Why Our Prices May Surprise You

If you find yourself thinking, “Wow, that price seems high for a yard sale,” we totally understand. Yard sales are often associated with rock-bottom prices and quick clean-outs—a “let’s see if we can get a buck for it before we throw it out” mindset. But we approach things a little differently, and we’d like to share why.

If you find yourself thinking, “Wow, that price seems high for a yard sale,” we totally understand. Yard sales are often associated with rock-bottom prices and quick clean-outs—a “let’s see if we can get a buck for it before we throw it out” mindset. But we approach things a little differently, and we’d like to share why.

First and foremost, we take the time to research every item we sell. Before anything makes it onto a table, we look into its current market value—what similar items are actually selling for today. From there, we typically discount that value by 40–60% to make sure you’re getting a great deal.

We also factor in the condition. Scratches, wear, and missing parts all matter—but so does finding an item that’s complete and well preserved. A piece in excellent condition will naturally be priced higher than one that shows heavy use, but we always aim to price fairly based on what you’re getting.

It’s also worth noting that most of what we’re selling falls into the antique or collectible category. That “old toy car” you assume is worth a dollar might actually be a rare find worth far more. For example, we recently sold an old paint-by-number kit for $75 and a tin airplane for $250. Why? They were complete, unique, in excellent condition—and about 60 years old! (Market values were around $150 and $450, respectively.)

We’ve done the research—and we’re always happy to share what we know. If something catches your eye and the price seems high, just ask us about it. You might learn something interesting—and walk away with a great deal. Our goal is to price fairly, not guess or pull numbers out of thin air.

And here’s the best part: we’re open to offers! Yard sales should be fun, and part of that fun is the back-and-forth. Sometimes we price an item a bit higher than what we expect to sell it for—and that’s intentional. If we’re willing to take $5 and you’re willing to pay $10, it only makes sense to start at $15 and meet somewhere in the middle.

At the end of the day, we’re not just trying to sell stuff—we’re trying to match unique items with people who will appreciate them. Many of these pieces carry stories and memories, and we’d love to see them find a great new home. We aim to make fair deals so everyone walks away happy. So take a look, ask questions, and don’t be shy about making an offer—you never know what treasure you might find!

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All Aboard!

A quick update on the big project I mentioned earlier: the full HO train set—platform, buildings, engines, and cars—is now up on the website. Facebook and Craigslist listings will follow shortly.

There are 65 individual pieces and over 400 photos, all easy to browse by filtering with “TRN” or by visiting the Toys → Trains category. Several items are genuine collector pieces, and the whole collection reflects the classic 1950s era when my Dad built the original layout for me as a newborn. I worked on it and added to it as I grew up, so it’s a special set with a lot of history.

Our goal is to find a good home for the entire collection as one complete unit, but we’re open to selling it in two groups—the platform with buildings, and the engines/cars—if needed. Individual pieces may be considered, though our strong preference is to keep the set together.

More updates coming soon as we add more stuff!

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Quick Update

Hi everyone,

Just a quick update from Tilgen Effort headquarters. Things slowed down a bit after our heater gave up for a couple of days during the cold snap… followed by a burst pipe, a couple of leaky faucets, and even a dripping water filter. Thankfully, everything is fixed and the house is warm, dry, and behaving again.

I’ve been working on adding new items, but right now I’m taking a little side detour to focus on a really fun project: an HO train layout from the 1960s that my Dad built. It should be heading up online soon. The photos of the houses are finished, and now we’re working through testing and cataloging the engines and cars. Once the whole set (including the platform) is ready, it’ll go up on the website, Facebook, and Craigslist. So, hang in there! It should be a great display!

We have a couple of other side projects that have popped up, so things may roll out a bit slower than usual. Thanks for hanging in there and sticking with the journey — the effort continues, and there’s plenty more to come.

Keep watching!

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New Stuff Online!

We’ve added some exciting new things to the listings!

Thank you for being part of The Tilgen Effort email list—we’re grateful to have you along as we continue redeeming space and finding new homes for the many treasures collected over four generations.

Yes, it has been a while. We’ve just been busy with the holidays… and a side project! As we’ve been going through all this stuff, we’ve found a LOT of items that link to the history of our twin boroughs. We invited a representative of the local historical society over, and at the end of the afternoon, he headed out with over 250 items of interest! The society got some historic stuff, and we got rid of it! Win-win!

Oh… How do you like our new logo? In sorting through documents, we came across the logo that Lew’s Dad made for a ‘Gift House’ that he was considering starting back in the 1970’s. We added a little color, and are using it in his memory.

Anyway… We’ve just added a fresh batch of items to the website, and we wanted you to be among the first to know. This batch focuses on antique toys. Some of these pieces will be heading onto Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Etsy, or eBay, but the website remains the central hub where everything is organized and easy to browse.

To help you spot the newest additions quickly, you can filter for them on the site by searching for the following three-letter prefix:

• YLX

Using the prefix will pull up a group of newly listed items, making it simple to explore what’s just been added.

As always, if something catches your eye, feel free to reach out through the contact form on that item’s page—we typically respond within 24 hours. And if you’re hunting for something specific, let us know; we’re always happy to check what’s tucked away.

Thanks again for being part of this effort. More items are on the way, so keep an eye on your inbox, Facebook, and the site for future updates.

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