How to Organize Your Garage Sale to Generate More Sales

Garment racks can organize the clothes for sale.

The more organized you are, the more cash you can realize at your garage sale. Publicize the event with big signs, fliers at your local grocery and hardware store, and notices on Craigslist and neighborhood message groups. Then arrange the items in a way to maximize your return.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Signs
• Starting bank with change
• Grocery bags
• Tables
• Masking tape
• Garment racks

1. Set up a box or fanny pack with your starting bank, including change and small bills. Gather grocery bags for customers to take their purchased items home in.

2. Put a price on each item of about a quarter of the new retail price. Place the items on a table. Write the price and size if applicable on a piece of masking tape. Unpeel the tape from each sold item and put it on a page in a notebook.

3. Hang the clothes offered for sale up on garment racks so visitors can go through them easily. This way, you don't have to continuously straighten your clothes.

4. Arrange your big items, such as furniture or exercise equipment, at the end of the driveway closest to the road. This way, people driving by may see them and be ready to stop.

5. Hang a sign saying “make offer on anything” or “1/2 off sale” during the final hour.

Tips & Warnings

• After your garage sale, when you have items left over you are left with the decision on where to take them. There are several options. You can always take to Goodwill or Salvation Army. Some facilities even do pick ups. You could also donate adult clothing to a nursing home. After working in a nursing home, I have come to realize there a re quite a few residents with no family members. They can definitely use clothes. Another option is for children's clothes, you can take them to a children's resale shop or consignment store. EBay is another option for unsold items, clothes are not always a best seller though. Also, for you military folks out there, there are places on base or post that help young soldiers that can't afford things. For the air force it is called airman's attic. I think the army calls it Soldier's closet. Air force helps E1-E5 guys with all of the donations people bring in. It really is a wonderful thing. We have had many people not military donate and have volunteers pick up the items to deliver to the base.

References

• New Mexico State University Extension Service: Garage Sales: Cash, Not Trash
• The University of Iowa Office of International Students and Scholars: What is a Rummage-Garage-Yard sale?