As you’re spring cleaning or decluttering, one of the things that you can consider is setting up a yard sale. By designating a box for items to sell, each family member could possibly contribute for the items that you want to sell. Garage sales and yard sales sound great in theory, but in practice they don’t always go so well. If they’re not carefully conceived, they can be little more than a waste of a perfectly good weekend. But with some thought and planning, a spring garage sale can be a great success. Here are 8 tips for yard sale success.
8 Simple Tips for Yard Sale Success
* Choose a good weekend for your sale. If there’s a big springtime event held in your town, the weekend that it falls on might be a good choice. Try to avoid weekends when nearby localities have special events, however, because more people will be out of town.
* Consider recruiting neighbors to participate and make it a multi-family garage sale. You might need to find somewhere else to have it if you don’t have the room, but large garage sales attract more customers.
* Keep the kids occupied. You could take them to the sitter, but if you’re willing to let them participate it will be a wonderful learning opportunity. Have them mind a table filled with items that they want to sell, or let them set up a lemonade stand. They’ll learn about negotiating and handling money.
* Advertise. Put an ad in the classified section of the paper, hang up fliers around town and post the sale on local websites and message boards. Some people might stop by while passing through, but you’ll get more customers if you get the word out ahead of time.
* Put up signs. Some garage sale fanatics will pass them and decide to follow them. And those who read about your sale in the paper could benefit from the directions.
* Make sure the merchandise looks as good as possible. Nobody wants to buy stuff that’s dusty or wrinkled. So clean up those old home furnishings, and wash and hang the clothes.
* Set prices wisely. While pricing items too high will result in sluggish sales, pricing them too low will minimize your profits. Price things reasonably, but leave a little room for negotiation. Remember, you can always come down on a price you’ve set, but you can’t easily raise it.
* Keep all of the supplies you’ll need close at hand. These include a cash box, small bills, change, a calculator, pen and pencil, bags, boxes and newspapers. It’s also a good idea to buy a counterfeit detection pen to protect yourself from bogus bills.
Spring is the beginning of a new garage sale season, and bargain hunters are often eager to get back in the swing of things. With a little forethought, it’s not difficult to have a successful sale this time of year.
Other things to keep in mind for your garage or yard sale: do you want to have early bird specials or would you rather the early birds stay away? Will you consider holding an item for someone? Are you going to have a one day or two day sale?
What kinds of things can you include in your garage or yard sale?
* Antiques. If you have anything that’s really old sitting around, it’s probably worthwhile to find out how much it’s worth. Many antique pieces are very valuable, selling for hundreds or thousands of dollars. If you find something that you think might have value, take it to a few local antiques dealers and get an appraisal. Then sell it for the highest offer or put it on eBay.
* Furniture. Do you have furniture that’s in good shape, but you just don’t have any use for it? There’s sure to be someone out there who is willing to pay you for it! Those who are moving or redecorating often search for used furniture before they pay full price for something new. List your finds in the local classifieds, and there’s a good chance that you will find a buyer quickly.
* Jewelry. Gold jewelry usually commands a respectable price. Try selling it on eBay or through the classified section of your local paper to get the most money out of it. If you don’t have any takers, or if you need money right away, take it to the pawn shop or send it to a company that buys jewelry by weight.
* Collectibles. Collectors are willing to pay top dollar for rare items that interest them. These range from old magazines to lunch boxes to paintings. Keep your eyes peeled for anything that might be of interest to collectors, and if you find something, get an appraisal before you sell so that you get the best possible price.
Other suggestions include gently used toys, books, clothing, DVDs, and tools.
Have you held a garage or yard sale? How did it go for you? What tips for yard sale success would you share?
Kori
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I found you on Tuesday Talks. I’m currently decluttering and trying to decide if I want to donate things I get rid of or try and have a garage sale. They are SO much work I never know if it’s worth it. Doesn’t help that I’m not a morning person haha. I will have to pin this in case I decide I have enough stuff to make it worth it.
They are a lot of work and I’m not a morning person either, lol. So I’m not sure if I would be so motivated to have one but I might… depending on if I have enough.
Great tips! I also really like to skip the yard sale sometimes and join a bunch of others selling the same things (such as baby and kid items) at a big sale put together through an organization!