Selling

Now that the rush, bustle, and spending of the holiday season is over, many of us are looking for some ways to cut back and save for things like summer trips.  One way that some people look to do this is by selling unwanted/unneeded items that they may have.  While there are lots of ways to go about this, one option that some choose is selling to a store like YesterNook.  Since we are having a little increase in prospective sellers right now, we thought it would be helpful to share some suggestions that can help make the process easier on you and on us.

Please remember when you bring items in for us to look at that there are many questions we have to ponder.  Is this an appropriate item for the store?  How many of them do we have right now?  What is our history with this type of item?  What kinds of items do we need in the store? 

These are the kinds of questions that we are thinking about when we look at each item.  The answers help us make our decisions about making offers on items.  They are not easy answers to come by sometimes and some of them can change from week to week.  Let’s look at two of them as an example.

Is this an appropriate item for the store?  YesterNook has some guidelines concerning items that its vendors can and cannot sell.  Your WWII era pistol may be a really great item for military collectors, but we, as a store, don’t sell weapons.  There are plenty of other places that do, however.

Another aspect of appropriateness  concerns the kind of store YesterNook is.  While we do sell older and vintage items, we’re not really an “antique” store, per se.  At least not when it comes to true higher-end antiques.  We’re just not set up to deal with certain items, and the offers that we could make on them probably wouldn’t be fair to you.  We’re just not the store for your classic, priceless Ming dynasty urn.  We could possibly make some recommendations to you of other places to try and sell it.

What kinds of items do we need in the store?  Need is a tricky item to quantify when it comes to stock, because it can change within a few days.  On Monday, we can be overrun with couches, and, by Wednesday, there won’t be one in sight.  As of this writing and posting, we don’t need many small items.  We’ll still look at things and consider them, but, if we don’t have a huge need in a certain area, then we buy less there.  What catches our eye during those times are well-kept pieces that are older and fairly unique.

If you do think that you have some items that you would like to sell, here are some guidelines to help you:

First, contact the store before dropping by.  A few questions over the phone can maybe save you a trip.  Some times at the store or busier than others, so calling can keep you from dropping in during a real rush period.

Next, think about what you want to sell the items for.  One of the first things that you’re going be asked in the store is “How much were you wanting to sell this for?”  It’s always better for you to have a number in mind as a starting point, as long as it’s a realistic number.

Make sure that your asking price isn’t being clouded by things like sentiment or nostalgia, which have no bearing on actual value.  Also remember that just because something is old, doesn’t mean that it’s automatically worth a lot of money.  If you research your items on line, make sure that you know how to recognize the price an item actually sold for on eBay, versus the price someone tried to sell it for.  Starting prices don’t tell you anything about an item.

Be prepared to discuss your items with us.  This includes an offer from us that may be lower than your asking price.  This is called negotiation, and it is a part of the process when you sell items to the store.  We’ll be polite, respectful and realistic from our end.  It helps the process if the person with the items is too. 

Behaviors that don’t help the process:  rudeness, haggling, pressure tactics, threatening, and malicious behavior.  If you think you might want to sell to the store again, then remember that you need to be building a relationship with every visit.

Finally, be prepared for the “necessary” steps.  We will ask for identification.  We’ll also ask you to fill out a form that states the property is yours to sell.  These are kept on file.  We like to make sure that everything about our buying process is fair and above board.  Your cooperation in these matters will keep it that way.

No matter how the deal goes, please don’t take any offer from us personally.  It’s never a reflection on you as a customer or person or on your items if we decide not to buy.  It all goes back to those things we have to consider for the store.

You can call the store about selling items any time during regular business hours.  You can also bring items by, but calling before dropping by is strongly encouraged.  If you have large items or a lot of things, you can arrange for a house visit.   You can also email us, if you want to include photos.