20 tips for a successful garage sale

A garage sale is a great way to get rid of things you no longer need and make sure your old possessions fall into the hands of those who can best reuse and appreciate them. However, they do require a lot of planning and work, so here are 20 tips to help make the process a little easier.

Don’t schedule your garage sale on holidays. It may seem like a good time for people to be out and about, going through their sale, but chances are they already have places to be and things to do.

Advertising is the key to making any event a success. If you put the date, time and location of your garage sale, you will attract a much larger number of people. Try listing the information online, in your local newspaper, and on billboards throughout the area. A great website for creating your own eye-catching sign is SassySigns.com.

Make sure you don’t overlook the essentials. Start with a good amount of small coins and bills. This is also a good time to get rid of all those plastic bags you have in the kitchen.

Before your garage sale, start accumulating the items you want to sell. Put all items in a box somewhere out of the way. If you don’t have to unbox an item before the sale, it’s probably safe to assume you don’t need it.

Make sure you have a clean, freshly mowed yard if that’s where you’re hosting your event. You don’t want your kids’ toys getting mixed up with what’s on sale, or customers falling into ruts on the floor.

Place the most desirable items close to the road; will attract buyers.

Go the extra mile and put a price tag on everything. It will save you time answering price questions and give you the final say on what you want for the item, instead of wasting time haggling if you don’t want it. However, if money, not time, is your concern, then you have the potential to get more than you would have asked for if you had let the buyer make an offer first.

Clothing generally doesn’t do well at garage sales, so if you have some high-end items you don’t want to sell for a few bucks, check out your local thrift stores and see what they have on offer.

Please be ready early, at least an hour before the scheduled opening time. Serious buyers often show up a little early to get the best selections and are willing to pay more for items.

Reasonable price. It’s usually a good idea to go with 1/3 of the original cost of the item, but when it comes to old textbooks or outdated devices, you may want to go lower.

Shoppers love “Buy 5 for $1” deals. If you have lots of old paperbacks, this is a great way to get rid of them quickly.

Set up a table of “25 cent” items, filled with useless toys or trinkets. It attracts kids who probably don’t have a lot of money to spend, and keeps them busy while the older crowd sits down with the more expensive items.

Clean up any dusty or dirty items that you are going to sell. Making the products as attractive as possible will help you sell.

If it’s a hot day, set up a place where customers can get a drink, even if it’s just a few paper cups with a pitcher of ice water. So buyers will potentially stay longer and be more likely to purchase items. It also creates a friendly atmosphere, so they will be willing to work more with you on prices.

Do not accept checks unless you are willing to risk a bad one.

If you want to get your kids involved, let them set up their own table out of old toys. Explain to them that if they get rid of their outgrown toys, there will be room for new ones that they can buy with the money they earn.

Each element must be displayed to show its best side. Do not stack books or CDs in cardboard boxes to put on the floor. Stack them neatly on a table, with each title visible.

Have a plan for items that don’t sell. Whether you’re donating to charity, your local library, or going to a thrift store, it’s best to have an alternative to lugging all your junk back into the house for an indefinite period of time.

Admit to yourself that the main goal is to get rid of your junk. If you still have a lot of items left over as the day progresses, put up ½ off signs and try to be more open with those who want to trade with you. Money is good, but a tidy house is better.

Once your garage sale is over, remove the sign. Don’t be inconsiderate with those who may believe that there are still good purchases to be made.