Seller tip - keep your items updated

If you've sold an item, please mark it "sold" or delete it. Pretty please?

Seller tip - in home visit?

Twice, my wife has bought stuff from sellers who have come to our house. Wonderful in so many ways, at least two:

1) Makes it more convenient for the buyer (happy buyer = happy spender!)
2) No worry about a "no-show" not appearing at your house.

Nice, eh? I can tell you that both the sellers that appeared on our doorstep were handsomely rewarded with a multiplicity of purchases....

Seller tip - spell correctly

It may sound mundane, but it makes a difference in at least 2 ways:

1) People searching for "stroller" won't find your "stroler"
2) Poor spelling leaves an unprofessional feel with people. Nigerian scammers are notoriously bad at spelling. Differentiate yourself from them. :)

So, maybe you're spelling impaired, but we don't hold it against you (heck - this is a yard sale site where anything goes!). Need help? Type it into Word (or another word processor of your choice) and use their spell checker before posting. Slickeroonie.

Miss us?

I know, enough with my excuses, but I've been in Nigeria. Be glad that I was able to come back alive. :)

Some exciting blog posts coming your way this week. Stay tuned.

First come, first served? Or commit and hold?

We actually get this question fairly frequently:

Dear NYS Admin,

When I get multiple people responding to an item that are interested in it, should I just give them my address and say "first come, first served" or should I commit to the first person that responded?

Love,
NYS Fanatic

Dear NYS Fanatic,

Great question! We're glad you have that problem. :) Ultimately, it's up to you. With that said, here's what we recommend: assuming the first responder can get to your place in a reasonable amount of time, wait for them. Some people have to work (actually most people, eh?), others have kids that take naps, others have lazy husbands who don't fix the transmissions on their cars so they're stuck at home. Cut them some slack, and they'll likely be a better buyer. And you never know when you might be in their shoes, and might appreciate them holding something for you until you are discharged from the hospital "recovering" from your NYS addiction (good thing they have Wi-fi in the patient rooms!).

Love,
The NYS Team

Buyer tip

Buyer tip: Pay with cash.

Like Yogi Berra said: "And they give you cash, which is just as good as money."

NYS is all about trust, and you help build that trust. The seller is giving you a break on price, and you can give them a break by paying with something easily transferrable.

Don't accuse me of being a hypocrite, but for me, personally, I'll take money in whatever form it is. I trust you...:)

Seller Tip

Price it right.

If it isn't selling, one of the reasons may be a price higher than people are willing to pay. Remember, this is an online yard sale (objective: clear junk out!), not a resale shop.

Why we've been neglecting you

Missed a regular update here? Our apologies. What we've been up to:

1) Finishing up the final touches on Naperville Underground

2) Cleaning out our garage. Thanks to NYS, we can now park a vehicle in the garage. *A* vehicle, not both. Still working on that...but getting closer!

3) Playing in the snow and in the house. Isn't this what it's all about? :)

Don't hate me because I was first

Fortunately, I snagged the popular white bookshelves before everyone else did. My apologies if you missed out, but I don't feel too bad. Hey, given the growth rate of our children's book collection we'll need far more than these within a couple of months...

And did you know we already have 6 other bookcases full of children's books? I blame our book problem on two factors: books for 25 cents at yard sales + a 2 year-old daughter who thinks she knows how to read and spends hours paging through stories = huge need for book storage space. Nutso...

Support the ADOPT sale this weekend

From Sandy:

GIGANTIC GARAGE SALE!!! GREAT STUFF for a GREAT CAUSE!!!

After last year’s success, ADOPT plans to undertake a garage sale once again this year!! So get ready to shop!!

DATES:
Friday October 13th 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Saturday October 14th 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Sunday October 15th 10:00 am – 3:00 pm

PLACE: ADOPT Animal Shelter 420 Industrial Drive, Naperville

Please mark your calendar, come out and pick up some great “finds”!!

In conjunction with the garage sale we will have lots of homemade baked goods and snacks available for sale!!

We are expecting a great turnout, so be sure to shop early---shop often!!

With questions please contact Sandy at 847-458-6366 or sandyhollyboston@yahoo.com

Are you part of the "in" club?

Mike is now, thanks to the car decal.... :)

A tip for buyers

Okay avid buyers, a tip for you, too.

Sellers don't nail you with hefty shipping fees. And they wait at their house for the appointed time you promise to be there.

So here's the tip: be there when you say you will.

I know, it sounds simple, but it makes all the difference to the seller. Keep your word, and they'll keep selling their stuff to you for cheap. It's all about trust, which is why NYS is so successful for all of us. Feel the love?

Naperville Underground - Update

Okay, so we're still testing some things, tweaking some things, making modifications here and there. We're still in that "beta" -like mode (not the fish, the software, silly).

What do we hope NU will become? Well, there are are times you wish you knew more about something or you can't find an answer you're looking for or the search engines just aren't helping you out much. So, you pop online, ask, and someone will know something about it. And then you respond to someone else in the same boat. Nice, eh?

Once the content builds a bit more, we'll open it to the world, er, the NYS community. Just the blogwatching faithful that get a sneak preview.

Weekend Roundup - Live Naperville Yard Sales

The chillier air seems to reduce the number of stalwarts throwing them. Perhaps the enthusiasm of attendees will overcome. So, is this a seller's market? ;-)

10 Today
28 on Friday
29 on Saturday

Of course, this doesn't include the neighborhood sale in Ashbury (between 95th-104th and between Book and Naper-Plainfield). 50+ homes. Caaaan't.....resist......

Upcoming Fundraisers

Hey, check out two upcoming events we're helping support. The first is the Animal Rescue Network having a sale this weekend in Channahon. The second is the ADOPT sale next weekend. Hope to see you there, supporting them in their worthy causes!

Non-trashy treasures

Our latest steal? So my wife is at the YMCA (like she is just about every day) and sees the folks in the children's area throwing books away. Huh? Well, she asks if she can take a perusal through them. She walks away with 47. Forty-seven books! And given the fact that we have hundreds, probably thousands of children's books already, she's pickier now and only brings home the best.

Thank goodness for the yard saler in each of us that keeps the landfills just a bit smaller....:)

You want it? You got it!

Some of NYS addicts have requested a place to be a little bit more vocal, sharing thoughts, ideas, recommendations, odd chit-chat, etc. So, we've created a new site for you:

Naperville Underground

Of course it's free. :) We hope this will become a valuable resource for all of us - a sounding board we can use in the spare moments we have each day. And a live source important information (news, events, and the like). So, join up and jump into the foray....

oh, and since it's new, let us know if you encounter bugs along the way. Thanks!