am I going to present this stuff? What's my pricing model going to be? What equipment do I need to hang you know, I've got to borrow clothes rails from people to hang clothes. I've got to make sure I've got something to put on the ground so everything doesn't get dirty. You know, I've got to have money, I've got to have change. I've got to there's a lot of things that you need. You're almost setting up shop. And so you need to have a sales strategy. As well as that. You need to be strong. Let me tell you, you need to be strong because you're going to get seasoned car booters coming to you haggling and you need to do very strong in your pricing, what you're prepared to sell something out. Some people are very rude. Some people are very forceful. Is it obvious why I don't like Caboose in England. I said I was gonna try and hold back but all of a sudden it's all coming out. I can just remember. I can just remember getting into this thing as a kind of a novice car booter and opening at the back of my car and before the boots even open there's like seven or eight people like scurrying through the back of your stuff trying to see what kind of things you've got because everybody wants to get to your stuff first because there are trade just said, buying your stuff to go to the store around the corner to sell it for more money. And so, you know, as a novice, it's quite tricky. It's not for the faint hearted. I didn't like it. And I'm quite a strong person, you know. So,

Ingrid  20:13  
you know, the one thing I was not prepared for when I drove on that car boot field at six o'clock on a Sunday morning, people already knocking on my window before I had even parked my car going, have you got this? Have you got that? I was like, Oh, my gosh, I haven't even parked up yet. And they're already knocking on my window. I was completely taken aback by it. And yes, and you need to think about that you need to put your table in last because that's the first thing you want to pull out. I mean, it's all these, these things that you don't even think about when you think, oh, let's just do a car boot. So sounds like fun. You know, they can be great fun if it's a great day if the sun is shining. But if you wake up on a Sunday morning, and it's absolutely pouring it out in the rain, as it on a very regular basis does here in the UK, let's be honest. And then you're thinking, why exactly am I?

Lesley  21:07  
Yeah, it's interesting. It's an interesting proposition to do a car boot sale. And if you really want to do it, well, you need to do things like price things up in advance, really think about what your sales strategy is. If you have other people working with you make sure that they know what your sales strategy is, as well, in terms of when are we going to start reducing items, all that kind of stuff. So it's complicated, it's hard, organizationally, and is it worth it? Now, the flip side to that, as Ingrid says, there are some people who love it love the community. There is of course, is fantastic community spirit in there, we've been very negative about it just because of my own experience. Lots of people have very positive experience and make money week after week after week doing car boot sales, or garage sales, and love that feeling that it brings. But if you're a novice really think it through because it's not as simple as you might think.

Ingrid  22:00  
And I think the difference between them a car Bucha and a garage sale is at a car boot normally is organised but somebody else somebody else has sorted out the field and all the the the refreshment stands and possibly toilets, and they're there, they've got it all cordoned off, and you just pay a fee to park your car somewhere. So they've done kind of the marketing. And there's, you know, there's not far from here, there's a massive field that's famous for its car boot sales, and where a lot of people know from miles and miles around that that's where the car boot sales take place. But of course, if you're doing a garage sale in your own house, you're probably not you can't just kind of think, Oh, next weekend or next or tomorrow, I'm going to do a garage sale, I think expect people to show up, you probably have to do some sort of advertising online or maybe put some fliers to your neighbor's door. Or if you need to do stuff before you've even then pull that stuff. We were a garage.

Lesley  23:02  
Yes, you do. I mean, the garage sale I found much easier. I must admit, I think in the States, the garages are bigger, the drive in everything's a little bit bigger, you know, we did us with a bit more space, really. And it is nicer. If you're in your own house and most of your family or be around, you can pop in for a cup of tea, you know something. It's just a kind of calmer environment. And of course, people in the states and my experiences. They drive around on a Saturday or Sunday morning looking for car boot sales. And so, you know, people will know that that there will be some happening in the neighbourhood and we'll go searching for them. I think Pm is to be fair, it's nearly 20 years ago since I did those car boot sales, I'm sure a garage sale sorry. So I'm sure that it's changed. But the users put things upon lampposts and what have you. So do you think we've convinced people in grid?

Ingrid  23:49  
I hope that we've made people think about it? And I think that's the main message, I think, and I mean, things have changed during lockdown, Lesley, you know, things have absolutely changed. I mean, in the last year, I mean, the rise of OLIO freecycle freegle, because we haven't been able to do really car boot sales and garage sales. It's really here I think a lot more people are interested in just putting things on an app, snapping a picture, putting it on app and go come and pick it up instead of sitting there a whole day. You know, waiting for things or just leaving things on your drive and say this is free. It's become much easier if you want to give away stuff so because of course we haven't been able to do a lot of things that the charity shops have been closed so we've been trying to find other ways of shedding some of those excess items in our homes.

Lesley  24:45  
Yes, definitely. I mean, it was big before and I think with the rise of sustainability and passing things on I think those sites whatever that looks like it you know, Facebook marketplace is quite easy to sell on do not mean so we're not not saying don't try and sell your stuff, but we're saying, Don't do something that's overcomplicated that's going to detract from your decluttering journey. If you've got huge volumes of stuff in your house that needs to go, then you're going to have huge volumes of stuff that needs to be sold. If like me, you've got, you know, two or three things that you might declutter in a week, then you can manage that through Facebook marketplace, but if you've got bags and bags of stuff, it's too much to manage. And so, really focusing on your decluttering first and foremost, and put the garage sale or the car boot sale, or any other kind of selling as a secondary part of your journey.

Ingrid  25:37  
Now, listeners, before we go, we wanted to tell you about a masterclass that we're going to do. Oh, I'm a bit excited about this. Lesley it's getting close now. And Tuesday, the ninth of March. Oh, what is this all of masterclass is all about then

Lesley  25:53  
yes, we are doing a managing mementos masterclass. We love alliteration here at the declutter hub, don't we Ingrid? And so we've got the Triple M whatever you want to call it, we can call it but yeah, managing mementos. masterclass, coming up on the ninth of March, if you said 8pm UK time, and we're going to really delve into sentimental items aren't because we know don't we that sentimental items is something that people really struggle to declutter and sometimes it can get a little bit overwhelming Carnac so we want to go through some of the emotions that are involved in mementos or sentimental items in our lovely 90 minute free masterclass.

Ingrid  26:31  
I think you're just doing the alliteration so you can hear me go Bumble a little bit. Because I'm like, managing mementos masterclass. How often are we going to trip over that? But anyway, we would love for you of course to join us as well. So if you think yourself, yes, sentimental items, mementos is really a stumbling block for me. Come and join us for this free masterclass. You can sign up via Declutter. hub.com forward slash, M M M hyphen, info it shorts, Triple M hyphen, info, we didn't want you to type in managing mementos masterclass hyphen info, that would be a bit crazy, wouldn't it? Let's

Lesley  27:13  
keep it simple with our alliteration and we love our alliteration. But anyway, yes, I'm excited. I'm really excited about it. It's a different we've not done a master class before. If you've been involved in our challenges before you've got you've got a feel for what it's like. But instead of doing it over five days, we're just doing one evening, and so we're looking forward to it. Oh, man getting it started next week. So do sign up if you've not signed up already.

Ingrid  27:38  
Yes, Lesley, you're completely right. And we can't wait to see you there. So listeners. That's it for this episode. We hope you've enjoyed our comments about garage sales and car boot sales and that we've made you think if you've enjoyed this podcast and think, Wow, this was great advice, and it's really made me consider my options and other people need to know about Ingrid and Lesley. Please share a podcast with with your friends and family. And on our show notes page. On our website, you can find the sharing buttons. If you'd like to have more handy tips and advice from Lesley Anna, you can find it in lots of places. But definitely check out our fab support the Facebook group, go to declutter hub community, which is a great starting point. And of course you can find us on Instagram too. We would love to see you there. If you want to take your decluttering to the next level. I think I would love to have some more advice and tips and support and motivation and I want to do cautious checkout members to declutter hub.com To find out more about our membership. If you don't want to miss our next podcast, subscribe to declutter hub podcast and it will pop into your notifications each Friday. So thanks so much for listening, and see you next time.

Outro  28:58  
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