Hi all.
I live in the UK but am in the process of clearing my father’s house in Basel for selling. (Anyone interested? It’s on the Bruderholz).
I would love to have the neighbours come and look at all the stuff we haven’t yet got rid of - do I need a license for this, or just let the neighbourhood know date and time? Not sure yet if I want to sell or just give away.
Has anyone ever done this, any hints or recommendations?
Many thanks.
I’ve not done a garage sale but used Tutti (free), Recardo and Facebook marketplace. Maybe you can put a bunch of photos of some items on one of those sites and let them know a time you would open the house for viewing? I’m not sure that will work but if that not perhaps just list several on tutti and tell them they must pick up. No shipping-unless you wish to do that. If you don’t have photos you could perhaps just mention that you have many items for giveaway or small cost with a time they can come view.
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I had to ‘clear’ the house of a Gottie (she was 95) last year. If there is some good stuff, call & send photos to Koller / Schuler (auction houses), might be worth the time – we sold about 40% of the furniture items there. If they say ’ not suitable for us’, don’t give up 
. Go to 2 or 3 local antique shops, they will pass by and also go for the grabs. We also placed several ads of ‘nice stuff’ at relatively low prices in Tutti & Ricardo, local and not-local collectors called, then came to the house and also took more than what they originally wanted 
Make sure that you state 'pick up during the weekend of x/xx…at Basel Stadt - more ware available for collectors" (f.example). I also went to the local ladeli, where people knew the Gottie, and informed her of the ‘open house / garage sale’ over the weekend – she told it to all of her customers…
We sold about 95% of everything – from pans and pots, to real beautiful art nouveau furniture. It is incredible what people collect (I say that a collector is just a hoarder with expensive taste…and I’m one myself!)
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And on the process, we met very interesting people – We had also for example the owner of a small boutique hotel, fully 1940’s style, who bought selected pieces for the rooms, and sent us the photos, and an invite for coffee&cake at their restaurant, so we saw the pieces on their new life. Or a private collector from Zurich, who insisted on driving me (as I don’t have a car) back & forth to Thurgau, so he could have some ‘pre- private tour & time’ to choose his pieces. Or the man who contacted me on behalf of the Ceramic National Museum, because he had seen in Ricardo a piece that was of historical relevance. I thought it was a scam…but it was true, he was a curator!!! We donated that piece to the National Museum, and is now on display 
I could tell some two dozen interesting stories… but one warning - it will NOT be quick. If you want to just empty it, the local antiquaires will do it, but you’ll have to pay for it. Hope it helps!
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Thanks, Lucy, I didn’t know about Tutti.
Thank you SO much for your info! Very useful idea to let the local shop + cafe know. We’ve been through Koller, Schuler and others, so it really is “stuff” that’s left.