Backyard Money Machine: How to Organize and Operate a Successful Garage Sale
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Editorial Review
1. Review source: Product Description
Every weekend there are thousands of garage, tag, craft, rummage, household, moving, divorce, farm, etc. sales all over the U.S. The driving force behind each of these sales is one or a group of people who spend hours sorting, cleaning, displaying and selling unwanted possessions and other homespun merchandise to their friends and neighbors. Suprisingly few of these sales are organized and operated to make as much money as possible. Competition for the estimated 2 billion dollars spent each year at these types of sales has never been more intense and is likely to increase significantly over the next few years.
Les Schmeltz has spent the last several years investigating the best ways to help you earn money from a Garage Sale. He visited thousands of sales, gathering ideas from each of them. Some ideas were good, many weren't. They were all checked, analyzed, tried and verified in actual Garage Sales. The best of these ideas have been compiled into a 224 page book titled THE BACKYARD MONEY MACHINE: How to organize and Operate a successful Garage Sale. This down-to-earth guide offers practical advice and proven techniques for turning unwanted household items into a significant amount of cash. Hundreds of suggestions covering everything from initial organization to final clean-up will help anyone make the most of a Garage Sale opportunity. Checklists, sample promotional materials and references are also included in this well organized, clearly written "How To."
Favorable Customer Review
2000-06-02 If you want to make lots of money, you need this book!: Previous garage sales I had held weren't a big success, so I purchased this book to help me do better. At the time my husband thought I was crazy, but did he change his tune! Les R. Schmeltz's book was wonderful. It helped me from beginning to end. By following his tips throughout the book we sold everything. My husband was shocked at the amount of money we made! People that came actually complimented us on our set-up and signs, one of the many things Mr. Schmetlz stated was an important feature for a garage sale. And I loved his "checklist" at the back of his book. If you want to have a great and successful garage sale, this book is a must!
Number of people who found this review helpful: 18 of 18
Unfavorable Customer Review
2006-01-10 Disappointing: I am not sure the author has ever held a garage/yard/tag sale. The book is a list of "tips" with little order and prioritization or system. Not only did I not learn anything new, but I strongly disagreed with a number of her recommendations (such as shopping at other people's sales for stuff to sell at your own.)
Number of people who found this review helpful: 1 of 2
2000-07-27 The author needs a course in brevity...: This book is packed with information; too much information. I couldn't read over 200 pages on how to do a garage sale the right way! Mr. Schmeltz' "research" after studying a "thousand" garage sales doesn't take the place of actual experience. He treated the topic like a college essay, not an easy-to-use how-to on garage sales. I wonder how many who purchased this book actually read it cover to cover?
Number of people who found this review helpful: 8 of 10
Neutral Customer Review
2005-08-23 Summarizing what you already know: This book by Mr. Schmeltz does have some helpful hints and strategies for conducting yard/garage sales, but the majority of the information, I personally feel, is already known or common sense to those that have held these types of sales before. I would only recommend this book to first timers and those who need the extra push to get organized.
Number of people who found this review helpful: 2 of 2