Some yard sales are about the money. This one, by the creator’s own account, was more about the street. Peter Brown promised his viewers an update after a street-wide neighborhood yard sale, and a couple of weeks later he reported that it went over great.
“Had a really nice time,” he says. He met neighbors he had never met before, and the whole street “kind of came together.” Everyone could roam around looking at everybody else’s yard sale, and he says having the neighbors take part was super fun.
The Plywood Boat Nobody Wanted To Hang Back Up
The best story from the sale is a small plywood boat. Brown priced it at $10, which he says was basically the “please don’t make me hang this back up in my shed” price. A lady bought it for garden art, and he loves that idea, saying he thinks it will be great for that.
It is a good example of pricing something to move. Instead of storing an item for another year, he set a low price, and the boat found a new life in somebody’s flower bed.
What Sold And For How Much
A potting bench sold for $150, the biggest single sale at the event. The jungle crates he made for a party that was later called off went to someone who plans to use them for Halloween decorations this year. A laser-engraved cutting board he had posted on Instagram sold for $10.
The saddle stools went for $20 each, or $40 for the pair. An army crate that he had not painted white sold to a neighbor named Jordan for $10. Brown says it was great to meet several people who came by, including Pete, Jordan, Sam and Lonnie.
One neighbor brought him something unexpected: pine needles from a tree he describes as very spiky, almost cactus-like. Brown thinks it might be an interesting project and is asking viewers for ideas on how to use them.
The Second Round On Facebook Marketplace
After the yard sale, Brown listed several leftover items on Facebook Marketplace. A cutting board sold for $250 and a chest sold for $40. When he added it all up, the yard sale itself put a little less than $400 in his pocket, and he says another roughly $400 came in after that.
The biggest item of all was a laser machine he used to own, a P3 laser, which he posted on Marketplace with all the accessories: a conveyor, an air purifier, a rotary tool fan and an inline fan. He priced it as a screaming deal, and the buyer seemed very happy. Brown says he hopes it works well for the new owner and that he is really excited to have that space back in the shop.
He is not done yet. He plans to put one more piece up on Marketplace soon, hoping someone bites, though Mrs. Brown is already thinking of places to put it in the kitchen.
What It Was Really About
For all the numbers, Brown says what he remembers most is the get-together. It was a nice time in the neighborhood, and he is not sure whether it will become an annual event, but he thinks everyone on the street enjoyed it.
Ideas For Your Own Street Sale
If the story has you thinking about organizing a sale on your block, a few general tips can help. Pick a date a few weeks out and tell everyone early, so neighbors have time to dig through closets and garages. A shared date means more shoppers drive by, and a block full of tables gives people a reason to stay longer than they would at a single driveway.
Price things to go. Shoppers expect yard sale prices, and an item you have been storing for years is worth more out of the house than in it. Brown’s $10 boat is a good model. Items with a story or a clear use, such as a potting bench or a set of stools, tend to attract attention, so put them near the street where people can see them.
Keep a stash of small bills and change, and have a few bags or boxes handy for people to carry things. Group like items together so shoppers can find what they want quickly. Bigger or more valuable things, like the laser equipment, are sometimes better listed online, where more people can find them, than put out on a driveway.
Finally, save what does not sell. Brown’s follow-up listings on Facebook Marketplace brought in roughly as much as the yard sale itself, which shows how much value can be left in the leftovers. A few clear photos, an honest description and a fair price can turn what is left on the tables into real cash, and it saves you from hauling everything back to the shed.
Finally, make it social. Brown’s sale worked because the whole street took part, so consider offering lemonade or coffee, introducing yourself to people you have not met, and letting neighbors wander at their own pace. A sale like that is easy to repeat if everyone enjoys it, and even if it never becomes an annual event, the goodwill lasts long after the tables are folded.
And think about the neighbors. Brown met people on his street he had never met. Sometimes the best part of clearing out your shed is who you meet while doing it.
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