Garage and Yard Sale Tips

• Start preparing for your sale well in advance. Designate an area in your home to accumulate things that you want to get rid of as you are decluttering.
• Consider purchasing bargain items at clearance sales, thrift stores, and Craigslist to include in your sale. Don’t go overboard on this because the idea is to get rid of your junk, not to add more! However, sometimes you can find new or almost new things for almost free that would really enhance your successful yard sale.
• If you don’t have enough items for a quality yard or garage sale, invite a friend, neighbor, or family member to have the sale with you. By adding their items to yours, you can have a larger and more inviting sale.
• Another yard sale tip is to clearly mark the price on each item you are selling. Also, set your prices only in multiples of quarters or dollars. Dimes, nickels, and pennies are too small to mess with. If you have several small items that are worth only a few cents, put them together in a small bag and sell it for a quarter.
• If multiple people are selling items, use a different color or different marking on the price tag to denote the seller. This will make it easy to split the profits after the sale.

• It is a good idea to make sure your sale is well publicized. You can have the best merchandise at the best prices, but you can’t have a successful yard sale if no one comes.
• Get as much free advertising as you can. Put an ad on Craigslist. See if your local paper has free ads. Post a flyer at the grocery store. Put up signs all over your neighborhood.
• Plan your sale when others in your neighborhood or city are having one. Buyers like going to multiple yard or garage sales in one area. It saves them time and gas.
• Split the cost of a paid ad in the newspaper with other neighbors who will be having their yard and garage sales at the same time.

• Display all your merchandise neatly on tables or hanging on racks. Group similar items together to make for a better shopping experience.
• There are differing ideas about where to put your best merchandise. One idea is to put it out front in order to draw people in. The other is to put it in back so that people have to pass by everything else in order to get to it.
• If you are having a garage sale, put a few tables out in the driveway to draw customers in.
• Make sure to have things ready to go before the appointed start time of the sale. If you are having a garage sale, have it all ready in your garage so that you can just open the door.

• Hold your sale on the best days. Each area or neighborhood may be a little different as to the most popular days of the week for garage saling. Observe other sales. See which days they get the most customers. Usually it is good to have a sale on one weekday and Saturday to accommodate varying work schedules.
• Find a way to catch the attention of people passing by, such as putting up colorful flags. One year, my son even dressed up in a clown costume and stood by the curb to beckon people to stop.
• Have a friend or family member with you when you are running the sale. This will make it more fun for you during the slow times and allow you to take breaks.
• Come prepared with an ample amount of change. Never leave the money box unattended. Accept checks only from people you know and trust.
• Decide how much haggling you are willing to do. If you are selling for others, know what is their rock bottom price. If someone offers you price lower than what you are willing to take, take their phone number. If the item hasn’t sold by the end of the sale, you can contact them to sell it for the lower price.
• Sell some bottles of water and cans of soda for a reasonable price.
• One of the most important yard sale tips is to give your shoppers a fun experience. Be friendly. Have a box a free items. Throw in some extra items if a person makes a large purchase. Always make them feel like they got a good deal.
• Slash your prices or give away items for free during the final hours of the sale.

Garage or yard sales can be a lot of work but also a lot of fun. By following these garage and yard sale tips, you can have a great experience and earn extra money.

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