More and more, it seems that everybody is in a race to see how much they can do from the comfort of their own phone. Groceries? There’s an app for that! Medical checkup? There’s an app for that! Buying and selling used items? Well, there are plenty of apps for that too!
To be clear, this isn’t all bad. In fact, there is plenty of good that comes from having handheld options for most things, with accessibility being one of the most important factors to consider. However, when it comes to the yard sale, buying and selling is only one part of the equation. Community, experience, and serendipity are all huge parts of what give yard sales their nostalgic allure. Plus, in such a virtually dominated marketplace, setting up in-person can play a huge role in how to have a successful garage sale. Let’s talk about it!
The Rise of the Digital Marketplace
Every year we witness the advancement of faster phones with bigger screens, thanks to the dedication of hardworking software engineers.Thier efforts aim to ensure that every interaction on social media apps keeps you engaged and hooked into more–it’s no wonder that shopping has moved accelerated onto the online space at full force as well. One other world event was instrumental in solidifying this new-age digital marketplace, too: quarantine.
In all fairness, the move towards digitalization was already in full swing before 2020, and brands across industries and across the world were making their way online at varying paces. However, lockdown made this transition a top priority and essentially a mandate for anybody looking to survive an undetermined length of time during which brick and mortar revenue was virtually nonexistent. Quarantine saw an unprecedented shift toward business-to-consumer (B2C) retail models as brands clamored to adapt to a sudden new world order: the virtual cart. In a post-quarantine world, while people are returning to brick-and-mortar shops in shopping malls and otherwise, our ability to buy products directly from brands via the brand app or website is unprecedented. What was used as a quarantine survival strategy became business-as-usual for the modern business.
But, what about non-brand transactions? Despite our self-proclaimed authority on all things yard sales, precise data on how garage sales responded to quarantine isn’t readily available. That being said, it stands to reason that in places where quarantine mandates were followed, and social distancing practices were respected, people likely shifted their yard sales online. In many places, Instagram became the new face of thrifting. In others, Facebook Marketplace took over as the main way to shop for used and vintage items. Platforms like this, including OfferUp and others, were certainly far from new quarantine inventions, but they certainly helped fill a gap in the socially-distanced marketplace. For those of us who couldn’t go without our spring cleaning and second hand shopping, this was a lifesaver. However, as the digital has become standard, what is to be said about a return to in-person?
The Magic of Community
The digital marketplace was crucial during lockdown and continues to serve very real and important purposes, but there is still something important missing when you go to shop online—even second-hand. You might have plenty of options, a lot of great deals, some sense of discovery…but there is little-to-no nostalgia about the experience. We argue that this online experience is missing the quintessential strength of the yard sale: community.
See, the magic of the yard sale is more than just knowing what to sell and what not to sell at a garage sale, and it’s more than just a chance for great deals. It is a community experience, one in which you get the all-too-rare chance to interact with your neighbors, to explore your neighborhood, and to learn a little bit about the story behind the items beyond just their discounted price. When people are learning about how to do a garage sale, they are learning about how to run a welcoming and efficient hub for interactions within their community. It isn’t just a shop you set up on the side of the road. Interaction and communication are at the heart of our fondest yard sale experiences and memories—and that’s an experience you just can’t really get on an Instagram shop. Not in the same way, at least.
An in-person yard sale sets you apart from the digital marketplace for precisely this reason. It is an experience full of memory-forming interactions. You might not even remember your last online purchase if it was just a series of taps and swipes, but you most likely remember the last time you had a surprising find in some low-price junk bin in your neighborhood. An in-person sale might be a lot more work than an online shop for many reasons but, for the same reason that these yard sales are more memorable, they are definitely worth it!
Stronger Together
Importantly, this shouldn’t be a conversation in which people take polarizing sides. If we’re talking about how to run a great garage sale, there are strong reasons to host an in-person sale, there are strong reasons to hold a virtual sale, and these reasons and benefits do not have to be at odds with one another! In fact, for you to have the most successful yard sale experience possible, it can be a good idea to mix elements of both together.
For example, an in-person yard sale is not typically something you can hold for an extended period of time, or very frequently for that matter. Possible HOA and similar community restrictions aside, the set-up and management of an in-person shop is exhausting and, unless you make it your main job, it just isn’t sustainable long term. Despite the charm and community of an in-person store, if you want a shop that is open regularly and long-term, online is absolutely the way to go. Connecting your virtual and in-person sales, however, can help bring some of that in-person charm and community to your online shop, spreading the benefits of one to the other.
Ultimately, a yard sale isn’t necessarily the poster child for high profits and big revenue. For the most part, yard sales and garage sales are fun and community-oriented ways of getting rid of old junk and making a quick buck while you’re at it. Virtual sales are a great way to add some convenience and accessibility to the mix, and in-person sales are where the mojo is. That said, if you’ve got your business cap on, and you’re looking to optimize your DIY retail model, an in-person sale is going to help you stand out, and a hybrid approach is going to put you on top. Long live the yard sale!
Yard Sale Search is the most popular platform to post your yard sales and garage sales online. If you want to get maximum visibility on the web, then you need to post your yard sale with us.