How to Select Top Garage Sale Sellers

Garage sales can be very profitable, if you have the right stuff to sell.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Resale shops
• libraries
• other yard sales
• consignment shops

1. Garage sales can be a means of making money, if you have the right stuff to sell. It need not come from your house, but can be purchased from other sources.

2. Check your local newspaper and look at the other yard sales in your area.
   What you are looking for are things that are cheap, but can be sold at a profit.

3. Books are great sellers. Romance books are not that great, but war, westerns, mystery, and novels are in demand. You can get these books at a book sale at the library for next to nothing. These books can be bought at places such as Salvation Army and Goodwill Stores for a very low price. Sometimes you can make a deal with a private owner to purchase a whole box, which you will price individually for your sale.

4. Clothes are not a great seller, except if they are the larger sizes and/or name brands. Remember to shop the resale clothing shops at the middle of the current season, as most of these are going at give away prices. Salvation Army and Goodwill offer great deals, also. Look for clothes that are name brands, tags look like they were never washed, and this year's styles. Shoes are not good sellers. Purses are, if they are clean inside and out. They should not have broken zippers or in disrepair.

5. Tools are good sellers. Clarify this statement with the words "good" tools. Men like to browse these while their wives shop at the other things. These can be bought from private owners at other yard sales.

6. Fishing gear, baseball gloves, footballs, and other sports equipment sell well, if they are in good shape. Trading cards do better with a dealer, and not a yard sale.

7. Artwork is not a good seller, as you usually do not get the price you want for them. These are best sent to consignment shops to get your best value.

8. Furniture sells well. Coffee tables, end tables, and lamps sell well. Make sure that the lamp works and is cleaned up.

9. Fine glassware sells well, but regular dish sets are not big sellers.

10. Toys are not good sellers, but they do entertain the children while the parents shop your sale. Mark them cheap, and remember some of them will get broken by the children attending the sale.

Tips & Warnings

• Advertise your sale with dealers and people who own flea market shops. They might want to view your sale before others come, so you might have to work with them. Make an accounting of what you paid for each item, to make sure that you are going to make a profit and not break even. Some communities require a license for a yard sale, so make sure that you do things legally with your community. Advertise your sale on the internet and also in the local newspaper. Put up a notice at the local grocery store and the Laundromat.