A limited-edition Jimi Hendrix poster could cost Rs 2,000 if you were to buy it from a store. Getting it imported would mean extra cost. But Bangalore resident Angad Menon managed to get his hand on the poster for Rs 200. He even got two more posters for the same amount. Better still, the posters were framed.
How, you may ask. Menon purchased the collection from a garage sale organised in his locality. Garage sale is a popular retail concept in the West, wherein people exhibit used household items in their backyard for sale. Generally, the products are priced much lower even as they continue to command high-brand value. The buyers include neighbours, friends and sometimes even the general public.
Abodh Aras, chief executive officer (CEO) of Welfare for Street Dogs (WSD) says there is a rise in the number of people holding garage sales. It is, especially, seen in the metros, he says. “One can find books, rare artifacts, furniture and so on at these sales at throwaway prices,” says Aras.
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The products on sales can be bought for as low as 70 per cent of the original value. Organisations such as WSD hold garage sales for fund raising. Whereas, individuals hold them either because they are relocating or to raise funds for personal requirements. These sales last for about four to five days.
He says on their sales they have had rare books and antique furniture. “I had purchased a coffee mug, which belonged to the Royal Yacht Club of Mumbai from a garage sale, which otherwise I could not have found anywhere else. At one of our garage sales, adman Pritish Nandy, had put some of his suits that he had worn just once,” he says.
In the present economic situation, where inflation and no pay hikes is the norm, buying from these garage sales would seem like a good option. Here, one could find products, such as washing machines, refrigerators, air conditioners, bed sets and so on at very low prices and of good quality. The products in these sales are available at cheaper rates than secondhand shops.
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So, how does one come to know about such sales? Menon says he came to know about it through a friend. “A friend’s friend was relocating. So, practically everything in their house was for sale, right from the furniture to cutlery. It was all in good condition and the prices at which they were selling them were also quite low.”
He says the couple who had the garage sale did not have any other way of selling their belongings. Holding a garage sale was economical as they had it in their home. Some even rent halls to hold such sales.
Some even opt for sales online. It can save travel time. Scour the web and there are sites like Ebay and Amazon doing great business selling branded second-hand goods. The major participants are youngsters. Organisations such as WSD not only use social networking sites but also send out press releases or newsletters.
Mumbai-based Shakti Das, who is moving to Singapore by the end of this week, is holding a garage sale. This includes electrical appliances, furniture, utensils and even her car. Not only did she spread the word around through word of mouth, she also placed an ad with a classified web portal. She is selling her 21 inch TV, which is a year old, for Rs 4, 500. Her cupboard is up for Rs 2,500 and a steel bed with mattress for Rs 3,000. Other items such as a tables and so on were on sale for not more than Rs 600.
Yashvir Shah bought Das’ one-year old Maruti Alto for less than Rs 2 lakh. The car would otherwise cost Rs 3 lakh. He came to know about the sale while browsing the web.
Things sold at such sales should be first checked before you buy them. A drawback with these sales is trials and fittings. One may contend the sale should concentrate more on things that are not easily available off the shelf.