One person’s trash can be another’s treasure. A yard or garage sale is an awesome way to declutter your home and make some extra cash. However, just the thought of the cleaning, the advertising, the set-up… It all can get quite overwhelming – even if there is some financial reward at the end.
To celebrate National Garage Sale Day taking place this August, check out these great tips to ensure that you minimize the time you spend preparing for your sale and maximize your revenues.
Set a Date
Start by choosing a couple of provisional dates for your garage sale, and let the weather report dictate from there. For yard sale newbies, don’t be afraid to take a month or two to prepare. Consider writing a list of deadlines for each stage down on something like a to-do list to ensure you take full responsibility for following through on your initial commitment. It can be so easy to put a clean up on the back burner.
When setting a date, there are several factors you may need to take into account. Opinion is divided on the best time of year to organize a garage sale: some suggest that the summer months tend to be better as it’s less likely to rain, while others believe that springtime suits those customers looking to get out of the house after a long, cold winter in search of some unique second-hand items.
Whatever you choose, early Saturday morning is often the best time of the week to have your garage sale – you needn’t worry about interrupting peoples’ days between 8 am and 12 pm, and it’s much cooler in the morning during the warm summer months.
Use It or Lose It
Sort through each room in your home one by one, spending a weekend per room if you need to. Discover your inner ruthlessness by adopting a ‘use it or lose it’ approach – if the item isn’t used or worn regularly, then it probably needs to go.
Assign each item one of three categories: trash, keep, or sell. It’s important to remember it’s a garage sale, not a garbage sale. You can dispose of any incomplete games or anything broken immediately.
Pricing
Price stickers are an awesome way to make sure everything for sale is priced and that each price is clearly visible. Your price labels should be both appealing and tailored to the size of each product; this will help to attract shoppers.
Another option would be to bulk price similar, smaller items together in a box, with a giant sticker indicating their price. If marked correctly, this can save you a lot of time.
In essence, EVERYTHING should be priced: few customers will want to ask how much each item costs. However, it’s up to you to decide how you go about pricing your products. One strategy would be to bundle similar items; for example, you’re more likely to sell additional books with a 3 for $2 offer as opposed to selling them at just $1 each.
Advertising
If people don’t know about your yard sale, how can you expect them to show up? Most of your customers will come from the local area, so make sure you let them know by designing your own yard signs and banners on Zazzle.
You should start advertising a few days before your sale: too soon and people will forget about it; too late, and people will already have made plans for the weekend. Include your address along with the time and date of your sale in a large, bold font on your signs and banners, and place them outside your home as well as at busy intersections nearby. They should be easy to read, as well as being uniform in color and style.
But don’t stop there! Local neighborhood Facebook groups, Craigslist and Nextdoor are great places to get the word out to the world at large. Furthermore, Yard Sale Search and Garage Sale Finder are cool websites to reach out to the garage sale community directly.
Don’t forget to attach photos of big-ticket items, like tables or sofas, on these platforms: this will help attract customers who’ll actually have a specific interest in what you’re selling. Indeed, adding an eye-catching digital design to your online posts can shine a further spotlight upon your garage sale. Your prospective customers are bound to be super impressed!
Be Organized
Once your big day arrives, try being fully set up at least 30 minutes before your official start time. Garage sale enthusiasts like to come early.
The more organized your garage sale is, the more time people will spend browsing through your sale. For instance, group all clothing by size and, if possible, display on a garment rack; gather things like kids’ toys on the same table. This structured set-up will make it easier for people to find what they want.
Only Recognize Cash
To be on the safe side, don’t accept checks or online payments. While this might seem awkward, try and facilitate your customers by having directions to the nearest ATM close at hand as well as enough change available – especially for that morning rush. A calculator might also be useful!
Accept Low Offers
At times, it can be important to remember why you’ve organized your garage sale: to get rid of items you no longer need. Ultimately, people come to garage sales to get a bargain, so you’ll need to be prepared for those customers who’ll want to haggle with you. It can seem disheartening to be selling the garment that cost you $70 for $5, but that’s okay – reassure yourself that there’s a reason it’s part of your sale. What’s more, you’ll be surprised at how much these small amounts will add up by the end of the day.
Donate the Leftovers
Realism will dictate that you probably won’t sell everything. Consider donating the remaining items to a local charitable organization or a thrift store. Indeed, depending on where you live, you could ask them to swing by your place with a pickup in the afternoon.
Unfortunately, these tips are more a complement to, rather than a substitute for, the hard work needed to coordinate a garage sale. And while you’ll be rewarded with a decluttered home and some extra cash by the end of it, ultimately, there’s more to life than that. Make sure you relax, chat with people, get the kids involved, and most importantly of all, have a blast! Only then will you have had a truly successful yard sale.
Brian is a soccer-loving, murder mystery aficionado with a deep-rooted fear of chatty barbers. His first ‘book,’ as an 8-year-old, involved him listing out the capital cities of the world. Rumor has it he’s gotten more creative since.
