Sunday, March 16, 2014

I Will Never Have Another Garage Sale Again!

I will never have another garage sale again! If you would like to know why, read my Indie Biz of the Week at the end of my blog. With that being said, I still love attending garage sales, and I have no desire to stop.

I haven't been to a garage sale in quite some time, I really do need to go, but here in Florida, the garage sales are totally lame compared to up north. The garage sales in Florida go from 8-12 usually for one day only. The garage sales up north go from 9-5, and are almost always a Saturday AND a Sunday, even neighborhood garage sales are for the whole weekend! On Saturdays, when I should be hitting the garage sales, is the day I like to sleep in, slowly drag my lazy ass outta bed, read the newspaper, slowly get into the shower, spend a few minutes extra blow drying my hair....Hell, it's lunchtime by then and the garage sales are over with. But honestly, the majority of garage sales around here aren't that great, so I guess that's why I am rarely motivated to go.

I managed to do okay at the thrift stores and flea market this past week. So all is good!

 
 


 
 
Remy Charlip is one crazy ass man! His illustrations are usually quite psychedelic and trippy. Which I totally love! (Click on the picture to get a more detailed view) This book, Arm in Arm will be listed later tonight...look for it!
 
 
 
 
Another psychedelic trippy book. I can't get enough of these types of illustrations. School for Sillies by Jay Williams, illustrated by Friso Henstra....I wish there were more books by this illustrator, but there are only just a few...
 
 
School for Sillies available----->HERE!
 
 
Another goody for your brain to absorb:
 
 
 
 
 
The Man Who Had No Dream, by Adelaide Holl, illustrated by Kjell Ringi. Like all good books from the 60's, this book is total mind candy!

The Man Who Had No Dream is available------HERE!


I was oh so excited when I came across this book:

 
 


Ronald Searle seriously rocks my cat lovin' world! Searle's Cats! This guy draws cats in a neurotic mess of fur with adult like issues. The girl cat on the cover has boobs! Haha, nice touch, Ronald Searle!

Look for this book to be listed in the next couple of days
in my store------>VINTAGE BOOK MARKET


Those books are all for your brain, and now you need a little something for your stomach!

There is this one particular thrift store that is so junky that it is almost below my tolerance level. Almost, but not quite. The store doesn't particularly smell too great. Most of the items are broken and just thrown in piles. The store is completely filthy and all of the 3 shopping carts they have are broken. The wheels don't move, so you have to drag the cart around, which isn't too easy and does not make for a pleasant shopping experience. So why do I even go? For some extremely odd reason, I usually find the needle in the haystack there. Amongst the piles of dirty crap, there is usually that one really awesome find just waiting for me to rescue it. Seriously, every single time I muster up the urge to go there I end up with one awesome thing, such as:



These are just so delightful to me! No chips and no wear and bargain priced! Of course they were totally filthy with wax crayon prices on every single item, but they cleaned up just fine!

Available------>HERE!



This next item was found at another place I frequent, where everything is usually way over priced, but every so often I find something pretty cool that is marked at a more reasonable price. I have a feeling that there is one really cool person who prices items lower than the other people. I like who ever that person is.




I just love this kitchen scale, and I was delighted to have found her priced by the mystery low price fairy.

Like her too? Available------->HERE!


You know how my son always convinces me to buy stuff that I am unsure of? Well apparently my daughter has started the same shenanigans of also talking me into buying stuff that I am undecided about. And I usually let them convince me, (and oddly enough it has usually turned into a good choice.). I don't even know why I let them have a say so, but perhaps it is because if it ends up being a lousy decision, I can blame them instead of myself. ("But you TOLD me to buy it!"). This next item is one that I picked up, put back down, picked up, put back down....until eventually, my daughter Avery said, "Just put it in the cart already, you know you want to. And I really like the colors!" and that was all I had to hear.....


 
 
I have to admit, they are pretty damn cool! Great colors, great condition, great price....
 
Interested? Available-------->HERE!
 
 
So now you have a little something for your brain, your belly and now a little something for your budget....brings us to the Independent business of the week as well as the answer to why I will never have another garage sale again....(drum roll......)
 
 
 
Indie biz of the week
 
 
--->RHEA LANA<---
 
 
Okay, so what the hell is that? Seriously, it is so genius, it will make your head explode.
 
Here is the gist of it:
you take all of your kids stuff (baby through teen) and you price them online through their system they got going. Then you bring it to them and they sell it for you. Here are some of the reasons why it is so genius. They have just a few big blow out events a year (spring and fall) so a gazillion people rush to get there! Then after a few days of the big sale, the last few days are half off days, so again more people go. Then they give you a check for what you have sold and you get to keep 70%! Most consignment shops only give you 40-50%. They also have all sorts of cool incentives, refer people and make up to 80% of your sales, they have special private presale events for people that consign or volunteer with them (first dibs!) and they even have all these cool prizes that you could win while entering your items online. Guess who won last week? Yep, me!
 
How cool is this prize?
 
 
A collapsible wagon! These things aren't cheap! I can load it up when we go to the beach, use it when we are loading up for Evan's art shows, I can use it when loading up a cooler of beer to head to a neighborhood party....I am totally excited to have won this! Nice and collapsible.
 
Last year I brought about 80 items to Rhea Lanas and everything sold except 4 items (which they donate if you choose to). This year, I brought almost 300 items.
 
Sure beats having a garage sale and bickering over a 25 cent shirt ("will you take a dime for this?").
Seriously?
So back in garage sale days, I would spend a week pricing things in my garage, sorting, lifting heavy crap...then I would have to wake up super early on a Saturday, lug all that crap outside, have my money to make change, have bags, sit out in the sun all day, to haggle over 25 cents and then when its over, have to deal with a driveway full of leftover items where at that point I have to load up to donate and sort through pricier items I want to keep.
At Rhea Lanas, I do none of that, AND I make about 10 times more than I make at a garage sale!!!
You would be completely nuts not to do this! AND you would be even more nuts not to shop there and get super awesome stuff without paying retail! While I was there dropping off my goods, I saw tons of awesomeness. Even lots of brand new stuff with tags still attached!
The big sale event starts this week! Get there and get some deals.
The link above is the main Rhea Lana's website to locate the one nearest to you. I go to the Tampa Bay one which is actually in Brandon and St Petersburg.
 
Facebook like them HERE!
 
Brandon isn't particularly close to me (about 30-40 minutes), but seriously, still a gazillion times better than having a garage sale!
 
Okay, so maybe this isn't a "small business". It is a franchise and it is owned by 2 of the super nicest ladies you could imagine (My Tampa location). They will go out of their way to help you. You can call them anytime with questions. They have only been doing this for a few years and they are trying really hard to grow their business.
 
Check 'em out!
You will thank me later!
 
 
Okay, now back to me:-)
Use coupon code: Randomgoods to save 10% off of both of my stores! Expires the end of April.
 
 
And
 
 
Evan's art show schedule
 
April 13th-Seminole Heights Market 10-2pm
 
May 17th-Tampa Roller Derby 6-10pm
 
Hope to see you there!
 
What's new in your world? Do you have a garage sale horror story to share? Do tell!
 
 
 




 

6 comments:

  1. OMG that wagon is fantastic!!!!!!!

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  2. I know, right? And it folds up and its not heavy and it has side pockets for drinks....AND it was free! You should check for a Rhea Lanas in Asheville....with all your girls clothing, you'd make a fortune!

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  3. Oh, lordy, we're doing a yard sale in a couple weeks and I am dreading it already! In our neighborhood (Clearwater), most yard sales are Friday & Saturday, 8 am- 3 pm. That's the norm, I just want to do ours on Saturday and be done by 2 pm.

    Sweet finds for you though! I will have to check out Rhea Lanas.

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    1. Yea, definitely check them out! So much better than having a garage sale. Our neighborhood garage sale is this Saturday from 8-12. I am not participating this year. I am so over it! Good luck with your garage sale!

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  4. I've done garage sales where I made almost nothing and wasted the day sitting outside for it! Blagh! Bleh! I want to do more but never without proper planning again. Group ones can do well and ones with ample advertising/organizing ahead of time. The last outdoor sale I did was gangbuster, made over $100 which is rare for me.

    With garage sales I just don't have much to sell so they're not the best for me. Vintage sales are better for what I do.

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    1. I agree! Back when my kids were done being babies, I had some really good garage sales, selling all that baby equipment, cribs etc. But even then, it was a lot of work for the money. So far at Rhea lanas, I have already made over $250 and the sale continues over the weekend. And I am just sitting at home doing whatever, NOT outside,lugging crap around, bickering over a quarter! I am so over it!

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