How to Have a Yard Sale

Whether looking to profit from some gently used items or whether trying your hand with becoming an entrepreneur, having a yard sale is a sure way to start making a profit while also getting rid of excess clutter. Having a successful yard sale is not an easy task. However, the effort will be worthwhile when the profits start rolling in.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• classified ad
• yard sale signs
• price stickers
• tables

1. Contact the local newspaper. Choose a date that is conducive for you, and submit your ad to the classified section. When thinking of a date, also choose one that is mindful of the potential customers. For example, the Friday after Thanksgiving may not be the best day for a yard sale because many consumers are in the stores buying new items. The yard sale ad should contain all necessary information pertinent to the event such as: date, time, address, type of items available and some kind of nifty phrase that grabs the reader's attention such as "too much to list", "everything must go" or "make best offer". Submitting the date in advance is a viable advertising method.

2. Sort the items. Most people are looking for items that both grab their attention and meet their needs. They do not want to sift through a whole pile of items. Therefore, sort items according to categories: clothes, household items, shoes, baked goods, videos or DVDs, electronic gadgets and sporting goods.

3. Set prices-low! When patrons come to a yard sale, they are not coming to pay regular store prices. They are looking to make an unbeatable deal. Sometimes when a classified yard sale ad is placed in a newspaper, a yard sale kit comes with it. The kit typically includes: multiple signs, wooden stakes, price stickers, and balloons. Use the signs to strategically point customers in multiple directions to your home. Use the balloons to place at the actual residence. Assign each group of items with a price sticker. If there are not enough stickers to assign to each garment or household item, it is fine to group similarly priced items together.

Tips & Warnings

• It adds a nice touch to provide yard sale patrons with freebies such as cool lemonade for a summer yard sale or hot chocolate during a brisk fall morning.
• Setting prices too high will drive potential customers away, and regular yard sale patrons do talk among themselves.

[denisesells]

on 2/3/2009 I have a yard sale about once a month here in Houston. I post it on http://www.garagesalecow.com and I always have a huge turnout.

[Alisiane]

on 10/10/2008 Awesome tips. Garage sales, yard sales, and ebay are all awesome places to unload something you no longer want but that someone SOMEWHERE will pay good money to have clutter up their own home. It's always amazing what people will pay good money for :-)

[Basiclife]

on 6/20/2008 If you have enough yard sales, eventually everything you have has been picked over so much there is not much left but junk that few people want. Not only that if potential customers don't see much stuff out they may not even pull into the yard. Join a group like Freecycle.org. There are a lot of people on there that give away left over yard sale items, stuff they can't sell. Add that to your stuff, so even if some of that may be hard to get rid of at least it looks like you have a ton of stuff. And, a lot of that will sell too, it always does. basiclife.com

[Basiclife]

on 6/20/2008 Try something new. Yard sale done cheep.... wait till someone else on you street has one, does all the advertizing, puts out the sign and then bring all you stuff out. All my yard sale stuff is all in boxes neatly stacked up and ready for a yard sale at a moments notice. basiclife.com