Last year I noticed that the quality of the stuff available at local
garage sales declined. This year the number of garage sales is down
also. And I mean down! Whereas last year this time we would go to
10-12 events each Saturday, this year we are lucky if we see 5 or 6.


I suspect that there are two possible explanations:


1) Weather. It has been miserable and unstable. That global warming
thing has not reached us yet: We have been seeing temperatures
consistently 3 degrees C below seasonal average. Furthermore,
predicting the weather has been problematic. The scientists employed
by the Environment Canada are clearly not the same ones that
confidently predict 2.5 degrees increase in average temperatures in
the next 100 years. Ours, as reflected by the predictions on the
Weather Channel, have the greatest difficulty deciding what the
weather will be in the next 12 hours. In fact, the way the Weather
Channel deals with this locally is to show different predictions every
6 hours. Presumably one of them will eventually turn out to be right.


Thus people are reluctant to hold garage sales unless they have the
ability to go indoors in bad weather. It will be interesting if the
numbers pick up in summer although "summer" is a relative term here on
the Island.


2) Bad economy. I postulated this last year as the reason for poor
quality stuff available. People in financial difficulty buy less new
stuff and hold onto their good old stuff longer. This was also
reflected in the local auction house. However, it is not clear what
"bad economy" means here on the Island. There is some unemployment due
to mill etc. closures. OTOH those who are employed or have their own
businesses may not be as hard up as all that. For example I have tried
to get estimates for some building work which I guess would be about
$1500 worth. Of the four companies I asked two have not turned up and
the two that did have so far failed to provide the quote, in one case
for over a week. I figure that if you can turn down that sort of work
you are not suffering.


I wonder what the garage sales experience has been elsewhere...

Michael Koblic,
Campbell River, BC

On 2011-04-11, wrote:
Last year I noticed that the quality of the stuff available at local
garage sales declined. This year the number of garage sales is down
also. And I mean down! Whereas last year this time we would go to
10-12 events each Saturday, this year we are lucky if we see 5 or 6.


I suspect that there are two possible explanations:


1) Weather. It has been miserable and unstable. That global warming
thing has not reached us yet: We have been seeing temperatures
consistently 3 degrees C below seasonal average. Furthermore,

....

2) Bad economy. I postulated this last year as the reason for poor
quality stuff available. People in financial difficulty buy less new
stuff and hold onto their good old stuff longer. This was also

I wonder what the garage sales experience has been elsewhere...

Picked up a nice Craftsman tool box with a bunch of tools, mostly USA,
for $7 yesterday.

i

wrote:

Last year I noticed that the quality of the stuff available at local
garage sales declined.

You forgot eBay!

Jon

"Jon Elson" wrote in message
...
wrote:

Last year I noticed that the quality of the stuff available at local
garage sales declined.

You forgot eBay!

Jon

EBAY has been deliberately trying to restructure themselves to favor
commercial resellers for a few years now. Any decline there will be hard to
tie directly to a single contributing force.

On Apr 11, 11:18*am, "Bob La Londe" wrote:
"Jon Elson" wrote in message

...

wrote:

Last year I noticed that the quality of the stuff available at local
garage sales declined.

You forgot eBay!

Jon

EBAY has been deliberately trying to restructure themselves to favor
commercial resellers for a few years now. *Any decline there will be hard to
tie directly to a single contributing force.

The greatest recent change to garage sales has been the Internet.

Much of what was worth chasing from sale to sale now goes to Ebay and
Craigslist.

Only after that is gone does one have the garage sale to sell the
crumbs.

Ebay is also frequently used for sellers to "price" stuff...their goal
to get Ebay prices without giving Ebay their cut.

As for the economy, it has reduced or eliminated a significant amount
of goods coming on to the market.

And shipping costs are way up across the board.

You see this on Ebay, Craigslist, local auctions, thrift stores....all
way down.

People are holding on to what they have...because they cannot afford
to replace it.

Which means that the best selection is with estate sales...one has to
wait to pick the bones of the dead to get anything of value...if the
family priced it properly.

A more localized effect is that in many communities where most houses
are underwater, people cannot afford to move...and if you are not
moving, you will not have a moving sale.

Couple this with much more competition which makes what is out there
be sold before you arrive and it all translate into fewer pickings.

You are correct that Ebay has been grooming itself to be a more
commercial oriented seller site.

Take a look at completed sales on Ebay and see how "sucessful" it has
been.

I stop by about one or two garage/estate sale a year and the above is
what I have seen.

Your mileage may vary...

TMT

wrote in message
...
Last year I noticed that the quality of the stuff available at local
garage sales declined. This year the number of garage sales is down
also. And I mean down! Whereas last year this time we would go to
10-12 events each Saturday, this year we are lucky if we see 5 or 6.

Yard sales are down in Vegas from a year ago, and the quality and quantity
of merchandise is down, too. You just have to shop carefully to find the
jewels.

I did make a nice score Saturday, $310 worth of home beer brewing equipment
for $20. Not metal related, but definitely shop gear................

On 2011-04-11, Steve B wrote:

wrote in message
...
Last year I noticed that the quality of the stuff available at local
garage sales declined. This year the number of garage sales is down
also. And I mean down! Whereas last year this time we would go to
10-12 events each Saturday, this year we are lucky if we see 5 or 6.

Yard sales are down in Vegas from a year ago, and the quality and quantity
of merchandise is down, too. You just have to shop carefully to find the
jewels.

I did make a nice score Saturday, $310 worth of home beer brewing equipment
for $20. Not metal related, but definitely shop gear................




Seek and ye shall find...

i

On Apr 11, 12:54*pm, Ignoramus9930
wrote:
On 2011-04-11, Steve B wrote:







wrote in message
.. .
Last year I noticed that the quality of the stuff available at local
garage sales declined. This year the number of garage sales is down
also. And I mean down! Whereas last year this time we would go to
10-12 events each Saturday, this year we are lucky if we see 5 or 6.

Yard sales are down in Vegas from a year ago, and the quality and quantity
of merchandise is down, too. *You just have to shop carefully to find the
jewels.

I did make a nice score Saturday, $310 worth of home beer brewing equipment
for $20. *Not metal related, but definitely shop gear................

Seek and ye shall find...

i- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

True...but one must know where to seek. ;)

Ig...you live in the Land of Milk and Honey (surplus wise) with both
industrial and military surplus spilling out on to the streets.

Or at least that my take on why your streets and roads are so darn
rough. ;))

That is why every time I fly into Chicago on business, I travel with
an empty suitcase...to bring the goodies home. The rest are shipped by
UPS who usually has it on the driveway be the time I get back.

TMT

Bob La Londe wrote:
"Jon Elson" wrote in message
...
wrote:

Last year I noticed that the quality of the stuff available at local
garage sales declined.

You forgot eBay!

EBAY has been deliberately trying to restructure themselves to favor
commercial resellers for a few years now. Any decline there will be hard
to tie directly to a single contributing force.

Isn't there also some on-line swapmeet thing called "Craig's List" or some
such?

Thanks,
Rich

This just in, Lincoln LN-25 variable speed wirefeed, with gas solenoid
and gun. $50

On Apr 11, 5:06*pm, Ignoramus9930
wrote:
This just in, Lincoln LN-25 variable speed wirefeed, with gas solenoid
and gun. $50

DId you find it in the street or was it lost and followed you
home? ;)))

Good find!

TMT

On Apr 11, 4:49*pm, Rich Grise wrote:
Bob La Londe wrote:
"Jon Elson" wrote in message
m...
wrote:

Last year I noticed that the quality of the stuff available at local
garage sales declined.

You forgot eBay!

EBAY has been deliberately trying to restructure themselves to favor
commercial resellers for a few years now. *Any decline there will be hard
to tie directly to a single contributing force.

Isn't there also some on-line swapmeet thing called "Craig's List" or some
such?

Thanks,
Rich

Think of Craigslist as the classified adds in the newspaper...

TMT

On 2011-04-11, Ignoramus9930 wrote:
This just in, Lincoln LN-25 variable speed wirefeed, with gas solenoid
and gun. $50

This little black beauty, besides the complete inert gas setup, also
includes a solenoid for the welding arc. This way, the welding gun is
NOT always hot. It is only hot when the solenoid is energized.

The bad thing about it is that the welding gun is all busted.

I will test it tonight.

i

On Apr 11, 3:20*pm, Too_Many_Tools wrote:
On Apr 11, 4:49*pm, Rich Grise wrote:









Bob La Londe wrote:
"Jon Elson" wrote in message
m...
wrote:

Last year I noticed that the quality of the stuff available at local
garage sales declined.

You forgot eBay!

EBAY has been deliberately trying to restructure themselves to favor
commercial resellers for a few years now. *Any decline there will be hard
to tie directly to a single contributing force.

Isn't there also some on-line swapmeet thing called "Craig's List" or some
such?

Thanks,
Rich

Think of Craigslist as the classified adds in the newspaper...

TMT

Classified ads that most buyers nor sellers pay for. It sure killed
off the news papers.

Roger Shoaf

On Apr 11, 11:25*pm, RS at work wrote:
On Apr 11, 3:20*pm, Too_Many_Tools wrote:





On Apr 11, 4:49*pm, Rich Grise wrote:

Bob La Londe wrote:
"Jon Elson" wrote in message
m...
wrote:

Last year I noticed that the quality of the stuff available at local
garage sales declined.

You forgot eBay!

EBAY has been deliberately trying to restructure themselves to favor
commercial resellers for a few years now. *Any decline there will be hard
to tie directly to a single contributing force.

Isn't there also some on-line swapmeet thing called "Craig's List" or some
such?

Thanks,
Rich

Think of Craigslist as the classified adds in the newspaper...

TMT

Classified ads that most buyers nor sellers pay for. *It sure killed
off the news papers.

Roger Shoaf- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Yes it did.

TMT

On Mon, 11 Apr 2011 17:06:43 -0500, Ignoramus9930
wrote:

This just in, Lincoln LN-25 variable speed wirefeed, with gas solenoid
and gun. $50


Ill take it. How much shipping to 93268?

Gunner

--
"If I say two plus two is four and a Democrat says two plus two is eight,
it's not a partial victory for me when we agree that two plus two is
six. " Jonah Goldberg (modified)