How to Have a Successful Garage/yard Sale

Why have just a garage/yard sale for a few bucks when you can have a fabulous one and make a lot of money!

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Tables
• neon posterboard
• big black marker
• balloons
• advertising
• color stickers for prices

1. undefined

2. #2- ORGANIZE everything! Have like items together, Books with books, toys with toys, Clothing sorted by size and folded or hung neatly! Put everything on tables or hung up except for big items. I hang neon colored signs on the edge of tables in front of the neatly folded pile stating the sizes of the clothes in each area. Having a lot of tables is important, borrow from everyone or your church. Elderly people and pregnant ladies cannot bend over to sort through a box of clothes or books!

3. #3- Get HELP from friends, family or neighbors. Even if it is just for extra pairs of eyes, because believe it or not people switch price tags at garage sales!!!

4. #4- Price everything!! Maybe you need to use the bathroom and you leave someone else in charge, how can they sell anything if there is no price. Also, some customers do not want to wait in line to ask a price, and will leave your sale without a purchase if it isn’t priced. Other people would not otherwise buy an item but if a good price catches their eye, they may just say to themselves it is too good a deal to pass up and buy it. Also, price your items slightly higher than what you would sell it for because people like to haggle at garage sales. Not too high as to turn them away without trying to haggle but leave yourself a little haggle room. Also, if there is more than one seller have different color price tags/stickers (available at most office supply stores). I strongly recommend you get a box of small safety pins and pin the prices to clothes, this make switching prices more difficult and easier to spot. Or make all like clothing items the same price (all shirts, 50cents, all pants 1 dollar) and have big neon signs stating such.

5. #5- ADVERTISE in your local paper and on the internet! Get the word out! If your town allows it than put signs up- use neon colors and BIG BLACK LETTERING with arrows pointing the way. (Small lettering cannot be seen from a car). Make sure that you give directions to your sale, not just the address in your ad! Not everyone knows where Racoon drive or Pine Tree subdivision is, especially people who live in other towns! In some towns you need to put your signs on your car and park your car where it can be seen (you need the cars off your driveway and out of your garage for the sale anyway). Use balloons or flags, what ever will draw attention to your sale. Some towns may even require a permit. It helps if you have other families who want to have the sale with you, you can split the costs of advertising and have more of a selection. Baby and children’s items sell really well and are a big draw. My kids are not little anymore so I try to get friends who have little kids and baby stuff they want to part with. Put, draw items on the driveway such as cribs, car seats, bikes, ride on toys, furniture etc.

6. #6- If it is a hot day offer a cooler of pop/water for sale. Buy a couple of cases and put it in the cooler the night before the sale with ice. I’ve often sold every last can and doubled my money. Besides happy customers stay longer.

7. #7- Have change, a calculator and lots of bags at the table where you will sit.

Tips & Warnings

• I know it seems like a lot of work, but if you do it right, it will all be worth it when you rake in the bucks for stuff you no longer need and want!

[silhouette74]

on 8/6/2009 Great article...thanks for the many tips!