Having a successful garage sale takes a lot of preparation. I’ve co-hosted at many garage sales and have experience in what works and what doesn’t. I’m sharing what I’ve learned with you so that you can have a successful garage sale, too! Put out the signs! Tie up some balloons in the driveway! Good luck!
START HERE
1. Set a date well into the future! First weekend of the month is popular for garage/yard sale shoppers.
2. Select a spot in your house or garage to store your garage sale items and start collecting them.
3. Purchase neon-colored stickers for pricing. Some stickers come with prices already printed. Use black permanent marker and write large enough so the price is easy to read on blank stickers.
4. Put a price on everything. Customers find it easier to buy when prices are clear. Write “FIRM” on the price sticker if you aren’t willing to haggle.
LEGAL STUFF YOU MIGHT NEED
5. Get a permit from the city for your sale. You may be able to get one several weeks ahead if you are sure you won’t be changing the date.
MARKETING
6. Advertise your sale. Purchase classified ads in local newspapers, both online and in print. Post on yard sale sites, community calendars, and Facebook.
SET UP YOUR MERCHANDISE
7. Set up your garage/yard sale as early as you can so you won’t have stuff to do at the last minute. Stuff that is staying on tables in the garage can be set up early. Remove everything else from the garage. Have the stuff that
needs to be set up on tables in the driveway all ready to be moved to the tables early on the first morning of the sale. Put “not for sale” on outdoor items that can’t be moved away from the sale such as garden statues and solar lights.
SIGNAGE
8. Yard sale signs are best on neon-colored poster board with thick black letters. Put signs out the night before the sale.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT EARLY BIRDS
9. Early birds have money and may buy stuff that otherwise would not get sold. Don’t turn them away. Everyone is a potential customer. If you have prices on everything, the early birds won’t need to ask about prices and won’t interfere with your setting up.
DISPLAY YOUR MERCHANDISE
10. Make sure you have enough folding tables to display your merchandise. Leave lots of open space between tables and displays. Arrange like items together in groups: books, clothes, dishes, electronics, tools, etc. Put valuable items where you can see them at all times. You could also try to sell valuable items on eBay.
CASH ON HAND
11. Make sure you have enough change and dollar bills at the beginning of the sale. Quarters, dimes, nickels. Although you can try to keep pricing so that you never sell anything for less than a quarter. I usually start with $75 in dollar bills and $25 in quarters.
12. Do not use a money box. Wear a money belt or apron. If you have family helping you, everyone should be wearing a sign that says they are Sales Staff. Also, greet shoppers as they arrive so they know who to go to when buying.
STUFF ON HAND
13. Plastic bags and empty boxes are great to have on hand for your shoppers.
RAIN DATES? LEFTOVERS?
14. In your yard sale ads, note that you will have new items on the second and third day of your sale, if this applies to your sale. Also note if you will have a rain date.
15. Have a plan for your leftover stuff: Goodwill, thrift store, re-sale shop, homeless shelter, etc.
TIPS:
- If you have time, visit a few garage sales and take notice of prices and whether or not people are buying. If people aren’t buying, the prices are too high.
- For items of value, check out prices on eBay.
- If you want top dollar for valuable items, sell it at an auction or in a consignment shop.
- Add 10 to 20 percent to your valuable items over what you want to get. This gives you room for hagglers.
- Print this garage/yard sale checklist and timeline. Check off your tasks as you go.
- Try selling valuable books and DVD sets on Half.com at $1 per book, $2 for DVDs.
- Multi-family sales attract more buyers, reportedly.
- People say that Craigslist brought a lot of shoppers to their yard sales. You can use photos, a map, post multiple times (deleting old ad first), etc.
- Watch the weather and have a strategy. Will you advertise a rain date? Some suggest that holding the sale on two days is a good idea because if it rains on one you still have the second day.
- Use the Square reader so you can accept credit and debit cards.
