How to Plan a Yard or Garage Sale

You've been organizing and decluttering like mad; now it's time to get
rid of what you've culled. The secrets to a successful garage sale are
ample preparation, team organization and sales presentation. Do your
prep in advance and relax on the big day while the money rolls in.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Schedule your garage sale far enough in advance that you can place classified ads in city and community newspapers. Hold your sale on a nonholiday weekend, unless you live in a resort town with lots of vacationers. Check the long-range forecast for good weather.

2. Give boxes to everyone in your family a few weeks before the sale. Have each person fill a box or two with things he or she wants to sell (beyond what's already piled in the garage). Let the kids know they can keep the cash from their items.

3. Give your neighbors a courtesy call before the yard sale. They'll appreciate it, and may even have items to add to your stock.

4. Organize your neighbors to hold sales on the same day as yours. An enormous block sale will attract flocks of buyers and generate great foot traffic. Offer to sell stuff for friends and family for a commission.

5. Take out an ad in the paper, and create large, easy-to-read signs for the neighborhood. Tap into no-cost resources, such as online listings or community newspapers that publish free classifieds.

6. Set and post a starting time, and put out a sign that warns "Early birds pay double"--and stick to it. Otherwise, your doorbell will start ringing at 5 a.m., and the good stuff will be gone before the majority of your customers arrive.

7. Round up volunteers if you expect large crowds. Friends and family may be willing to help in order to get rid of their own junk.

8. Scrub, wash, polish and launder anything you plan to sell. If an item needs a simple repair to greatly increase its selling price, do it. Hang clothing on makeshift racks, sorted by size, without cramming too many garments onto the rods. Provide a changing area and mirror.

9. Use masking tape or colored dots and a permanent marker to price everything. Setting up "$1 or less" and "$5 or less" tables or boxes will save you time and attract shoppers.

10. Be realistic when you price things: You may have spent a fortune on that beta VCR, but you'll be lucky to get a quarter for it now. Stay flexible and leave yourself room to bargain down--and remember, the goal is to get rid of stuff. Have a "One thin dime" box to encourage further browsing.

11. Display your merchandise on folding tables (or plywood and sawhorses) to keep it off the ground. And organize your goods: Don't make buyers root through piles of junk to find the gems.

12. Put some real crowd-pleasers up front to entice passing cars. Good looking furniture and large children's play structures make great bait near the curb.

13. Make sure there's plenty of parking. Move your cars if necessary.

14. Spread a rug or blanket on the lawn with a few toys that you're selling. Kids will bond with the toys and demand that their parents buy them.

15. Share your family memories if there's a funny story behind an item. People find it harder to resist buying something with a history.

16. Be cheerful, get people talking and encourage haggling. Many people are reluctant to negotiate but find it's fun once they start.

17. Set up your cash table near the entrance. Have plenty of small bills, change, a cash box, a calculator, pencil and pen, ledger book (to inventory commissions), bags, boxes and newspapers to wrap purchases, and a tape measure. Keep your cell phone close by to call in relief when you need a break.

18. Make sure anything that's not for sale is safely behind closed doors. Protect yourself against theft by displaying small valuables within eyesight and close to the cash box. Keep money in a zipped fanny pack if you're bustling about.

19. Acknowledge a point of diminishing returns. Be ready to slash prices drastically when business drops off. Or donate your leftovers to charity and take a tax write-off.

Tips & Warnings

• Save paper and plastic grocery bags for several weeks before your sale.

• Pay attention to safety. Don't stretch extension cords across walkways or have sharp knives in boxes with other kitchen tools.

• Do provide a live extension cord so buyers can test electrical items.

• Note where you've posted signs on a map, and take them down promptly when your sale is complete.

• Opinions vary on whether you should price each item beforehand or negotiate on the spot. Do what feels comfortable and what buyers in your area expect.

• Stash large sums of money in the house during the sale and keep it locked up tight. Yard sales can be distracting, and bad guys will take advantage of that fact.

• Never accept personal checks.