Garage Sale Tips
With the weather cooling, it’s a great time to hold a garage sale to clear your home of unwanted and unused items. And the extra cash could go towards holiday gifts or a family vacation. Check out these tips to prepare for a successful garage sale day.
Conquer Your Clutter – Decide on what you can live without before deciding on valuable items. Start with one drawer in one room at a time to keep stress and clutter down. Once you’ve finished one room, start that same process over in the next. If you have kids, give each child a box to decide which toys they would like to sell.
Prepare – Decide which items have resale value and which can be donated to your local GoodWill or Salvation Army. Box similar items to organize and set the pricing at least two weeks before the event. Searching for similar items on eBay, Etsy, Craigslist, and LetGo can give you an indication of an item’s value. The chances of selling more items increase when you’re not second-guessing yourself about what the sales price should be when a potential buyer is standing in front of you.
Team Up – Turn your sale into an event by coordinating with other homeowners in the neighborhood. Mention your sale at your Neighborhood Association meeting or post to your area’s Next Door app with plenty of time for others to prepare.
Location – If you are unable to sell from your front yard, choose a place with plenty of parking where people will be able to find your sale easily. Churches, libraries, and community organizations are options. Check to see if you need a permit to sell on any property that you do not own.
Day and Time – Weekends are preferable for those who work, but Fridays are a good choice as well. Consider hosting your sale on a Friday and Saturday or Saturday and Sunday to boost sales.
Advertising – Many customers will learn about your garage sale through signage and online postings. Post signs at busy intersections where people can easily see them. Post announcements online 1-2 weeks before on Facebook, Craigslist, Next Door, Garage Sale Finder, and Yard Sale Search.
Get Cash – On the day of the sale, make sure you have enough quarters, $1s, $5s, and $10s. The last thing you want is to lose a customer because you can’t break their $20.
Presentation – Present all of your items as if it were your own retail store. Dust furniture, hang clothes, display toys on rugs or sheets on the grass. Be ready to provide information for every item on the lot.
After The Sale – Remaining items that have significant resale value can be sold on Craigslist, eBay, and LetGo. Try Etsy, PoskMark, and ThredUp for adult clothes, Plato’s Closet for teen clothing, and Once Upon A Child for kids clothing and baby gear.
