26 maggio 2007

Garage Sale & Lemonade Stall: American traditions


One thing I would really love is to host a garage sale.
I have so many stuff to give a way, and I don't throw them to waste.
I mean, I would love to get some euros from their sale, but it's not because I need money.
I would give the income to some animal rescue association.

In Italy there is no garage sale. If you have used stuff you are no longer able to put somewhere in the house, or that simply you want to get rid of, you can:
1) trash them
2) bring them to a used shop
3) give them to someone or something (a library, charity, association,...)
4) try to sell them on your own through internet

Option no. 4 is far away from money making, since eBay fees are high, but the postal costs are even higher, especially for books.
There is a used stuff marketplace called "Il mercatino", but they choose what to put on display and you are given 50% of the sale price. After a certain time (let's say, one month), the price drops to the half, so that you will get half of the half (a quarter) which is about to nothing.

Sometime ago I read on expattalk (the forum of Expats in Italy) that Italians don't have the culture of the used things. We tend to not evaluate correctly the stuff we want to self, and we are not willing to pay too much for something used. Also, we see the act of buying used stuff like a sign of poverty.

I was looking for a picture of a garage sale and come to this page from Brookville, OH, listing the rules for garage sales.

  1. Duration no more than 4-days

  2. One month between garage sales.

  3. No more than 3-garage sales per year.

  4. One non-illuminated sign not to exceed 4 sq ft in size, no more than 3 ft in height above any grade may be displayed on the property where the same is held.

  5. No more than two (2) 4 sq ft in size, off site signs of a directional type, one per collector or arterial type road.

  6. No balloons, streamers, special lighting, noise making devices or similar advertising or notice shall be used to call attention to the garage sign.

  7. Signs cannot be attached to utility poles.

  8. All signs must be removed within 24 hours after the conclusion of the garage sale.

It seems fair to me. I don't know if it possible to have garage sales in Italy.
When I was a child and I was still in primary school there was a summer of garage sales between us children.
It was nothing authorized, let's say one girl in my class, Elisa, one day put a sheet in front of her house to display some used toys and girly stuff (such as bracelets, necklaces, ...).
So every other girl in the class wanted to do the same. I didn't have the space to display my stuff, so I just put them on display in a window open to the street in the first floor. I sold nothing.

In Charlez Schultz stripes, the Peanuts, there are children selling lemonade. I have never seen one in Italy, I think it is forbidden to sell drinks & food if you are not authorized (i.e. sanitary checks, and so on).

3 commenti:

  1. When I was a child, with the help of a friend, I tried to sell lemonade.
    If I remember well, we sold no more than 2 or 3 glasses (probably they were bought by our relatives...) but nobody asked us for any authorization.
    Probably because I live in a very small town and nobody cares about things like lemonade selling!

    RispondiElimina
  2. Umm-maybe you should be the first to start a gargae sale. That pick from Brookville Ohio is not too far from my home here in Ohio.

    You are suppose to get a permit from your city to have a garage sale. Maybe you can check with your city to see what the rules are. No rules-have a nice garage sale :)

    Take care
    Love,
    Terri

    RispondiElimina
  3. Anonimo3:15 PM

    Great work.

    RispondiElimina

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