How to Organize a Successful Garage Sale

Price and sort your sale good before the sale.

A garage sale is a great way to free yourself from excess clutter in your home and make some extra cash at the same time. Don't shy away from garage sales because they can be time-consuming and overwhelming. With a little planning, you can organize a successful garage sale that will rid you of your clutter, not your sanity.

Things You'll Need

• Folding tables
• Price stickers
• Permanent marker
• Signs
• Balloons
• Cash box
• $20 in small bills and coins
• Shopping bags

Instructions

1. Choose a date for your garage sale. Select a date in October if rain is a concern; October has the fewest storms of any month across the nation while August is the wettest month.

2. Check local ordinances to determine if you need a permit for a garage sale. Obtain the necessary permit and a list of local restrictions.

3. Place advertisements in local newspapers. Word of mouth is another great way to advertise your sale so tell everybody you know. If your city allows signs, purchase or make garage sale signs and post them around your neighborhood early the day of the sale,

4. Clean out every room, closet and storage space in your home to set aside items to be included in the garage sale. As you gather the items, place them in one area to sort and price.

5. Sort sale items them into groups such as books, clothing, kitchen items, toys, household supplies, tools and sporting goods.

6. Price your items; a good rule of thumb for deciding on a price is 10 to 30 percent of the original cost, depending on its current condition. Group like items in a box and make a sign indicating the price for any item in the box. Place price stickers on each item.

7. Showcase books binding side up in a small cardboard box; group smaller toys in boxes according to price. Display larger toys on a folding table. Set up furniture in attractive displays.

8. Start setup at least two hours prior to the start time on sale day. Attach balloons to your mailbox to grab the attention of passersby. Arrange your tables so that people can walk easily in between them. Create zones for like items, placing all toys together and all kitchen items together.

9. Keep sale tables tidy and organized as the sale progresses. Consolidate items and eliminate any unnecessary tables. Doing this throughout the day will make clean-up at the end of the day easier.

10. Negotiate prices to tip the scales in favor of a sale. Offer to reduce the price if a shopper is indecisive on a purchase.

11. Offer shopping bags, especially to people who have purchased multiple items.

12. Make a list of all remaining items and their condition when the sale is over Pack the items up and donate them to your favorite charity. Don't allow the clutter back into your home.

Tips & Warnings

• Talk to your neighbors and ask if they would like to have a sale at the same time as yours. More sales will generate more traffic and you can share the advertising costs.

• If you are selling items for friends or family members at your sale, color code the price stickers and use a notebook to keep track of each person's sales. Simply peel of the price sticker and place it on the appropriate page of the notebook. At the end of the day, simply add up the price stickers to find out how much each person made.

References

• Real Simple: The Ultimate Tag-Sale Guide