Garage Sales over - phew!

Phew! Garage Sale over! Pretty tiring! Prior to both weekends, we had prepared and distributed flyers into our neighbours' letterboxes and we had to arrange our stuff (like in a retail store) and price them. People started streaming in even before we officially opened. The same people came again the next day cos they wanted to see if we had new stuff to offer. They were grabbing like crazy!

All sorts of people popped by. We had those who didn't say a word. They just whipped out their money and paid without bargaining. My favourite sort of people! Then we had people who bargained so ridiculously, you would have thought they were expecting you to give it to them free.

We had to label some furniture as 'SOLD' cos the people had paid for them but had arranged for a pick up at a later date. So when others came, they'd go 'Oh!' 'Ah!' 'What a waste! Sold!' 'How much did you sell it for?' 'So cheap?!' 'Aiyah!'
They lamented the stuff already sold. But when we pointed out other furniture not yet sold, they just shook their heads with nary a glance. That told me one thing. If THOSE items hadn't yet been sold, they wouldn't have bought them anyway. They were just trying to tell us, they would have bought them but they were too late.

We had a couple. I don't know why I am saying this but they were PRs. The most classic case of being 'kniao' / cheapskate. They were one of those who had Oooed and Aaaahed at the 'SOLD' items. But when I showed them other pieces of furniture not yet sold, they just kept shaking their heads. They were touching and opening everything.
Finally, something caught the wife's eye. Item A was priced at S$5 (a hideous, bright pink vase - a gift from someone). The couple offered S$2. I counter offered $4 and if they agreed to buy it, I'd throw in a wooden kitchen roll stand priced at $1.
They begged me to let me have the vase at S$3 AND to throw in the kitchen roll stand for free. I relented (because a garage sale is to get rid of stuff, especially hideous stuff, no?)
Then another item caught their eye. A plaque with a runaway horse (another hideous gift from someone). I told them S$2.
Their eyes widened incredulously. They said, 'This so cheap?'
Would you believe it? Not the fact that they wanted that hideous item but the fact that the guy then chased me all over the sitting room trying to convince me that all he had to do return me the free kitchen roll stand priced at S$1 which I had agreed to throw in for free. I refused. Fed up, I walked away.
He was practically pulling my arm as I walked away from him, "You see mam, it's the SAME thing."
He ran after me, "This is worth S$1 and you gave it to me. I just return you this item and I pay you S$1 for this".
I just turned around and gave him a steely glare. Very firmly, I said, 'It's NOT the same thing' and walked away.
Well they couldn't pass up the good offer and they paid for the hideous horse plaque but not before they went snooping round the whole place opening every little box or container. Fortunately, the rest of the people weren't like this tiresome couple. We met some lovely people too. All in, I'm glad we only have Garage Sales when we're moving house. I really hope this isn't going to happen again anytime soon!