I’m adding some new websites about garage and estate sales. How to take what knowledge you have and use it to your advantage.

Well they say to do what you love so I am going to put together some new websites that may be of interest to you.  I have long been a fan of garage sales, estate sales and yard sales so I figure it is time to write about what I love to do.

Not only do I love looking for treasures and bargain hunting, but I am have been very successful at it. I want to pass along some of my experiences and also give you all some of my expertise in this area.

I have hundreds of photos of items I have bought and sold over the years and you can have fun looking and learning too. Some of you can make a living at this if you take the time to learn the ins and outs of the business.

As a teenager, I was very fortunate to have been mentored by an elderly couple who owned an antique and jewelry shop. They spent hours teaching me the business and sent me out on weekends treasure hunting for them. I made quite a bit of pocket money as a teen by just buying a few things at yard sales and selling them to them for a profit.  I have done this throughout my lifetime.

It never occured to me that I had a lot of unique knowledge and experience that I could share with people. Besides being fun, I am passionate about it. I can’t wait to get these websites going. Garage and yard sale savvy is something that takes years to learn, and estate sale savvy is another area of expertise in itself. What is savvy you ask?

Defined as: shrewdly informed; experienced and well-informed; canny

I am shrewly informed, but not in all things, just certain things. Things like musical instruments. Some are worth buying and some are not. Knowing the difference is where “shrewedly informed” come into play. I’ve been a musician all my life. Through the years I’ve learned quite a bit about musical instruments. I use this knowledge to my advantage. Especially at estate sales. Knowing what to buy and for what price is the key to making money.  What do you know a lot about? Use that to your advantage. That’s what my website are going to be about. How to take what knowledge you have and use it to your advantage.

Is this cool or what? Drop me a line or two and tell me what you think. I would love to hear from you all.

So be patient, as it will take me some time to get my new websites up and running. But until then keep checking back. If you have any ideas that you would like to see on my sites, make a post here. Here are the new names of my sites. They currently redirect to my carpet buying website until I get them ready to launch.

http://www.EstateSaleSavvy.com 

http://www.GarageSaleSavvy.com

http://www.YardSaleSavvy.com

Coming soon to a browser near you!

Take the Carpet Quiz

Do you know enough about

Buying Carpet to avoid making

 Serious and Costly Mistakes?

Take this Quiz before you start

shopping for carpet to find out! 

Buying carpet is not as simple as it was 20 or 30 years ago. but today it is very easy to make the wrong carpet choices. Smart carpet shoppers do their homework and research before making such an important and expensive purchase of buying new carpet. Can you make all the right choices and get the whole job done start to finish? Maybe so, my simple carpet quiz will put your carpet buying knowledge to the test! 

Are you a Smart Shopper? You better hope so. First, take your sweet time! There are hundreds or thousands of your hard-earned dollars at stake! Second, have a game plan! You should already have a good idea about what carpet style and main characteristics of the carpet and pad you want to buy. You should know how long you want your carpet to last and about how much it’s going to cost for the carpet, the pad and the installation, long before you reach for your checkbook. 

When you visit any retail carpet store, you don’t want to start asking advice from the carpet salesperson. Most of your carpet buying questions should have been researched and answered long before you start shopping for carpet. Any questions you have for the salesperson should be limited to  “How much does this carpet cost per yard?”,  or ” Do your installers use a power-stretcher?” or “Can I see a copy of the manufacturer’s carpet warranty?”.  

After you visit several carpet stores, you’ll almost think you’re buying carpet from a used car lot. The last thing you need is high-pressure salespeople and a garbage can full of conflicting information.  You will quickly understand the reason why you don’t want to ask carpet salespeople for advice.

Find out if you’re ready to start shopping for carpet, or if you should stay home tonight and read my E-book  “The Complete Carpet Buying Guide”. 

 

The Carpet Quiz

 Find out if you are ready to buy carpet wisely!

Carpet Quiz Answers are on the next page

1. Do you know which carpet padding to use for your home? Which padding is the best deal?

• Rebond                                            
• Foam                                                 
• Rubber,                                             
• Synthetic fiber                             
• Recycled fabrics                        

2. Here are some common features padding may have for an extra charge. Do you know what benefits they provide? Which of these features do you think are worth paying extra for? 

• Moisture barrier                                 
• Odor eating                                        
• Anti-microbial                                    
• None of the above                            
• I don’t know

3. Do you know what padding Density to choose? 

• 4 pound                                                
• 5 pound                                                
• 6 pound                                                
• 7 pound                                                
• 8 pound                                                
• 10 pound                                           
• Don’t know

4. Do you know what thickness of pad is required?

• ¼”                                                 
• 3/8″                                               
• 7/16″                                            
• ½”                                                
• Don’t know

5. Do you know about carpet fibers? Which fiber is most resilient?

• Nylon                                         
• Olefin or polypropylene         
• Polyester or P.E.T.                   
• Nylon / polyester blend         
• Sorona                                       

6. There are different ways to make carpet.  Would you choose a Continuous Filament fiber or go with a Staple Fiber?

• Continuous filament
• Staple fiber
• I don’t know

 

Carpet Care and Maintenance

How you care for your carpet will determine how long it will last. 

7. How many people live in your home? How many days per week do you vacuum on average?

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8

8. What number is higher?

• Your answer to How many people live in your home?
• Your answer to How many days per week do you vacuum?
• Both answers are the same

9. Do you have a good vacuum with a beater bar?

• Yes
• No
• I don’t know

10. How often do you have your carpet professionally cleaned?

• Never
• Every 6 months
• Once a year
• Every other year
• Every three years

11. Do you keep all the receipts for the professional cleanings?

• Yes    
• No
• I don’t know

12. Do you know what the following carpet definitions / conditions mean? Which of these conditions are covered by the manufacturer’s warranty? 

• Appearance retention
• Crushing
• Fading or color loss
• Footprints or indentations
• Matting
• Shading
• Shedding
• Filtration soiling
• Wrinkles
• Yellowing

13. Have you visited the website of “The Carpet and Rug Institute”? (CRI) 

• Yes          
• No

14. Are you familiar with the requirements set forth in “The Carpet & Rug Institute’s Standard 105 for Residential Installation”?

• Yes            
• No

15. Do you know which manufacturer’s warranties apply to your particular carpet?

• Yes
• No
• I don’t know

16. If some of your carpet is found to be defective and you file a valid claim with the carpet manufacturer, what do you think will typically happen next?

• They will refund my money 100%
• They will refund a percentage of my money
• They will replace all my carpet with another carpet of my choice
• They will remove all of the old carpet and install new carpet of the exact same type and style.
• They will remove the defective carpet areas only and install new carpet of the same type and style.
• They will issue a pro-rated credit to your retailer equal to the cost of the carpet material only, for the affected area only, the credit is good only toward new carpet from the same manufacturer. They will not pay to remove your old carpet, nor will they pay to have your replacement carpet installed.
• They will pay to have the carpet repaired if possible

Carpet Installation

How your carpet is installed will determine how long it will last

17. What is the best day to have your new carpet delivered to your home:

• The day it is to be installed
• The day before
• The week before
• I don’t know

18. What is the best climate to have your carpet installed

• On a warm day with the doors open
• On a cool day with the doors closed
• Any day with the heater on (66*F) before and during installation
• I don’t know

19. What should do you do before the carpet installer begins to install your new carpet?

• Move all small breakables and valuables into a safe and secure area
• Make arrangements for kids and pets to be out of the work areas
• Check to make sure the installer will use a power-stretcher
• Take photographs or a video of the entire area in case you need to prove damages in court
• Make sure the installer has brought the right carpet style, quality and color
• Have the installer roll out the carpet so you can check the carpet for obvious defects.
• Make sure you have the original carpet sample so you can compare it with the carpet delivered

20. What should you do after the carpet installer is finished installing your carpet?

• Call all your friends to come over and see the new carpet!
• Inspect the carpet installation completely. Withhold final payment until you are completely satisfied.
• Pick up all the carpet scraps and vacuum the carpet well.
• Show the installer where you want all the carpet and pad waste to go.
• Find out how long the carpet seams will look so obvious. 

Click to see Quiz Answers at www.carpetsupersite.com/quiz_answers.htm