How to Plan And Hold A Successful Garage Sale

We have held our share of garage sales (or tag-sales or yard-sales, as they're called in some locales). We are also very avid visitors of tag-sales ourselves. As a result, we have become self-proclaimed critics of "proper-tag-sale-setup-and-operation"...so read on!

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• As noted in article steps

1. Initial planning and overview:
   Set the date/time/location
   
   Make signs (enough to attract traffic from all around your specific neighborhood).
   
   Notes about signs:
   Make signs large enough so you can print large letters! You do not want people to have to stop or even slow down too much, to read your signs!
   
   Signs should read: "TAG SALE" (or whatever your demographic uses...these vary).
   
   Also include: STREET ADDRESS, DATE & TIME, clearly readable.
   
   Also, always use ARROWS on signs, and do not assume people know their way around your neighborhood.
   
   Put out signs no more than two days in advance of your sale date.
   
   When your sale is over, remove all signs no later than 1 day after your sale; preferably the same day if possible.
   
   Use discretion and caution when installing your signs around your neighborhood.
   
   Some states or municipalities have specific guidelines and restrictions.
   
   Know and follow those, and be careful when setting them up in high traffic streets.
2. Setup and other logistics:
   Set up (empty) tables at least two days in advance of the sale, weather permitting.
   
   Or, if sale is to be held inside garage, the earlier the better.
   
   Gather all sale items to the sale area at least the day before the sale date, and preferably earlier if possible.
   
   Using whatever label system works for you (i.e., whether you have purchased those pre-priced, printed stick-on tags, or you are using masking tape and a ball-point-pen), label ALL items, unless you are prepared to have a lot of questions from your customers.
   
   Notes about prices:
   Be fair when deciding on a price for your sale items.
   
   Remember, just because something might have cost you considerably, you cannot expect to recoup those costs at a tag-sale!
   
   People shop at tag-sales for bargains, not store prices.
   
   Be prepared to haggle.
   
   Some people will just not pay the marked prices without haggling first.
   
   Seems to be part of the culture of these kinds of sales.
3. Customer focus:
   Pay attention to your customers.
   
   If someone appears to be interested in an item, you may offer some important information about the item to help them decide.
   
   You may also offer a price reduction if you think it is appropriate.
   
   Do not get pushy, or too talkative, though, as you might turn them away.
   
   Notes about customers:
   Though it is not a very comforting thought, there are some shoppers who may prefer to just walk away with something without paying, so it pays to stay alert.
4. Rotate your stock:
   Occasionally, as items are purchased and removed from your sale, you should shuffle some of the items left so they're arrayed neatly and as appealingly as possible.
5. Offer special bargains:
   If your goal is to get rid of some of your no-longer-useful-to-you items, you may need to offer some incentives if things don't seem to be selling.
   
   Specials can be in the form of marked-down (in which case, you will need to literally re-mark the label with the new price to show it has been marked down.
   
   Or, you may choose to offer a special when a customer appears to be interested in an item.
6. Last-hour-clearance:
   Again, if your goal is to be rid of things, you can try further mark-downs and even freebies.
   
   Many shoppers plan to hit the ends of sales for this very reason, so if you get stragglers near the end of your alloted time, let them browse, and let them take what you are comfortable giving away.
7. End of sale cleanup:
   The true reward of a successful sale will be readily identifiable by how much is involved in the cleanup effort.
   
   A successful sale will require a minimum of cleanup, obviously.
   
   Here is where the rubber meets the road, though.
   
   Here is where you get to decide which things you will bring back into the house to put back into the tag-sale boxes, and which things will go to the curb for the trash pick up and/or the curb-shoppers.
   
   Notes on cleanup:
   As noted, decide which items will be kept and which will be discarded; pack up those to be kept, and put those to be discarded out by your curb.
   
   You may want to setup a "Free" sign with the items so curb shoppers know your intentions of those items being near your curb.
   
   Some folks are shy about stopping if they are not sure.
   
   Put away tables, etc. as needed.
   
   Be sure to remove all signs no later than one day after your sale, and if you can do it the same day, that is preferable.

Tips & Warnings

• Be courteous!
• Be fair!
• Be friendly!
• Be careful!
• Be successful!
• Don't try to sell items containing any hazardous or regulated materials.
• Be sure customers can safely access all your display setups.
• Provide adequate parking instructions (signs, etc.) if traffic will be effected.
• Allow customers to test electrical items.
• Do not try to sell damaged tools or equipment unless damage is minor and does not create any hazards.