Everybody looking for something for nothing.

[heartofmine]

I'm so mad and aggravated. We are having a yard sale tomorrow. I put it online at our local sales to get more interest in the sale. I get an email from a woman saying she can't make it to my sale but she could sure use what I have left after the sale. Well sure she could! And my kids need the money from the yard sale for gas to get back and forth to school. What is left they'll be taking to the local flea market a little at a time until they get rid of as much as possible. We just have to much for them to haul right now and figured a sale here at the house would be better first. If I wanted to give it away I have peopel I know I'd give it to first. I figure she's probably got a store somewhere. I haven't answered her email because I'm to furious right now. Some people!!!

[janelane]

We had a yard sale memorial weekend. I put an ad up on craigslist and had a couple people email me along those lines. One guy was really pushy, he didn't even ask IF I wanted him to come, just said he had a truck and could haul away my leftovers (for free, even! lol), so when would be a good time to come over? Shyeah, whatever, especially not with that attitude. I'd already planned on having a local charity come get everything, mostly winter clothes. I didn't even answer their emails.

[fernykins]

I get the one that wants me to count how many of an item I have......... I'm not going to waste my time doing that..... people sometimes you just got to wonder.
Fern

[heartofmine]

Your right about that Fern.

I honestly shouldn't be so surprised. I've had 2 or 3 people come by before and tell me if I don't sell it all they'll haul it off for me. All of them have stores. After the kids get done with it I will donate some of it. I usually keep some of the better things and donate to local people who have lost their homes in house fires.

[Luv2BeFrugal]

I wish people would learn to be more self-sufficient...not always walking around with a hand out...

I've posted things on craigslist, too...individual items (not a yard sale). And I clearly checked the "no other offers" box... One lady e-mailed me asking me to donate my item to her charity...and I could drop it off any time...in the NEXT TOWN (an HOUR away!). Uh, excuse me? I'm selling things in order to pay my bills and have food and gas!! GRRRR...

[Karla]

Boy thats gutsy...I could never do that!!

[The Muse]

I wouldn't even dignify that with a response. Yard sales sure do bring out some characters. I need to have one, but have been putting it off for that reason.

[FrugalMomof3]

I get those emails too from Craigslist and I just simply ignore them, if I were to respond I dont think I would be "nice" about it.

People need to realize the reason we are selling them instead of giving them away is because we need the money, like duh!

[suki]

Wait... let me understand. The person just asked, right? Don't we frugal folks do that on occasion... look for opportunities and ask. All you can do is say no.

[Natalie]

"The price is on it." I'd say.

[suebeehoney]

Ok, I'll be the black sheep here.

I will admit to having posted an ad on Craigslist offering to pick up yardsale leftovers and hauling them away. Why? Because I figure many people in our area put their leftovers out at the curb anyway after the sale - for free. So if I can save them the trouble of hauling it to the curb, I'm offering them a service. When I weed through their leftovers, I will donate what I don't need to Goodwill and sell what I can on Ebay.

Yes, I'm getting it for free, when they intended to sell it. But if they didn't sell it, they'd be giving it away to a charity or setting it at the curb, where neighbors and other FRUGAL FOLKS like us would be weeding through it and quite possibly leaving a mess at the curb that the homeowner has to clean up themselves. I save them that mess.

I never e-mailed anyone and offered to pick up their stuff - just posted an ad offering that service. I did get some takers, and did exactly as I mentioned above - sold some and donated the rest. None of it ended up in a landfill or thrown around on the homeowner's curb.

I cleaned out a co-worker's entire garage and sold about 80% of the stuff on Ebay. He was tickled to death because he hated the thought of loading up his truck and hauling the stuff to Goodwill. And he didn't begrudge me the money I made on the stuff - he was just happy not to have to haul it away. What I didn't sell went to Goodwill.

I have to agree with Suki - they're just asking (aside from the pushy ones mentioned), and they're being frugal, just like you are. Just in a different way. They figure if it doesn't sell, you'll be happy just to get rid of it. I know not everyone feels this way, and I'll probably get flamed for posting this, but I was kind of surprised at how upset this makes people.

What is the difference between someone picking up your yardsale leftovers out of your garage with your permission and someone picking through the leftovers you put out at the curb for anyone to take for free...or someone who goes on dumpster diving runs to glean useable items from store dumpsters? I know some Ebay sellers who actually sell finds from dumpster dives, or things found on the curb for trash pickup.

If you donate them to Goodwill, they sell them for a profit to keep their charity running. If you give them to someone who sells them on Ebay or in a resale shop, they sell them for a profit to keep their family going (just like you were selling them at the yardsale to keep your family going). I think it really comes down to the fact that when you have a yard sale, it's a lot of work, and you feel like you're losing something if you simply give the leftover items away.

Again, I know this is not a popular opinion - but the people who want to pick up your yardsale leftovers are not freeloaders, moochers or lazy bums. They are frugal folks, just like you and me, who are trying to make a living the best way they can - and if they can find something to sell for profit and can get it for free, isn't that like ultimate frugality??

[shortstack]

I have called people out of our local Trading Journal to pick up my yard sale leftovers. I usually have 1 sale per summer and am glad to be rid of the leftovers with minimal effort on my part. Once I give the stuff away I don't care what they do with it.

Andrea

[heartofmine]

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree then. The message said "I can't come to your yard sale but I am in need of such and such stuff and want to know if you would donate what you have left to me." I could never be that presumscious (sp) to contact a complete stranger and do that no matter how frugal I try to be. If someone offers or places an add offering to take yard sale stuff or wants to give their stuff then that is totally different. I often see adds both ways. Also here no one puts things on the curb. We don't have trash pickup and its against the law to put things on the curb. There is no Goodwill here either. Small town. What is left my kids will be taking to the local flea market and sell all they can. Also there is the big 450 mile yard sale in 3 weeks. They are trying to make enough money for gas to go back and forth to college this fall.

[Persimmon Lace]

When we are done with a sale we usually freecycle the rest of it and I don't mind people asking, heck I'll even say leave your name and number! Dh always has the truck and works alot so sometimes it's easier to have someone haul it off. We even had 2 free boxes at the sale last time.

[Frugal Nurse]

I see SueB's point. She is advertising her service - which some people will certainly use.

I also don't like what the OP has encountered.
It's rude.
And I don't easily offend, but when it's curt and short like the OP said.. it seems like the person is saying... "I'm not coming by to buy anything but I want it all'

I don't like that.

It's just me.

I do like to pick who I will donate to though.