We’re about to have a garage sale on one of these weekends coming up.. so I thought I’d head to the net to get some helpful hints and tips on creating a successful one. Thankfully, there are LOTS of people that have already done this, I’ve included my favorite one, and copied some of their tips below:
To Advertise your Yard Sale:
- Advertise in the local newspaper and on popular free online classified sites like craigslist and kijiji. There are lots of online sites that will take your advertisement for free, but it’s only worthwhile if people in your city or locale actually use those sites.
- Have balloon bunches & streamers tied to trees and a big sign in the front yard so people can easily see at a glance you are having a garage sale. Large sheets of cardboard work great for this.
- Park vehicles along busy streets close to where you live with balloons and big signs in the back window giving your address & Garage Sale (a big arrow pointing the direction to turn is a great idea too)
- Place signs in boulevards that are clear (and large) print
Signage Details: Big, Bold, Clear Letters. Keep it simple.
Garage Sale Supplies You Need
- Lots of signage (big, bold lettering)
- Balloons & Streamers (hang them high enough so people can clearly see your house is having a sale when they’re driving by)
- Waterproof black marker or sharpie, masking tape or sticky labels (to price things)
- Clean plastic grocery bags, stack of newspapers, smaller boxes (to offer buyers with large or heavy loads)
- Clean tablecloths, sheets (to lay across the tables and on the ground to lay items on)
- Measuring tape (to enable customers to measure furniture or shelving, etc.)
- Coin wrappers – you’ll need these at the end of the day to wrap all the change you collected
- You’ll need a big thermos of coffee ready (for you) and lots of beverages chilling–you’re going to be hot and thirsty throughout the busy day
- Calculator (just in case you need to tally purchases)
- Pad of paper – sometimes you’ll receive an offer for a large purchase that you don’t want to commit to (it’s lower than you hoped). You can offer to take the person’s name & phone number and call them the next day if you decide to sell it at that price (this gives you the day to try for a better price)
- Lots of tables, clean blankets or sheets to display things in, big boxes to hold the toys and stuffed animals
- Have an extension cord handy to plug in any electrical items you have for sale, and an assortment of batteries to test items. Some people want to test and make sure the item works before buying. Use the outside electrical outlet–do not let people in your home!
- Fanny pack to hold the money (do not use a cash box–too easy to grab and run and too awkward to hold all day)
Prep Work – The Day Before
- Make sure the yard and surrounding area is neat and clean, hedges trimmed, leaves raked, weeds pulled and grass mowed. Move the garbage bin out of sight. Yes–even at a garage sale–presentation makes a difference.
- Save yourself a headache — mark everything with a price! Less questions asked, people will see for themselves how much something is. Sticky labels work, so does masking tape, mark prices right on the roll then tear off the tape or label–do not price directly on an item since the ink may seep through. Make sure the ink is nice and dark (black sharpie or maker works great). Include boxes, manuals and instructions if you still have them (you can get a better price). If you can, price things the day before (and have things sorted in boxes). This makes things move a lot quicker the morning of the sale.
- Thoroughly review each item before putting it out for sale. Look for forgotten money in pockets, old receipts, etc.
- Clean everything really well–the shinier the better. Wash clothes, blankets, towels, bedding.
- Mark the measurements for things like curtains and drapes, sheet sizes (twin, double, etc.). You can do this on masking tape.
- Move your vehicles over a block, especially if you live on a small street. If people can’t find a place to park, they won’t be buying anything (do this the morning of the sale).
There are lots more great tips here, so take a look and make lots of money with your old junk!