58 Signs for a Garage Sale Experiment

53 COMMENTS

  1. Jay awesome info. I am just getting started with my Avid CNC that is less than half the size of your machine! You have been a big influence. Thanks!!

  2. $2! Wow.. Will be interested to see what the retail environment can get for them. Thank you for all the handy hints.

    • Yeah, $2 was a bit of hard reality to swallow but I quickly realized I would be stuck with all of these if they didn’t go. Better to just get some info :)

  3. When I šaw title I expected something like 56 signs you are apending too much money on yard sales :)

  4. I have seen signs like that go for $25-$30 here in the Midwest in Michigan and Ohio. We bought quite a few laser etched signs that were essentially 1/4″ mdf with a frame around it when we were in Ohio a few months ago. Some were around $40-$50. My wife isn’t really a fan of v-carved signs. Of course it’s all personal taste. Also, people like customized signs which would sell for a little bit more than massed produced signs. But it’s good that you had a good variety for people to choose from.

  5. As usual, this was a very informative video, Jay. I’m just getting started with CNC and looking for ideas for quick easy projects for gifts and to sell. Although I think my price for something like this might be a *bit* higher than $2, it looks like a perfect craft show item. Keep up the great work!

    • I’m not sure what’s going on with this one. I just changed the embed code hoping it will work. This is a new system I am trying. All videos will go to YouTube like normal in a week. If I can’t get this working consistently I’ll go back to using YouTube exclusively for hosting videos.

  6. For me, the main benefit of a gar(b)age sale is the space that is recovered.

    I hadn’t thought of using cardboard as a spreader, but will try it. I use plastic gift cards to spread glue. They are a handy size and the glue peels off.

    • Plastic gift cards is a good idea. Our main benefit of the sale was to clear space as well. We normally make a trip to a thrift store to donate once a year but figured we would participate in the community sale this year. It was fun. But I don’t want to do that for another year haha.

    • I’m not sure what’s going on with this one. I just changed the embed code hoping it will work. This is a new system I am trying. All videos will go to YouTube like normal in a week. If I can’t get this working consistently I’ll go back to using YouTube exclusively for hosting videos.

      • Tried again still no video or even a indication that a video exists there. I would gladly chip in and pay for the content. Hope you can figure this out. Waiting patiently.

  7. Great video. I love your presentation style — no BS, just data and details. I think the coffee signs not going is more of a market segmentation indicator — the kind of people who yardsale at 6-11am are not the kind of people who hang signs about coffee in their kitchen.

    I bet if you sold the signs at a ‘community farmers market’ or ‘artisanal craft fair’, the coffee signs would sell better, because there is a lot of market overlap of ‘people who decorate their house about coffee’ and ‘people who like to frequent artisanal craft fairs.’ I’m speaking as the kind of guy who frequents artisanal craft fairs and would probably decorate my kitchen with a coffee sign.

  8. Great video as usual! I laser engrave slate coasters as sets with my diode laser and the coffee ones sell great, but it is coasters so kind of figures.
    I have followed you for years and really enjoy all your videos keep up the good work.

  9. Video’s playing fine….
    1. I liked the ‘pin-striped’ border reveal on the narrow ‘ CO / FF / EE’ sign – do that more.
    2. Your color choices are OK. No issues there.
    3. You could expand from ‘slogans’ to include ‘purpose’ signs, like individual letters and numbers; or things like “Please Patrol Your Pet’ or ‘Watch Your Step’, etc…….. Have some pointy sticks and wood screws handy.
    4. Selling them wholesale and not having to sell them yourself would be the way to go with these products……..

  10. I loved this vblog for a number of reasons. #1 as someone else said, it was not a lot of BS just information. I always like your style. #2 This is helpful from a business standpoint as signs do well in our area.

    Where do you get your ideas for sayings?

    Put your wife and daughter on more. I like seeing them. You are a great family. Keep educating us!

  11. Thanks Jay really enjoyed the information you shared. I always enjoy your experimentation of things.
    It’s funny you mentioned the Fuji Spray gun and leaving the Shellac in it all the time, i am pretty sure you mentioned this once before. I keep finding I have this expensive spray gun, but because i don’t want to spend 20 minutes cleaning it up after spraying for about the same time, i tend to reach for the rattle can. I keep telling myself that isn’t economical or doesn’t make sense, but I keep doing it.

  12. Your video is Just in time! I just got my new CNC and am planning a craft sale next month been doing hand-routed signs for years, mainly out of cedar. I’m going to add some MDF now after watching your video.

  13. I have to join the majority here and report that there is no video link shown here. As others, I shall wait for the regular release on YouTube.
    Thanks Jay for some awesome work and inspiration

  14. The whole video I was thinking what I would sell something like that for here in San Diego County, CA. I thought $15 each would be extremely fair for a first effort from this newbie, maybe with discounts for multiple purchases.

    I couldn’t believe they didn’t sell out at $2 each! I’m guessing it’s possible that $2 was too cheap?

    I read once about a gal selling kitschy art pieces for $7 each, but nothing sold at farmers markets. An advisor told her to raise the price to $20 and she actually sold a couple.

    Then she started playing around with the price and discovered she always sold the most pieces at $14.99 each. She called it the “sweet spot” and eventually found different designs always had their own sweet spots.

    I never batched stuff like this so I’m just one of the nameless horde offering advice about something I know nothing about! LOL! But I sure do like those signs.

    • I think the reason for not selling out at $2 each was due to the volume of customers. It was only a 4-ish hour garage sale and the majority of the customers bought at least one. I bet they would have sold out if I had more hours of the same customer volume.

    • Thanks for the feedback. I changed the video link to YouTube. The test I was running for the videos didn’t work out. Thank you for your patience.

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