Yes, there is value to knowledge. That does not excuse taking unfair advantage of someone who, for whatever reason, does not have that knowledge. If you wouldn’t want someone else to do it to you, don’t do it to them.

If the tug-of-war of cause-effect is all you rely on for business to remain effective, and remove the moral aspect, you get the big mess our country is in today. I am curious if anyone knows how the Amish conduct business- do they strive for win-win and kindness? Just curious, as they seem to have the communities with the least strife. At least publicly, anyway.

My mom bought a very valuable piece of art for 3 dollars at an antique mall. Her profit belongs to her for her trained eye to spot it.

Trent, you knew the value, so you profited. Such is capitalism.

Now, I should mention that when I am in my normal sane, rational mode (non cleaning-out mode) I research everything, sell on eBay or Craigslist, and if I can say so myself I’m pretty good at that. But there is a time and a place for everything, and I think a yard sale is the time and place for JUST GETTING RID of that darned stuff that is draining your energy, and maybe make a few bucks out of it. That’s about all most people expect from a yard sale. If a buyer gets to profit, good for him or her.

Trent, I’m with you. In my book, you did not do anything wrong, either ethically, legally, or morally.

The only person I have to answer to is myself. I guess I require more of myself than some of you do!

And #59; I have told more than one boss that they have an outstanding employee who deserves a raise! Just because you never heard it doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. Unless you never go beyond the call of duty and earn such praise…

People generally realize that selling at a garage sale may be the easiest way to sell things, but isn’t the way to get top dollar. The couple in Trent’s example could easily have gone on line and found the *retail* value of the cards and dealt with e-bay if they wished. They chose not to.

I will tell a courteous flea marketer or garage saler if they have a second or third item they may want to mark up. So far, I’ve seen few actually take the markup, though.

Sometimes, getting rid of stuff is the value that people running yard sales are really looking for. If they were doing it for the money, they’d more likely be using consignment shops and selling items individually online.

On another note, I find it easier to let go of my emotional attachment to stuff if someone is likely to use it later, which is part of why I take the time to donate to Good Will instead of throwing functional but unneded items out. Some people may find holding a yard sale and selling stuff an easier way to let go of unneeded possessions than donating.

The way I see it, what the seller charges and what the buyer pays are all down to what an item is worth *to them.* I’d agree with Trent’s point about pricing being the seller’s responsibility too, but to me the subjective value is more important than any absolute, researched value.

I just called my son-in-law’s mother this morning to ask about her duty in Guam. She didn’t recall any weight limitations, though she said it depends somewhat on rank. Before going you are briefed, and they estimate the weight of your stuff. The military moved several huge crates for them. She recalls that service people there had yard sales on the base and sold to other service people. When I explained what this discussion was about, she said that buying low and selling high is just good business.

My earlier comments were a response to the implication that military families are somehow victims of circumstances, when in fact this is what they signed up for. The military is a noble career, but it is not family friendly. When you sign up you know you will move frequently. I was pointing out that there are strategies to avoid financial impact from moving. I know military people who actually made the frequent moves to their financial advantage.