A garage sale is a great way to earn extra money, while getting rid of clutter. Can’t beat that!
As I set out to host one of my own, I thought I’d share some of the more helpful tips I’ve come across to make it worth the time and effort. Leave a comment to share your own 🙂
Beginning Steps
- Choose when (what day and what time) to hold the sale
- Saturdays are still the most popular
- Check the weather forecast beforehand
- Choose where
- The more traffic in the area, the better
- Location is important just as it is in a retail environment
- Start accumulating items (as well as pricing and sorting them) weeks before the sale
Advertise (very important step)
- Craigslist & Facebook are excellent options to post a garage sale ad
- Flyers on bulletin boards can also be beneficial, as well as newspaper ads
- Make sure to note “No Early Birds, please” in your ads – otherwise people will show up while you’re still setting up
Signs
- Put up lots of signs
- Make sure the text is READABLE using bold markers (sharpies); use brightly colored poster board
- Write the date/time of the sale, your street name, and an arrow pointing in the right direction
- Strategically place in multiple areas with a lot of nearby traffic (the night before)
- Don’t forget to take all signs down after the sale!
Pricing
- It is best to price as many items as you can in advance
- Price things evenly with round numbers – i.e. $2 instead of $1.80
- For easier pricing, try pricing by table with a sign such as “Each item on this table: $2.”
- Price your items to move – look at it objectively and expect people to haggle
- Place bigger price tags on bigger items
- Price and color code items prior to the sale
- Example: “Green = 50 cents; Blue = $1; Red = $2.”
- Offer deals on quantity
- Pricing Guide
Presentation
- Mow the lawn
- Organization is key – display all CDs / books / etc. together
- Display higher end (nicer) items towards end of driveway
- Display items on tables, racks, or shelves – not on the ground or in boxes
- Hang clothes with hangars on a rack
- Clean items that have collected dust, have stains, etc.
- During your sale, keep your tables attractive by filling in the empty spots as things get sold
- Have extension cords on hand to test electronics if needed
Other
- Enlist friends and family to help you out
- Designate one person as the money taker
- Wear a fanny pack or apron to keep all cash and change organized
- Have plenty of change available:
- Example – four $10 bills, five $5 bills, 25 $1 bills, 1 roll of quarters ($10)
- Donate what is left over for a tax deduction
- Have fun and don’t forget to go out to dinner after!