Garage Sale Series-What About Safety???

 I have been writing a  Garage Sale Series and if you have missed any of the posts, you can find the links to them at the end of this post.

The subject today is safety during the garage sale - safety for you and for your customers. That might not seem like a big deal, but there are many areas of safety that need to be addressed when you have "invited" strangers to your home and property.

I go to garage sales and have been shocked and alarmed at how careless people can be about this subject. I have learned many things on my own through trial and error, other things are just common sense and some things are because of crimes I have heard of... and etc.

God is the One who protects and takes care of us... and He also gives us wisdom to be aware and avoid some problems....  We are not to trust in our own understanding and I am not saying that these tips are foolproof, only that they can help... I will give some tips on staying safe at your garage sale...  the order is not important... I am just listing them as I think of them.

~ highlight any uneven floor surfaces. Our garage has 2 small steps that go up to the garage... you can see in the picture that we run colored duct tape along the whole length of those.. sometimes yellow, sometimes red... just something that will be seen, so people will notice and not trip.

~ Put your checkout table at a spot where you can see most of your sale
  and customers. Our table in the picture is where we can see the inside of the garage, and the driveway and the door to the house.

~We park our vehicles down the street so that the places right in front of our house are available for our customers to park. This helps protect customers and it also helps some people to stop who wouldn't stop if they had to park farther away.

~Have at least 2 people manning the garage sale all of the time. Things can get busy and being alone is a good way to have trouble. Sometimes people will come in a group so that you can't watch everyone at once... or help everyone. Theft happens easily at such a time.

~Some people will work in tandem when coming to a garage sale - one will ask the garage sale seller about a product or just chat, while their partner is stealing things. Sometimes parents have taught their children to steal and this is utterly sad to me, but we have seen it.

~Anchor tall things that might blow over on a windy day. This is especially important for racks of clothes... we anchor them with bricks or sandbags that are directly under the rack, not sticking out.

~Put glass items on a sturdy table... a card table is not a sturdy table for glass items that can fall if the table is banged as someone walks by it. Also put glass items back away from the edge of whatever table you put them on... and taller things go behind shorter things so that people reaching for things won't knock something down as easily.

~Remove trip hazards...  stuff sticking out from under tables or in the way. Most people will be shopping and looking at what you are selling, not watching carefully where they are going.

 ~Don't put big solid items in the middle of the garage... it obstructs your view.... keep things open as much as possible. This picture shows a bookcase on the table, but it is not a solid back one... so we were able to see through it to the other side.

~WATCH YOUR KIDS VERY CAREFULLY!!!!!!! Things can happen so quickly. Kids should be up close to the garage or house... or where they can be watched. There are people who look for an opportunity to snatch a child. Don't let it happen to yours... please!  For example, I stopped at a garage sale and there were 3 little kids manning the sale... they told us they weren't open quite yet... these kids were about  5-10 years old. No sign of an adult. When we left, we saw a woman a couple of blocks away putting up a sign for the house we had just been to... and we had seen 2 other of the same signs several blocks in another direction. We had to assume that may have been the mother and the kids appeared to be alone.The kids also came right up to our van to talk with us. I shuddered at what could have happened to those kids if someone with evil motives had stopped. Please WATCH your kids carefully!!

~If you have an inside door to the house from the garage, it is a good idea to block it off from customer access - a folding screen or bookcase can help with that...  or even lock the door if you don't have enough people to help watch.

~Cover or put away things in the garage that are not for sale...  that will also help to avoid continuous questions all day about if they are for sale.  :)

~Lock the front door if you are not able to see it while you man the sale...

~Now, what about money?  What is the safest way to keep your money safe when doing a garage sale?  A money bag? Purse? Pocket? Box? Cigar box? A covered kitchen container?  All can be used and are used often.


Some are more convenient than others... and we all get comfortable with one thing or another. I have seen many of these things used at many garage sales... and it worked for the people. I have also seen each of these things sitting unattended, at one time or another-not at every sale of course, while the seller helps a customer or straightens a table. Each of these items, except for the pocket, will need to be carried... or set down at some point. That will require much attention to it. I, personally, have had the OPPORTUNITY to take such things MANY times, but of course, I would not do that.... others may be tempted by such an opportunity.

The thing we have found that works the best for us, is a fanny pack. (Why do they call it that anyway???  :)   )   We each wear one and keep the pouch at the front so that we can easily access it to make change. We keep minimal change in each one and are careful not to be obvious about how much is in the pack. The fanny pack allows us to keep the money with us, freeing our hands to work and freeing our attention from having to watch the money, so that we can do other things.

~Take big bills into the house for safety rather than keeping them with you.

~Just a note that a calculator is helpful in adding up a person's purchases.  When things are busy, it is easier to use a calculator even if you are capable of adding it in your head.

By the way, this post contains lots of warnings and it may seem like too much. I hope nothing bad ever happens at your sale... or mine... but we know things can and do happen. Being careful and aware of the possible danger and being wise is a good idea. My husband and I have worked with the Citizen's Police Academy in our area and have had an interest in such for a long time...  bad stuff happens and many times, it can be avoided by just a few changes. I would rather go to the trouble to make changes than to have a problem happen that could possibly be avoided.

I hope this series is helpful to you....  Do you have other ideas about safety when having a garage sale? If so, please share them in the comments. Thank you for visiting. I hope you have a good week.  :)




 GARAGE SALE SERIES

Garage Sale Series-Selling Jewelry

Garage Sale Series-Price Tags

Garage Sale Series-Displays

Garage Sale Series-Signs

Garage Sale Series-Hints and Tips


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Old Fashioned Toys-Pattern Blocks

If you haven't heard of, or used, pattern blocks, I want to show you what they are and how they are used.

Pattern blocks come in a set with 6 shapes and each shape is a different color. Some sets have variations in the color which is what we have since we have many sets now, and they are all used together.

 
The shapes can be fitted together to form patterns. These patterns can be simple as little ones make trucks, people or other things with them, using lots of imagination, of course.

More complex designs can also be made... many times just by accident as a child (or adult!) just starts moving the pieces and experimenting. 

There are hundreds of possibilities... probably even more.

It is also possible to buy cards that have colored patterns on the cards and then the child can put the pattern blocks on the cards to reproduce the pattern.

You can also buy books with patterns that are only black and white and then child puts the correct pattern block on the page(without having the color to help them) and reproduces the pattern.

These can be done at a slower pace or as they get faster, they can be timed, to make it more fun.
                   ~~~~


In these patterns, you can see the optical illusions that are possible... the cubes that seem to stand out.

My kids enjoyed the structured play with these blocks... using the patterns on paper, but they REALLY enjoyed the free creativity with them while they made their own patterns. 

This pattern is a continuation of the pattern above-not the one right above, but the one before... she added to the existing design above and created one that looked even different.

We have taken these pattern blocks outside for playing with the neighbor kids. The neighbor kids go to public school and always seem to wonder about our homeschool. The funny thing is that they love the simple toys like this even though they have many electronic and modern toys to use. 

We have also brought these out when we have had company and it is surprising how many people have never seen these, but enjoy using them.

Sometimes, my kids like to try some building designs.   :)

This looks like a mosaic. There are many ways to use these blocks for learning. Kids can learn about symmetry in design. They can learn to appreciate the art of their siblings. 

I have used these pattern blocks years ago, to design a simple quilt pattern. It was nice to see and play with the possibilities before I started cutting out fabric and sewing it together. No, this isn't the design I used. :)

We bought our first set of pattern blocks about 20 years ago for about $20.00. At the time, we chose to buy the foam blocks because they were quieter and we had a child with special medical issues and needed the quiet. Those were nice (although some of them ended up with teething marks from the toddlers! :)  

 We have also had plastic blocks and wooden ones. The wood ones are, by far, our favorites, so we sold the others and have added to our original set of 100 blocks or so. I have found them at garage sales and I buy them when I can. We now have a large set and can make lots of designs, even when we have several people using them at the same time.   :) 

We first bought these as they were required for our math curriculum manipulatives... the set offered for the curriculum only had a small amount of these blocks, so we decided to buy a larger set. It was hard to pay that much as money was very tight, but we have not been sorry. It was one of those great purchases. Some of you have parents and grandparents who want ideas of what to buy for your children... this is a great one... especially as a family "toy". Smaller sets would be fun, but a larger set that you can add to is even better.

 These red "arms" almost look braided. There are so many possibilities for using these blocks. I hope I have shown you enough to spark your interest in them.

By the way, I am a mom who doesn't really like battery operated toys or electronic toys much at all. I love the kinds of toys that stimulate my children to think, to experiment, to learn... as they play and have fun. That is why I am so in favor of these blocks.

Yes, as my kids get older, they do use computers and cell phones and other electronics, but I am glad we focused on the simple old fashioned toys the most.

We made all of these designs in the last few weeks as we listened to some Science lectures. What a blessing to have our hands busy and to also learn about Creation and the flood and more. It had been quite a long time since we had these out and we all enjoyed our time.

 Thank you for visiting. If you have used pattern blocks, I would love to hear about it. If you haven't, I would love to hear from you also. I hope you have a great week.  :)

Top 10 Gentle Joy Homemaker 2015

The top 10 posts published in 2015 on the Gentle Joy Homemaker blog are listed here.

Feel free to click on the title of each (it is actually a link) and the post will come up for you.

           Number 10

 Garage Sale Series-Hints and Tips









                                           
                   



                Number 9

   Small Garden-Part 3-More Beds

                Number 8

   Pulled Chicken on Homemade Buns

        Number 7 

Small Garden-Part 4-Companion Planting 

      Number 6

Small Garden-Part 2-Growing UP 

         

                  Number 5 

 Small Garden-Part 1-Crop Rotation 

         Number 4

 Yes, I'm Sleep Deprived, So What??? Part 2 

                 Number 3

                Dress Up A Plain Cabinet 

          Number 2

8 Things To Do When Sickness Strikes 

        
Number 1 for 2015

Trip To The Amish Store 











It's been a challenging year, but it has also been a good year. Thank you for joining me in it. I hope you have a wonderful 2016.  





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Garage Sale Series-Hints & Tips

Garage Sales are such a blessing...  and we have had a LOT of garage sales over the years. We have tried this and that... and learned much. In this post, I am sharing some hints and tips about having a garage sale.

Garage Sales are not all the same... and they shouldn't be either... we are all unique and the way we sell our stuff can be also. We can learn from others, but I encourage you to develop your own style.



I don't have any specific order to these hints and tips... and they are not hard and fast "rules".. just things that have worked for us. :)

~One thing we always try to do is to have music going during the garage sale...  I hate going to a sale where everything is totally quiet and anything I touch in the garage sale is easily heard... it is very uncomfortable. I want my customers to be comfortable while they look... music helps.

~Do not play music overly loud... it doesn't need to be soft, but I have been to sales where the volume of the music hurt my ears... and my kids also complained that it hurt their ears... we left. 

~Don't cease talking to the person helping you man the garage sale when people come to the sale, so that there is an uncomfortable silence-you can continue to chat a bit, but be very aware of anything your customer needs. Do NOT stare at or watch the shopper very obviously either!!!!  Be ready to speak to them and say hi, but allow them a sense of privacy as they shop even as you do watch a bit.

~Don't comment on every item your customer touches and tell them the story and try to sell the item. Respect your customer's ability to shop and don't intrude on their shopping... I have had people do this to me to where I didn't want to look at anything else.. and I left. Allow your customer to shop in peace and they may buy more. There's no need to "strong-arm" them.

~Be aware of any trip hazards in your sale and remove them.. or identify them with a sign or colored duct tape or something. Give warnings... like "watch your step".

~Price every item in some way... either with tags or signs.
 
~Do not put fragile glassware on a card table... use sturdy surfaces for that.

~Put jewelry, cell phones or easily stolen items near where you check people out.

~Have a specific table area for checking people out. Also, realize that some people may want to "make a pile" while they continue shopping... that can be done on one end of your checkout table.

~Have plenty of light... use lamps or extra fixtures and highlight tables and items. If you have plenty of light, people can see things better... and we find we sell more... stuff looks better with enough light.

~UNPLUG GARAGE DOORS after they are opened for the sale.  We always do this as the thought of someone accidentally pushing the garage door button and the door coming down during the garage sale... on someone or scaring someone is not fun and could be very dangerous.

~Post several signs saying "Not Responsible For Accidents" prominently.

~Save up grocery bags... or ask for some from family and friends... this is helpful for those who buy a few things. If you are short on them, don't use them for only 2-3 items.

~ We post signs saying "No Smoking" "No Pets"

~Do not let your dog (or cat) out at your sale... they can be a trip hazard and they can also bite... EVEN if it is a dog that "never bites".  My son was bitten by a dog at a sale,... a dog the owner said, "never bites anyone", but it was the 2nd day of the sale....  The dog may be overwhelmed with so many people... and may feel protective, etc. Also, not everyone loves dogs.... and since my son was bitten at a sale and we are no longer willing to trust that an owner has complete control of their animal, we do not shop at any sales where there is a dog. If you have your dog out, you will probably lose some customers.

~By the way, one really weird thing that happened to me... and I'm sure you would know better.... but these people didn't...  I walked up toward a big garage sale and there was a teenage guy with a scarf around his neck. I though that was odd with the warm weather, but some people are strange, so I continued up. When I got close enough, I realized the "scarf" was a big snake all wrapped around his neck!!!!!  I immediately turned and left.. he and his mom said he would put it away, but there was NO WAY I would shop there after that. Keep the pets away from the garage sale.

~Tablecloths are great to put on the tables...  plain or simple patterned tablecloths work best. A tablecloth that is too busy can look overwhelming with lots of stuff on it.

~Tablecloths (plastic or cloth) or sheets can be used to cover items on the walls and shelves of the garage that are not for sale.... we use clothespins to do this.

~Though a garage sale CAN be put together quickly in a couple of days, it can be helpful to start weeks before the garage sale... put items you want to sell into a tote in a certain spot and keep adding to it as you find items as you are doing your regular cleaning. Sometimes I will price them and put them into totes early... then on garage sale set up day, things are much easier. This year, due to my greatly decreased energy, I started about 6 weeks early and kept piling up totes as I did a little on different days. It really helped conserve my energy.  This pile of totes is stuff for the garage sale... and it is all priced. Whew. :)  This is not ALL of the garage sale stuff though!  :) Yes, this is the same garage where we had the garage sale.. this is before we set up, obviously. :)

~Have change on hand... lots of ones and fives, a couple of tens, some quarters, dimes and nickels... and maybe a few pennies.  We usually try to have $100 worth of change... it doesn't take long to need that much... especially when we have several people give us a $20 bill to pay for $3.50 or $2 .. it is better to have too much change than not enough.

~Use good signs to direct people to your sale.

~A canopy cover is helpful... great to shield from the heat and sun... or from rain.

~Boards can be used to make a backdrop to your tables... and shield stuff that isn't for sale... a lattice board is great for this... and we have just pinned a tablecloth to the back of it.... and it looks great. Check the garage or basement for what you have and use that... no need to buy things especially for the garage sale. A board with a tablecloth over it can look great.

~Use what you have... make tables from dining room chairs facing each other with a board on top of the seats of both...  a door works too.... For several years, we always took the basement door off and used that for a table. :)   Benches to the table work also... or patio furniture.  Empty totes with lids can be tables.

~People will notice things more when they are not on the floor... putting them up on tables or boxes gets items to an easier height for people to see and shop.

~It works well to sell in increments of 25c... for example 25c, 50c, 75c, $1.00, $1.25, $1.50, $2.00.  I used to sometimes mark things 5c, 15c, 35c and my husband hated it, so I stopped. It is really easy to add things up when you do it in increments of 25c... and we do also have many 10c items.  

~We have sold popsicles for a couple of garage sales when it was REALLY HOT out.... Bad idea for us... there were only a few who did this, but those few ate (or allowed their child to eat) the popsicles while they shopped... and got sticky drops on the floor or garage sale items. We don't do that anymore. :)

~Putting like things together can make it easier to shop... like housewares together, etc. More on that in  Garage Sale Series-Displays

~Take large bills into the house

~Have at least 2 people "manning" the sale at a time... this helps with safety and security.

~Use a "fanny pack" or some other way to keep the money on your person.  If you use a money box, do NOT EVER leave it unattended - they do get stolen. I would never leave it with a child either... robberies do happen and a child would look like an easy target.








~Sometimes people will work together to distract you while someone else will steal something. You can't watch everything... and theft does happen, but it does help to be aware.



~Folding screens can be helpful for the garage sale... and we use them to form "doors" to close off our living area... We just pull the folding screen closed before we open the house door to go inside... here, the house door is closed and the folding screens are open. It does help to preserve privacy for the family.


~Don't just sit and wait and watch customers... stay busy tidying tables and filling in empty spots... don't let your sale look "picked over" or people won't look as much.  Take down tables, if you have too little to fill them.


~Advertising on Craigslist is free and easy... and many people look there for garage sales, so it can increase the number of people at your sale.

~Take your signs down after the sale...  we also take ours down each night, but that is a personal choice.. unless your city bans leaving them up overnight... check the city code for sales.

~A free pile helps... it helps to draw people and it also helps with getting rid of some things that you don't want to bother selling.... we tend to add to our free pile as the sale goes on. :)

~Rearranging your sale a bit can change the whole look... and people will notice things they didn't see before... this especially helps for the people who make more than one trip to the sale.

~The last hour or so of the sale is a good time to "consolidate" items... move things, tidy up, restock the inside tables to make things look more interesting inside the garage and doing this before you close up helps as it removes some items from outside and you have less to box up for the night. It also helps because that last hour that may be slow, but this makes it still productive and your sale will look nice and fresh for the morning. 

~If someone buys something and leaves to get a bigger vehicle... planning to come right back to pick up their large item... like a table, dresser, etc.... always get their name and phone number. If they don't return, you have a way to contact them... sometimes people forget how to find your sale... especially if they plan to come back after the sale closes.

~Clothes can be put on tables or hung up... they get noticed better when hung up, so as something sells, it helps to put more up.

~We keep batteries on hand to test anything that takes batteries, but we do not sell the items with the batteries inside.

~I alert everyone who is manning the sale that we do not give the hangers, lightbulbs or batteries away with sale items.

~I also let them know that the picture stands do not go with items... they are either sold separately or they are not for sale. 

~Be friendly, smile and have fun. I hope you have a great garage sale. There are so many other possible hints and tips... feel free to share yours in the comments. :) 


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Garage Sale Series

Garage Sale Series-Selling Jewelry

Garage Sale Series-Price Tags

Garage Sale Series-Displays

Garage Sale Series-Signs

Garage Sale Series-Hints and Tips



#Garagesale #yardsale #sales
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