If you’re looking at the above photo, you're likely wondering if my summer Vast Accumulation of Stuff garage sales are actually going to happen. Hence the question mark. Well, the short answer is...yes, they are.
In a year when sensible comics conventions are cancelling, I had a great many concerns about holding garage sales. At first, I thought I could limit customers at any given time and have one-way aisles. Since my tables are six feet long, one customer per table at a time seemed possible. I could mandate customers wear masks and provide hand sanitizer for when they entered. However, no matter how many times I configured the garage sales layout and measured the space, I couldn’t get around the fact that my garage was just too small to accommodate multiple customers.
Conventions have been a decent source of income for me, which was important considering I wasn’t getting much (if any) work writing comic books. Conventions were pretty much off the table for 2020. At this point, I’m waiting for the two remaining conventions on my schedule to cancel or to decide if I'll cancel my appearances at them.
Garage sales have also been a decent source of income for me. That income also seemed lost to me in 2020. Unless...
Starting Monday, July 13, my VAOS garage sales will be open to my customers on a ONE-ON-ONE, APPOINTMENT ONLY basis. There will be no set hours. Customers will contact me via e-mail or private message on Facebook and request a date and a time. I’ll check the schedule and do my best to accommodate them.
I’m going to be as flexible as humanly possible about accommodating appointment requests. I’ll schedule your morning, afternoon or evening appointments seven days a week. Within reason and dependent on the other things I have going on in my life.
Initially, these appointments will be one hour long. I plan to clean the garage and tables after every appointment.
If you don’t have an appointment and see my garage door is open for someone who made an appointment, you will be allowed to wait at the end of the driveway until the customer is finished. Then, I’ll wave you in and give you time to shop, though how much time is dependent on the next appointment.
The rules remain the same as if I were having multiple customers. You must wear a mask. You must pay cash. Unless you are an on duty police officer, no guns or other weapons are allowed in my garage.
As always, I will sign any Tony Isabella item you purchase from me for free. In a slight change, I will only sign Isabella items that you didn’t buy from me for free if you have already made a purchase of $25 or more.
To sum up...
In a year when sensible comics conventions are cancelling, I had a great many concerns about holding garage sales. At first, I thought I could limit customers at any given time and have one-way aisles. Since my tables are six feet long, one customer per table at a time seemed possible. I could mandate customers wear masks and provide hand sanitizer for when they entered. However, no matter how many times I configured the garage sales layout and measured the space, I couldn’t get around the fact that my garage was just too small to accommodate multiple customers.
Conventions have been a decent source of income for me, which was important considering I wasn’t getting much (if any) work writing comic books. Conventions were pretty much off the table for 2020. At this point, I’m waiting for the two remaining conventions on my schedule to cancel or to decide if I'll cancel my appearances at them.
Garage sales have also been a decent source of income for me. That income also seemed lost to me in 2020. Unless...
Starting Monday, July 13, my VAOS garage sales will be open to my customers on a ONE-ON-ONE, APPOINTMENT ONLY basis. There will be no set hours. Customers will contact me via e-mail or private message on Facebook and request a date and a time. I’ll check the schedule and do my best to accommodate them.
I’m going to be as flexible as humanly possible about accommodating appointment requests. I’ll schedule your morning, afternoon or evening appointments seven days a week. Within reason and dependent on the other things I have going on in my life.
Initially, these appointments will be one hour long. I plan to clean the garage and tables after every appointment.
If you don’t have an appointment and see my garage door is open for someone who made an appointment, you will be allowed to wait at the end of the driveway until the customer is finished. Then, I’ll wave you in and give you time to shop, though how much time is dependent on the next appointment.
The rules remain the same as if I were having multiple customers. You must wear a mask. You must pay cash. Unless you are an on duty police officer, no guns or other weapons are allowed in my garage.
As always, I will sign any Tony Isabella item you purchase from me for free. In a slight change, I will only sign Isabella items that you didn’t buy from me for free if you have already made a purchase of $25 or more.
To sum up...
My garage sales are held at 840 Damon Drive, Medina, OH 44256. E-mail me for appointments and I'll respond as quickly as possible. First come, first served. You can also contact me via Facebook private messages. No phone calls.
I’ll start scheduling appointments for Monday, July 13, and through the month of August. Weather permitting, I may extend the sales to the end of September.
One-on-one unless you’ve cleared bringing a friend with me prior to arriving for your appointment. Wear a mask. Use the hand sanitizer. Leave your guns in your car.
Free signatures on Tony Isabella items you purchase from me at the garage sales. Free signatures on Tony Isabella items you did not purchase from me after you have made a purchase of $25.
That’s the how and what of my garage sales. Despite the photo, I’m 100% confident I’ll be ready for my customers and have lots of cool stuff on sale. Masks and all, it’ll be good to see you and do some fun comics chat again.
Keep watching the bloggy thing for updates on the garage sales and some of the cool things I’ll have at them. I’ll be back soon with other bloggy stuff.
© 2020 Tony Isabella
One-on-one unless you’ve cleared bringing a friend with me prior to arriving for your appointment. Wear a mask. Use the hand sanitizer. Leave your guns in your car.
Free signatures on Tony Isabella items you purchase from me at the garage sales. Free signatures on Tony Isabella items you did not purchase from me after you have made a purchase of $25.
That’s the how and what of my garage sales. Despite the photo, I’m 100% confident I’ll be ready for my customers and have lots of cool stuff on sale. Masks and all, it’ll be good to see you and do some fun comics chat again.
Keep watching the bloggy thing for updates on the garage sales and some of the cool things I’ll have at them. I’ll be back soon with other bloggy stuff.
© 2020 Tony Isabella
I have done a lot of "garage sales by appointment" over the years. It has worked well for me and I hope you have success with it also! Some of us in the neighborhood are having a regular sale July 15-17, maybe 18th, so you might want to put up signs then and consider impromptu/walk-in appointments if you're available.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the alert. I'll see what my schedule is like.
ReplyDelete