What is the best way to sell old baseball cards at a garage sale?

[uyu906]

Just wondering if any of you have had any success selling unwanted or duplicate cards, including stars, rookies, high numbers, and commons from 1951-1983 at garage sales? My wife is having one is a couple of weeks and I thought maybe I should join in the fun. Should I price out stars in advance? Should I try to make boxes up that sell for one price - such as this box of cards is $50 for the whole thing? Should I put out some higher priced graded cards?

Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[uyu906]

Please move this to the correct forum.

Thanks!

[Leon]

Originally Posted by uyu906

Please move this to the correct forum.

Thanks!

This forum is ok for this question I believe....

[GoldenAge50s]

I do very well almost every year. Sell your '90's sets about 60% off Beckett & you'll move some.

Take shoe boxes & throw 300-400 loose cards haphazardly into them and put them out for $3-$4 a box.

Make up some Team Set bags full of cards for $1.00 & toss them in a box.

The trick is NOT to look like a card dealer---look like the boxes just came out of the closet & into the sale.

NOTE: Obviously this does NOT pertain to vintage cards, just the overproduced Modern that some of us have tons of!

[Cardboard Junkie]

Not a garage sale, but a flea market run once a month near me. I had 5 5000 count boxes filled with 74 to 90 dubs. A little boy with his mom came back several times. He was shy, but eventually reached in his pocket and pulled out 2 dollars, and asked, How many can I buy for two dollars sir?". I looked at his mom and asked her how her son was doing in school? She said fine but was having a little trouble in math. Well, I said, I suppose I could let you have em all for that kind of money, but you will have to improve that math a little bit. His eyes got as big as pancakes. He and his mom and said "mahalo" over and over. They both assured me his math skills would improve. As I was helping him load the boxes, I slipped the 2 bucks in one of them for him to find later..Pay it forward guys! Dave.

[slidekellyslide]

Keep an eye on them.....I once had some older cards stolen from my garage sale. The next time I put them out I put them all in plastic pages in a binder and let only one person at a time go through them.

[deadballfreaK]

Originally Posted by Cardboard Junkie

Not a garage sale, but a flea market run once a month near me. I had 5 5000 count boxes filled with 74 to 90 dubs. A little boy with his mom came back several times. He was shy, but eventually reached in his pocket and pulled out 2 dollars, and asked, How many can I buy for two dollars sir?". I looked at his mom and asked her how her son was doing in school? She said fine but was having a little trouble in math. Well, I said, I suppose I could let you have em all for that kind of money, but you will have to improve that math a little bit. His eyes got as big as pancakes. He and his mom and said "mahalo" over and over. They both assured me his math skills would improve. As I was helping him load the boxes, I slipped the 2 bucks in one of them for him to find later..Pay it forward guys! Dave.

[Ease]

Originally Posted by Cardboard Junkie

Not a garage sale, but a flea market run once a month near me. I had 5 5000 count boxes filled with 74 to 90 dubs. A little boy with his mom came back several times. He was shy, but eventually reached in his pocket and pulled out 2 dollars, and asked, How many can I buy for two dollars sir?". I looked at his mom and asked her how her son was doing in school? She said fine but was having a little trouble in math. Well, I said, I suppose I could let you have em all for that kind of money, but you will have to improve that math a little bit. His eyes got as big as pancakes. He and his mom and said "mahalo" over and over. They both assured me his math skills would improve. As I was helping him load the boxes, I slipped the 2 bucks in one of them for him to find later..Pay it forward guys! Dave.

Ho brah! Dats mo bettah, you da big kahuna!
(That sound right?)
Nice gesture man!

[Theo_450]

Originally Posted by Cardboard Junkie

Not a garage sale, but a flea market run once a month near me. I had 5 5000 count boxes filled with 74 to 90 dubs. A little boy with his mom came back several times. He was shy, but eventually reached in his pocket and pulled out 2 dollars, and asked, How many can I buy for two dollars sir?". I looked at his mom and asked her how her son was doing in school? She said fine but was having a little trouble in math. Well, I said, I suppose I could let you have em all for that kind of money, but you will have to improve that math a little bit. His eyes got as big as pancakes. He and his mom and said "mahalo" over and over. They both assured me his math skills would improve. As I was helping him load the boxes, I slipped the 2 bucks in one of them for him to find later..Pay it forward guys! Dave.

That is really cool! I have heard of guys donating lots of shiny stuff to children's hospitals too.

I like your style Dave!

[Michael B]

Originally Posted by Cardboard Junkie

Not a garage sale, but a flea market run once a month near me. I had 5 5000 count boxes filled with 74 to 90 dubs. A little boy with his mom came back several times. He was shy, but eventually reached in his pocket and pulled out 2 dollars, and asked, How many can I buy for two dollars sir?". I looked at his mom and asked her how her son was doing in school? She said fine but was having a little trouble in math. Well, I said, I suppose I could let you have em all for that kind of money, but you will have to improve that math a little bit. His eyes got as big as pancakes. He and his mom and said "mahalo" over and over. They both assured me his math skills would improve. As I was helping him load the boxes, I slipped the 2 bucks in one of them for him to find later..Pay it forward guys! Dave.

Dave - Good on ya, mate as they say in OZ (Australia), my favorite place on earth. I like doing things like that. Every time some parent asks me to buy a raffle ticket/candy bar/ fill in the blank for their kid it is usually with the child there. I ask them about their team, what position they play, etc. I make them work for it in a nice way and teach them at the same time.

[HOF Auto Rookies]

Originally Posted by Cardboard Junkie

Not a garage sale, but a flea market run once a month near me. I had 5 5000 count boxes filled with 74 to 90 dubs. A little boy with his mom came back several times. He was shy, but eventually reached in his pocket and pulled out 2 dollars, and asked, How many can I buy for two dollars sir?". I looked at his mom and asked her how her son was doing in school? She said fine but was having a little trouble in math. Well, I said, I suppose I could let you have em all for that kind of money, but you will have to improve that math a little bit. His eyes got as big as pancakes. He and his mom and said "mahalo" over and over. They both assured me his math skills would improve. As I was helping him load the boxes, I slipped the 2 bucks in one of them for him to find later..Pay it forward guys! Dave.

Awesome story. I've done something similar but donating my modern cards (1980-present) that are worthless, to churches, schools and childrens hospitals. I've noticed that it helps bring a positive attitude to the kids. And with schools, the teachers give them away as an incentive to do well in class.

Sure, I had about 50,000 cards of junk that I could get maybe $200 for, but giving them away knowing it can help spark interest in a child, weighed far better than a measly couple hundred bucks.

[bigtrain]

My guess is that 90% of people at a garage sale will have no interest whatsoever in your cards. You are much better off selling lots on the
BST board here or on ebay, in my opinion.

[Gmrson]

I do very well selling cards at my garage sale. I've sold sets and singles, with a concentration on local (Tigers) cards. I would list cards in your ads. I don't list cards on our signs, but do list them on free ads on Craigslist & Yahoo Swap Shop. I actually met my friend and neighbor, a fellow collector and forum member when he listed cards in his garage sale ad! I know he has sold some older cards.

[jimm]

I had piles of junk in 3000 cut boxes, said 100 was offered 50, bye bye cards

[jimm]

I also give plenty away to friends for their kids, as said before, pay it forward!

[jimm]

Agreed, my friends kid couldn't believe he got a pile of Nolan Ryan in the boxes I gave him