Perspectives
My
Cleaning Pet Peeve
This past
weekend saw me, like so many other parents, scouting garage sales
for good used kids stuff for my toddler and baby. It is a great
feeling for me to come away with something my kids will love for
usually very little. The seller feels good for having got rid of
an item and made money. But one thing can really ruin this experience,
and I've found it happens way to often. My Cleaning Pet Peeve is
when people don't clean the kids items they are trying to sell.
Is there
anything grosser than a dirty stroller that has spit up and poop
stains on the material, unidentifiable food crumbs in the cracks,
dirt on the wheels, frames and handle bar, and the seller wants
$100 for a stroller that sells new for $189.00? Come on people.
I've seen car seats and high chairs so caked in dirt and who knows
what else that no one should put their child anywhere near them!
I don't normally buy kids clothing at garage sales because they
can be worse than the bigger items. Stains, rips, tears and worn
out areas are common on these articles. Would you put your child
in someone else's dirty clothes? You catch my drift? In an effort
to cleanse the garage sale world of these dirty kids things, I suggest
any readers guilty of what I speak, take note.
Firstly,
thoroughly clean all kids items you are trying to sell!! Do the
very best you can because you will sell more and be able to get
better prices for them. Also, keep in mind that if you have one
or two dirty items, you may turn a potential buyers stomach enough
to make she or he not want to buy anything from you. Check manufacturers
suggestions for cleaning items and check out the tips in this website.
Secondly,
if there are stains you can't remove, check the stain
section of this website to see if you've tried everything. If
you still haven't been able to get the stain out, make the price
you are asking for your item very low, or free!
Thirdly,
make any repairs you can to the items you are selling. Sew on missing
buttons. Try to have all the pieces that belong with the item such
as the padding for highchairs, unless the padding is in such bad
shape that it should be thrown in the garbage.
Lastly,
be flexible and realistic when it comes to your prices. Let's face
it, you are selling used kids stuff. No matter how good the condition
of the item is, it is still used. But be assured that if you have
cleaned up your wares to the best of your ability, you will have
better success selling them.
As for buyers,
I suggest you be selective with your purchases. There are many people
out there who take good care of their things and wash them thoroughly
when it comes time to sell them. Be patient and you will hit the
jackpot. Good sellers include Grandparents whose grandkids didn't
visit very often! Don't be afraid to bargain with a seller. If a
kids item, or any item for that matter, is a bit dirty and you can
clean it up at home, get the seller to come down in price if you
can.
There is
nothing wrong with selling or buying used kids stuff. But please
be sure that a child doesn't have to suffer dirty consequences.
By Derek
Cassidy
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