How to Price Yard Sale Items

If you’re like me, a big part of spring cleaning is having a family yard or garage sale. This is the time when your throw-away goods can become another’s cherished possessions. Here’s a way to price your items -- enabling you to get rid of the stuff you don’t want and still make good money in the process.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• organizing containers
• pricing tags

1. First, do not plan a garage sale at the last moment. A good, productive, yard sale takes time to plan and so does pricing the goods at reasonable but not outrageous values.

2. Once the date for the sale is set, begin collecting boxes (both cardboard boxes and plastic containers) to organize your items.

3. At least three to four days before the sale, begin pricing your items. Buy pricing tags from the office supply store. Make sure they are large enough to write the price and your initials (if there is more than one person selling items with you).

4. Start with the items you really didn’t want to part with, but didn‘t need. Do not price these items too low -- that way, when they sell, and the good ones will, you won’t feel like running after the car that‘s carrying them away.

5. The better condition the item is in, the higher the price should be marked. For example: a standing lamp with a beaded shade, that is in great condition, should be marked at least one-half to one-third of what you paid for it. A lamp bought for thirty dollars should sell for around ten dollars. Do not make the mistake of pricing an item close to what you paid for it, unless it’s something that retains or increases its value. People will not be tricked by designer labels on dusty pillow shams.

6. Before pricing clothes, think about the season. People probably won’t buy warm-weather clothes in the middle of Fall. Likewise for coats in June. Price clothes according to their wear and tear, designer labels, and whether they are still fashionable. That 1990’s slip dress probably won’t sell.

7. Things like children’s clothes, toys and DVDs should be marked at a reasonable price, depending on their wear and tear. For example, a child’s wagon that has rust on the wheels would go for about one third of what one in like-new condition would be marked.

8. When pricing furniture, always leave a little wiggle room. If you know you will take fifty dollars for a sofa, go ahead and mark it at sixty dollars.

9. As the sale wears on, don’t be afraid to slash prices, especially on big things like furniture you don’t want to bring back into your home.

10. Remember, career “yard-sale shoppers” (and they do exist) and others will know within the first two minutes whether your sale is worth their time. Moderate prices and organization is a great way to keep the customers from leaving to quickly.

[southernlady]

on 7/25/2008 Thanks I will use some of these at my next sale

[Lorin-Neikirk]

on 2/5/2008 Great article! I'm glad you wrote it! Thank you!