Dave, the garage sale picker behind @Pickingwithdave, started his latest garage sale run on his own. After a few sales he picked up Mama Picker, and together they hit a string of others. By the end, he says, the last sale was one of his favorites in a long time.
Dave sells on eBay and on an auction-style site, and his day shows something every thrifter learns: sometimes the smartest move at a garage sale is the one where you keep your wallet shut. It also shows what can happen when you find a seller with exactly the kind of stuff you know how to flip.
Here is how the day unfolded, sale by sale.
When Walking Away Is The Right Call
The first stop had vintage Sylvester the cat stuffed toys, a whole box for $25. The seller would not budge on price because it was the first day of the sale and she figured she might still have them tomorrow. Dave decided to move on, though he says in hindsight he wishes he had bought the box.
Another seller had a huge hat collection, with hats marked at $8 and $4. Dave is looking for a very specific type of hat, and when he does a big hat buy he likes to be in the 50 cent range. This seller was starting around five bucks apiece, so he passed. His lesson is worth remembering: even if there are things you want, sometimes the buy just does not make sense and you have to pass.
He did buy a Bob Ross item for $5, simply because it was cute. His daughter Callie is an artist who likes Bob Ross.
Sealed VHS Tapes For $15
The second sale had a stack of VHS tapes, including Looney Tunes, Flintstones, Daffy Duck, E.T., Ren and Stimpy, Scooby and G.I. Joe. Dave bought the whole group for $15. The Flintstones tapes were still in their sealed wrapper, which he says is pretty rare because there is real demand for sealed VHS.
Not every tape was sealed, and he says that if they all had been, he might have done well with a collector. When he checked eBay, the only sold listings he found were the ones he was already looking at, and he is not sure what he will do with them. He says he does not think they sell fast, but at that price he is fairly confident it was a great buy. He just really liked them.
Another seller at that sale mentioned a big neighborhood sale the next day, and Dave noted that many people do not start the day before because of work.
Odds And Ends Along The Way
The middle of the day was a mix of stops. He saw Teletubbies, books and a VHS tape for $15, makeup and brushes for $10, and Mary Kay items at three dollars. He joked that he pretended to know what Mary Kay products were, and someone told him that if a product does not have SPF it does not expire, though he says he is not sure.
A pair of UGG boots in size six and a half went for $10 for both, and a 3D puzzle was $3. There was also Elvis Presley items, a Broncos hat, an incense cone set, an inaugural mug he would pay three dollars for and a stop that sold Harley-Davidson parts.
Realistic baby dolls were $20 apiece. He says they can be a hundred bucks, but he left them behind.
The Parking Lot Sale He Loved
The last sale was the one he calls a favorite. It was in a parking lot by the highway, where people pay $20 to bring a table and set up their goods if they do not want to hold a yard sale at home, so sellers had congregated there.
The seller he stopped at was Claire, who had anime items, action figures and Funkos. Dave had a bold idea: what if he just bought the rest of her action figure and Funko stuff? He already has a big collection, so he bought a big stack, including a bunch of anime books and figures. They went back and forth through offers of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30, and settled somewhere around $30 to $35. He thanked Claire for bringing her cool stuff.
How It Paid Off
Dave says he did amazingly well. He has already sold one action figure from that haul for $40 on eBay. The anime book set is listed for $100 and has a bunch of watchers.
He also sold a sterling bracelet for about $50. It was made in Siam, the former name of Thailand, and he says he has never found sterling made in Siam like that before. The ring that came with it was worth about $25.
A lot of the Funkos are going out on the auction site. Some bring only three or four dollars, but when you paid a quarter, he says, that is a pretty good profit margin. He is also having fun with the little Android figures. Two of the video games were listed on eBay for about $20 apiece, and the rest were auctioned as a big lot for about $15.
What To Take Away From Dave’s Day
- Know your price ceiling before you walk up to a table. Dave likes hats in the 50 cent range, so a five dollar starting price was an easy pass.
- Ask about buying the whole lot. Offering to take the rest of a seller’s collection can bring the per item price way down.
- Look for sealed items. Sealed VHS tapes draw extra interest, even if you still need to check what has actually sold.
- Small purchases can pay off. A Funko bought for a quarter can still sell for three or four dollars.
- Be willing to learn a bit about everything. Dave says he knows enough about tons of topics to be a little dangerous, which lets him find good stuff in every category.
His summary of the day is simple: just a great sale, lots of fun and great people. Not a bad way to spend a day with Mama Picker.
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