![\"IMG_1651\"](\"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/9510525210_0c1ffb8c77.jpg\")
\nHappy customers browsing our sale…<\/i><\/p>\n
- \n
- With so many tips, we divided them into ten main sections that cover all the aspects of hosting a yard sale.<\/li>\n
- If the subject was too large, we broke the main section down into sub-sections to highlight specific topics. Click on any of the hyperlinks to go immediately to that section or sub-section.<\/li>\n
- Yard Sale tips we consider essential are marked with a happy star \u2b50. But don’t ignore the other tips! They’re all important to know.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/span>Define Your Goal<\/span><\/h2>\n
The kind of event you hold depends on what you’re trying to accomplish, and it’s usually one of two things:<\/p>\n
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- Get rid of stuff (fast) or …<\/li>\n
- Make as much money as possible.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/yardsale-e1522505113327.jpg\" "\\"A")
<\/p>\n<\/span>What To Sell at a Garage Sale, by Season<\/span><\/h2>\n
Whether you’re trying to get the most money for your things or to sell them as quickly as possible, consider how timing can affect your choice of location, what you sell, how you advertise, and even how often you schedule yard sales.<\/p>\n
For example, if you’re moving and you can’t take it with you, a yard sale is the perfect solution. But you may also be up against some tight deadlines that complicate things. How do you make it work in February, or if you only have a weekend, or you won’t have anyone to help you?<\/p>\n
On the other hand, if you have a lot of time, you can maximize your result by scheduling a few events that target special or seasonal items. What should you know about merchandising to get the best price?<\/p>\n
Depending on your area, you may find that one-day sales are more beneficial. Experiment with which day is best. Maybe a Thursday afternoon\/Friday combination is great, or just Fridays.<\/p>\n
\u2b50 You may think it’s best to schedule a yard sale in the summer months, but it’s possible to have a successful yard sale any time of year. In fact, you might even be able to capitalize on the fact that it’s February or November and there aren’t as many yard sales. Think about the pros and cons of each season.<\/p>\n
<\/span>Springtime<\/span><\/h2>\n
Advantages:<\/h3>\n
In northern climates, a yard sale in spring is an invitation to spend money after being cooped up all winter. There’s an air of optimism that could boost how much you’re able to sell.<\/p>\n
Disadvantages:<\/h3>\n
Weather patterns are often unpredictable, and that could affect turnout. Pay particular attention to location and logistics. Shelter is critical to protect your merchandise and keep customers happy despite conditions.<\/p>\n
Advertising:<\/h3>\n
Be clear about how rainy weather will affect the hours of your sale.<\/p>\n
Good Items to Sell:<\/h3>\n
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- Sports equipment<\/li>\n
- Camping gear<\/li>\n
- Gardening tools<\/li>\n
- High-quality children’s clothing<\/li>\n
- Patio furniture<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/span>Summertime<\/span><\/h2>\n
Advantages:<\/h3>\n
The hot, sunny, lazy days of summer make it easier to attract a throng and hopefully increase sales. And since the days are longer, you may only need a single day to sell all your items.<\/p>\n
Disadvantages:<\/h3>\n
Heat and humidity are concerns in summer, so it’s important to provide shade and a place for customers to sit.<\/p>\n
Advertising:<\/h3>\n
It’s even more important to differentiate yourself in advertising. Find your hook free ice water, a kiddie pool, a neighborhood back-to-school sale.<\/p>\n
Good Items to Sell:<\/h3>\n
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- Back-to-school clothes<\/li>\n
- Furniture and household goods for dorms\/apartments<\/li>\n
- Outdoor toys bikes, camping gear<\/li>\n
- Books (especially children’s books)<\/li>\n
- Electronics<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/span>Autumn<\/span><\/h2>\n
Advantages:<\/h3>\n
Fall still offers pleasant weather, but the most hard-core (read: negotiate-like-crazy) customers are burned out.<\/p>\n
Disadvantages:<\/h3>\n
Depending on your area, wind and weather patterns can be unstable. That doesn’t usually affect turnout, but it’s another reason to protect your merchandise.<\/p>\n
Advertising:<\/h3>\n
Your customers may be looking for, or college students may need, your furniture and household goods to furnish dorms or apartments. Highlight these items in your advertising, as well. Maybe even title your sale as a Back-to-school yard sale!\u009d<\/p>\n
Good Items to Sell:<\/h3>\n
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- Winter items<\/li>\n
- Exercise gear<\/li>\n
- Picture frames<\/li>\n
- Holiday decorations<\/li>\n
- Collectibles<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/span>Wintertime<\/span><\/h2>\n
Advantages:<\/h3>\n
In the lower latitudes, winter yard sales may continue on just as they do in the fall. Not so in the cold climate of the higher latitudes. Still, motivated buyers find motivated sellers in the winter months too. The winter months may be the best time to find bargain-hunters.<\/p>\n
Disadvantages:<\/h3>\n
In winter, location and logistics are critical. A community or church hall may offer the best environment for a yard sale if they will work with you. Even a storage facility may permit a yard sale on their grounds if you’re a customer.<\/p>\n
Advertising:<\/h3>\n
Give clear directions for parking and how to access any buildings.<\/p>\n
Good Items to Sell:<\/h3>\n
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- Space heaters<\/li>\n
- Firewood<\/li>\n
- Tools<\/li>\n
- Furniture<\/li>\n
- Clean linens and blankets<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/span>Merchandise<\/span><\/h2>\n
![\"Couple](\"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/A-yard-sale-checklist-merchandise.jpg\" "\\"A")
<\/p>\nWith yard sales, word gets around. So stock your sale with lots of stuff to pull the biggest crowds and generate buzz.<\/p>\n
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- Locate and sell anything you no longer want or need.<\/strong> Aaron LaPedis, author of The Garage Sale Millionaire<\/em>, suggests taking an inventory of all of your possessions in order to determine what you should sell and what you should keep. “Make sure you go through your house top to bottom — every closet, drawer, nook, and cranny,” says LaPedis. “Nothing is too small or too big to sell.” And make sure you have enough stuff.<\/li>\n
- \u2b50 Don’t base what you sell on what you<\/em> would buy.<\/strong> You never know if someone likes to fix broken things or is looking for materials for an art project. If it’s something you don’t want and it’s safe, put it in your garage sale.<\/li>\n
- Offer to sell stuff for family and friends. <\/strong>Ask around to see if anyone has big-ticket items to sell. Not only does this help them, it also could potentially draw more customers to your sale.<\/li>\n
- Look beyond household stuff as your merchandise.<\/strong> Do you have plant starts you could pot and sell? How about leftover building or landscape materials?<\/li>\n
- Take the time to wipe off the dust and dirt.<\/strong> Clean stuff sells better. Period.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/span>Differentiate!<\/span><\/h2>\n
![\"Children](\"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/A-yard-sale-checklist-differentiate.jpg\" "\\"A")
<\/p>\nAll garage sales are basically the same. Find a way to set yours apart, whether it’s by theme, price, scale, or amenities. Last weekend, for instance, I billed ours as a “geek garage sale”, and emphasized that I had graphic novels, board games, and computer gear. My Craigslist ad brought folks from far and wide because of this. They bought the geeky stuff, but they also bought kitchen gadgets and yard art and clothing.<\/p>\n
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- Label your sale. <\/strong>Lots of graphic novels, board games, and computer gear? Bill it as a “geek yard sale.” We did this last weekend and my Craigslist ad brought folks from far and wide because of this. They bought the geeky stuff, but they also bought kitchen gadgets and yard art and clothing.<\/li>\n
- Free delivery! <\/strong>If you have several large items to sell, another way to differentiate yourself is to find a couple of volunteers with trucks who wouldn’t mind delivering items — for free — after the sale.<\/li>\n
- Partner with <\/b>your neighbors!<\/strong> Neighborhood garage sales attract tons more customers, so talk to your neighbors and spread the word ahead of time to arrange multiple sales. Find out what your neighbors are selling and offer to refer your customers to them. Or, better yet, hold your garage sale during an established entire-neighborhood garage sale day.<\/li>\n
- Offer free lemonade, cookies, or even just ice water.<\/strong> Most garage sales are held on hot days so a jug of watery lemonade or refreshing ice water is a nice gift for your customers. Don’t forget that visiting pets get thirsty too.<\/li>\n
- Engage the customers.<\/b> Be friendly. Chat up the people who stop by. Be engaging. When parents with young children visit, I always find something to give the kids for free (often it’s whatever they’ve gravitated toward). I also throw in freebies for folks who buy lots of Stuff. This builds goodwill, especially among the other customers who are watching things transpire. I believe we sold more because Kim and Kris and I were friendly and fun.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/span>How To Advertise for a Garage Sale<\/span><\/h2>\n
![\"Bright](\"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/A-yard-sale-checklist-advertising.jpg\" "\\"A")
<\/p>\nGetting the word out about your sale is critical to your success. In the old days, advertising meant sticking an ad in the newspaper, which would normally cost around $20. Newspapers may still be useful today, but other (free!) methods exist.<\/p>\n
Here’s how to advertise to get more customers today.<\/p>\n
Neighborhood Publications:<\/h3>\n
If you’re hosting a yard sale along with others in your neighborhood, check if they publish the yard sales. This may be free or cost a nominal fee.<\/p>\n
Craigslist and Kijiji:<\/h3>\n
To get the most value from Kijiji and Craigslist ads:<\/p>\n
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- Advertise the date and location of your sale.<\/li>\n
- Add pictures and descriptions of the nicer items.<\/li>\n
- \u2b50 Put up ads for the most valuable things in their respective categories on Craigslist. Some people might not be browsing in the garage sale section but might see your ad for the table set in the furniture section and come to the sale for it and more stuff.<\/li>\n
- Once it sells, delete that listing immediately as a courtesy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Make your Sale Shareable. Social Media is your Friend:<\/h3>\n
\u2b50 Facebook, Twitter, Instagram use them! The entire week before the sale, post on social media about your merchandise. Include pictures. During the day of the sale, update your status or tweet on what you still have available.<\/p>\n
<\/span>9 Tips for the Best Yard Sale Signs<\/span><\/h2>\n
Your goal is to get as much traffic as possible. If your signs are unclear or difficult to read, people won’t waste their time, especially if there are dozens of yard sales to choose from. Simple is best!<\/p>\n
I’m shocked at how ineffective most garage sale signs are. It’s like people don’t care, or as if they don’t spend twenty seconds putting themselves in the shoes of their customers. Keep signs clean and neat. Make sure everything’s legible. Make sure nothing’s ambiguous. Clear signage is worth its weight in gold. Our signs included the address, the date and time of the sale, and an arrow pointing the way. I hung a dozen of them along the major traffic roads in the area, funneling people onto our street.<\/p>\n
![\"IMG_1655\"](\"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/9510537258_7c75491bde.jpg\")
\nOur signs also had the address and an arrow pointing the way…<\/i><\/p>\nDesign to inform and intrigue<\/h3>\n
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- Use bright colors to attract attention.<\/li>\n
- Use a thick marker of a contrasting color to make big, bold text.<\/li>\n
- Adding a border around your text may increase readability. Remember that your customers are cruising by at 35 miles per hour!<\/li>\n
- Have large arrows pointing in the correct direction. It’s so much easier to follow arrows than to slow down to read an address.<\/li>\n
- Remember that superlatives rule Awesome! Blowout! Epic!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
Where’s your sign?<\/h3>\n
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- Post multiple signs around your neighborhood.<\/li>\n
- Place signs at nearby major intersections and at each turn along the way.<\/li>\n
- Also, take a practice drive past one of your signs. Do people have time to read it, make a decision, and make the turn, before they’ve driven past it?<\/li>\n
- After the sale is over, remove all the signs!<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
<\/span>Garage Sale Supplies<\/span><\/h2>\n
![\"Folding](\"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/a-yard-sale-checklist-supplies.jpg\" "\\"Clothes")
<\/p>\nThe right supplies can make your sale run more smoothly. So as you get closer to the big day, gather everything you need.<\/p>\n
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- Borrow tables and shelves to display your merchandise. <\/strong>Having a check-out table can be helpful. It helps people know exactly where to go to ask a question, and placing the table near the exit allows you to welcome people in while watching that they don’t walk off with anything.<\/li>\n
- \u2b50 Apron or fanny pack for the money. <\/strong>I use a cheap cloth apron\/utility belt from the local hardware store. It works beautifully. Some people use fanny pack or a zippered bank deposit pouch.<\/li>\n
- Markers, scissors, masking tape, price stickers, and poster board. <\/strong>As you change prices throughout the day, you’ll use these items. Also, use these supplies to mark items that are NOT for sale.<\/li>\n
- Paper\/pencil. <\/strong>Use this as a ledger to jot down a description of each item and how much you sold it for or to place stickers on a page for each seller. (This can help make it easier to settle up after the sale if you have a neighborhood event.)<\/li>\n
- Calculator.<\/strong> Having a calculator will expedite your checkout line and make it easier if you’re not especially gifted at math!<\/li>\n
- Batteries. <\/strong>Keep an assortment of batteries on hand so that a prospective buyer can test that old Nintendo Gameboy for himself.<\/li>\n
- Extension cords. <\/strong>If you are selling electrical items, make sure you have an extension cord handy or display these items near a plug so people can test them.<\/li>\n
- Bags\/boxes for customer purchases. <\/strong>Collect free bags\/boxes before your sale so your customers can haul away their purchases.<\/li>\n
- Hangers and a method to hang clothes. <\/strong>Searching through hanging clothes is much easier than pawing through a table covered with clothes.<\/li>\n
- Plenty of cash. <\/strong>Get two rolls of quarters, a stack of 50 $1 bills, 10 $5 bills, and 5 $10 bills. Do it two days before the sale so that, if you forget, you can still get the change on the day before.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
<\/span>Pricing for a Garage Sale<\/span><\/h2>\n
![\"$1](\"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/A-yard-sale-checklist-pricing.jpg\" "\\"A")
<\/p>\nKnow your purpose.<\/b> “There are two types of garage sales,” an old man told me last weekend. “One is to make money. The other is to get rid of Stuff.” Know which type of sale you’re holding and why. Your purpose will affect how much you negotiate and how much you give away for free.<\/p>\n
- \u2b50 Apron or fanny pack for the money. <\/strong>I use a cheap cloth apron\/utility belt from the local hardware store. It works beautifully. Some people use fanny pack or a zippered bank deposit pouch.<\/li>\n
- Borrow tables and shelves to display your merchandise. <\/strong>Having a check-out table can be helpful. It helps people know exactly where to go to ask a question, and placing the table near the exit allows you to welcome people in while watching that they don’t walk off with anything.<\/li>\n
- Free delivery! <\/strong>If you have several large items to sell, another way to differentiate yourself is to find a couple of volunteers with trucks who wouldn’t mind delivering items — for free — after the sale.<\/li>\n
- \u2b50 Don’t base what you sell on what you<\/em> would buy.<\/strong> You never know if someone likes to fix broken things or is looking for materials for an art project. If it’s something you don’t want and it’s safe, put it in your garage sale.<\/li>\n
- Locate and sell anything you no longer want or need.<\/strong> Aaron LaPedis, author of The Garage Sale Millionaire<\/em>, suggests taking an inventory of all of your possessions in order to determine what you should sell and what you should keep. “Make sure you go through your house top to bottom — every closet, drawer, nook, and cranny,” says LaPedis. “Nothing is too small or too big to sell.” And make sure you have enough stuff.<\/li>\n
![\"Clothes](\"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/A-yard-sale-checklist-staging.jpg\" "\\"Assorted")
<\/p>\n![\"Young](\"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/A-yard-sale-checklist-avoiding-problems.jpg\" "\\"A")
<\/p>\n![\"Free](\"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/A-yard-sale-checklist-wrapping-it-up.jpg\" "\\"A")
<\/p>\n![\"IMG_1652\"](\"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/9510528974_70db0fb193.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"IMG_1691\"](\"https:\/\/www.getrichslowly.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/9510543888_6a5c1a217c.jpg\")
<\/a><\/div>\n