Having a yard sale can be fun, but it’s also hard work. You can make lots of money, but only if your garage sale is well organized and planned. Here are some tips.
Advance Planning
The more time you allow for planning your yard sale, the better organized you will be on the day of the sale. It will take time to go through your cellar, attic, closets and other storage areas. Before you start, collect boxes from grocery or liquor stores to use for your sale items. Organize clothing according to size, and keep like items (knick-knacks, books, toys, etc.) together in labeled boxes. One good way to organize your entire yard sale is to visit a website like yardsalesupplies.com where you can order kits for all the things you’ll need—price labels, neighborhood signs, and clothing label stickers.
Get the Word Out
Placing an ad in your local newspaper is a must. It’s inexpensive, and local yard sale hunters check the Yard Sale listings every week to see where the sales are. There are also some websites where you can advertise your yard sale for free. Try Yardsalesearch.com, Craigslist.com, and any local community websites that feature classified sections. If you are a member of a social networking site like Facebook, post the date and time of your Yard Sale in order to get the word out among your neighbors! Handmade signs around the neighborhood are a must, so pick up some neon posterboard and huge black waterproof markers.
During the Sale
You will have already decided the hours of your sale for the ads and signs; be set up at least one hour prior to that time for the early bird shoppers (if you do not want earlybirds, be sure to specify that on ads and signs). If you have kids, they can make money by selling donuts and/or lemonade, or you could allow them to sell their own items from a particular blanket. This means they’ll also need to be up early to help set up!
Make sure your items are all priced or have a larger sign reading “Clothing Items $1 Each” or “Books 50 Cents Apiece” . Keep pets out of the yard sale area, and be ready with empty bags or boxes for your customers to collect their treasures. Decide if you are willing to haggle on prices, as many people will offer reduced prices.
Also, be sure to decide what you’re planning to do with items that don’t sell. If you don’t want them coming back into the house, box them up for a charitable donation or simply make a “Free” sign after the sale—someone will come by and take them!
Happy Sale-ing!
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