How to Have a Successful Yard Sale or Garage Sale

I love going to yard sales and cashing in on some really great deals. Here are some tips I have learned to have a successful yard sales.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Items to Sell
• Tables
• Tarps
• Fanny Pack with Change Inside
• Yard Sale Signs
• Balloons

1. Before you even set a date for a yard sale you need to make sure you have enough items to sell. Search through your home, garage, shed, storage unit, attic, for all of your unused things. There is no better time to sell your unused items than at your next yard sale!

2. Once you have collected everything it is time to set a date. Select a Saturday that is forecasted for good weather.

3. Check with your town or city ordinances to see if you need a permit for a yard sale. Permits usually range from $5 to $10 dollars.

4. Post your upcoming yard sale in your local paper and/or on Craig’s List. When you post your ad be sure to specify time, location, general description of items for sale, and NO Early Birds. (If you don’t put “No Early Birds” people will stop by hours before the scheduled time.)

5. Four or five days before your yard sale, begin to post signs around town. Make your signs are large, easy to read, and have all the important information about your yard sale; time and location.

6. Get your items ready for your yard sale. Tidy up everything that you’re selling. Things sell better when they look cleaned and well cared for.

7. Keep your money in a safe place. Many people use a lock box at yard sales. I prefer to use a fanny pack. It allows you to keep an eye on your money at all times. And you don’t have to run back and forth to give your customers change. Make sure to have plenty of ones, fives, and quarters (to give change back) before your yard sale begins!

8. The morning of your yard sale get up early and set everything up before your customers come. Put out tables, lay down tarps, set out cones at the end of your driveway (so no one can drive up your driveway and harm your customers shopping), and put balloons on your mailbox to attract customers.

9. Do not waste your time marking each individual item. Group items with a similar value on tables and tarps, though, for larger ticketed items place a pricing sign (i.e., lawnmowers, snow-blowers, air conditioners, and furniture).

10. Be ready for customers to haggle pricing. Decide before your yard sale the worth of your items. Some things you are just going to want to get rid and others will have a definite value. Make sure everyone who is working the yard sale with you knows which items you want to sell no matter how low the price and which items you intend to make a profit on.

11. When the yard sale is over pile the items with little or no value at the end of your driveway marked free. You will be amazed at how fast those things will go! Everybody loves free. Or you can donate them to charity.

Tips & Warnings

• Have plenty of boxes and store plastic bags on hand to help customers pack up their loot.
• Set up a table of sodas and baked goods. People get very hungry and thirsty when yard saling! It is a great way to make additional money.
• Set up brightly colored larger ticketed items towards the front of your yard sale. Many people will drive by your yard sale. If they don’t see anything of value they will not stop.
• Be sure when the yard sale is over to go and collect all of your yard sale signs around town.
• Be very careful when giving change. I have heard of customers giving you a five dollar bill for a four dollar item and then saying they gave you a ten dollar bill instead and you owe them six dollars. When giving change set the money they gave you down next to you. Give them their change and then pick up the money they gave you. There is no way for them to dispute how much they gave you if you have the original five dollar bill in your hand.
• Don’t allow anyone in your home to use the bathroom. While you are busy tending to your yard sale they good be stealing your personal belongings.

Resources

• Sewing and Crafting with Sarah

[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 :-)