There must be many first-timers out there who are thinking about having a garage sale this fall. With hopes of having our own first garage sale in years (we kept procrastinating all summer), we are going through a list of questions before signing on to this large and somewhat daunting task. Below are our tips that stem from childhood memories helping Mom, as well as just some plain old common sense. Please add your thoughts!
Initial questions to ask yourself:
- Is there enough stuff to make a garage sale worth my time? You don't need lots of big things and furniture to make a garage sale happen. But if you're only looking at a few piles, ask yourself if it'd be easier to just donate the items and/or sell the impressive ones on Craigslist.
- Do I have neighbors that might want to join me? Community sales can be a lot to organize, and many neighborhoods have pre-set annual block sales. If your community isn't one of those, consider asking one or two neighbors to join in as a test run - the more you can advertise and offer, the more likely you are to get a lot of foot traffic.
- Will this be fun for me? If it sounds like a complete drag (as opposed to the adventure it could be), it might just be a complete drag. You really need to gear up, think of it as a fun time and go for it - or you're likely to be dearly annoyed.
More tips:
- Advertise well! On the web, in the paper, and with street signs - various demographics get their information in various ways, so it's good to cover your bases.
- Don't fret if you need to schedule a rain date or back-up plan.
- Don't run the sale alone. Since it'll be happening in your yard or garage (essentially, your home), we think it's a good idea to always have another person with you. Manual help, moral support, and you can send the signal that you live with others even if you don't.
- Make sure you have a clear pricing system. Of course there will be times to negotiate, but we prefer a pricing system that keeps the haggling to a minimum. Tag your items with easy-to-add amounts, or set up entire tables and sections with single prices (color coded).
- Have a breakdown/clean-up plan. Get all the leftovers to your favorite donation destination pronto. You don't want the unwanted lingering around your home much longer.
Image via Garage Sale Professional (Successful tips for hunting and selling).
Also check out AT:LA's garage sale sign archive here. Love it.
(Re-published from 05-28-2008)
I always have cold drinks available...keeps people lingering longer.
Make sure you have plenty of small bills and coins available to make change.
I make sure the big ticket items...baby stuff, furniture, appliances, sports items...are visible to the street for the 'drive by shoppers'.
Make sure everything is clean, espeically toys! People can't imagine giving their kid something dusty. Also, people will think twice about buying something that looks like its been in storage for a long time...figuring it will end up there for them too.
Also, I always keep in mind that my main goal is to get rid of stuff not make money. I figure I'll be donating it anyways so ANY money is better than none. I once made $130 at a yard sale where one $5 item was the most expensive thing. In fact, I usually have a "free" pile that makes me more money than if I were to price the items as people feel guilty I guess. I usually make most clothes free. I mark stuff down as it gets later so that I have less to transport to the donation center.
view Enamorada's profile
Remember that the goal is to sell, not necessarily to make a lot of money. With this in mind, either keep your 'big ticket' items marked low, or put them on craigslist separately.
Plan your post-sale thrift store donation trip into your day. Make sure NOTHING comes back into your house at the end of the day. Get black garbage bags and load everything up and drop it off.
Start early and end early: our experience is that most buyers show up in the morning and very few appear in the afternoon. End by 2 pm or so and you've got time to drop things off at the end of the day.
Slash prices in half at lunchtime.
Price things so that change is easy to make and get a float the day before at the bank (ie. our prices were all in increments of 25 cents or in whole dollars)
Give deals for things like books: ie. $1/each and 3 for $2.
Make kids' things cheaper: often kids will come along with parents and want something; if a book is well priced at 25cents, it's more likely to be sold.
Be a good citizen and take down all your signs at the end of the day...
have fun!
view wc_canuck's profile
I prefer not pricing items. It's a huge bother and can turn certain bargain hunters off, myself included. I can't tell you how many stoop sales I've been to where someone is selling an old H&M T-shirt for $6--I mean come on!
Having a box of "free stuff" sets a good vibe and you won't believe what people get excited about. Nice to spread the cheer.
I agree with everyone else that the goal is to just get rid of your stuff. Towards the end of the day start bundling items together---sell two books for the price of one, etc.
view azure's profile
What about a Garage Sale Permit? Is that really needed? I had a garage sale years ago in SF and my neighbor insisted in getting a permit.
view danze's profile
Best advice I ever received about garage sales:
Don't have them.
Just like the folks above said, the goal is to get rid of stuff. Money is icing on the cake.
You can make more money, in less time, with less hassle, by donating all to Goodwill and taking the tax deduction. Plus you don't have to post or remove signs, pay a permit fee, advertise, con friends into helping, or give up a beautiful weekend.
view sepitts's profile
I've had well-organized yard sales, and not so well organized, one of the later this past weekend. One didn't make any more money than the other, but the better organized was more fun for me. My thoughts:
Absolutely do not do it alone. Gotta have someone to run for extra change when the first few buyers all show up with just 20-dollar bills, to get more coffee, put up extra signs, etc. Also, I've found that more eyes help keep down the theft. Don't know how they did it, but someone walked off with a big wooden tool box with gold foil covering it. Really, they can have it. But other things I might have minded more, and just the idea of it riles me.
Lots and lots of signs, especially if you're on an out-of-the way street.
I've advertised for some and not for others. If you really don't want the early birds, don't advertise in the paper, just put up tons of signs.
Immediately after you're done and have hauled what's left to the thrift store, take some of your earnings and go to a movie.
view pmaher's profile
Our neighborhood is having its annual Yard Sale on June 7-8. Greater Rockwell Organization is the organizer/sponsor - we'll be advertising in the Reader, Craigslist, etc.
It's a good way to see lots of sales in one (or two) days - get a map and get hunting!
(GRO = west of Western, north of Montrose, south of Lawrence, east of the river - the best part of Ravenswood - imho)
It's not as swanky as the Ravenswood Manor one a few weeks ago, but you still might find some good stuff.
view orangeblossom's profile
Sunscreen and water! (I learned this the hard way)
I also stopped at Lowe's and got one of those cheap canvas tool belt/nail holder waist belts - it's great for always knowing where your money is, separating bills from change, and it lets customers know who to pay.
I always try to remind myself that it's not an outdoor ebay session - you're not going to get what you think it's worth - it really is just about getting rid of stuff and making a little extra cash.
view sulako's profile
I have a annual garage sale with my sister and a few friends. It ends up being pretty huge.
Some fun ideas:
I make it a "Garage Sale Brunch" I send out emails to all my local friends basically saying "Hi I haven't seen you in a while....come for brunch and hang out at the garage sale" This makes it SO much fun ...plus when you have a group of people hanging around it makes the sale seem really good to passer-bys!
One day only: start early, end early!
Have one outrageous item to sell. Think Outsider art...Something that gets people talking and becomes a challenge to sell by the end of the day. One time I made a 4 ft robot out of soda cans from the recycling bin. He was proudly on display, upfront, on one of the main tables. Everyone commented on him and by the end of the day someone bought him for $5. buck! Our lucky mascot!
view susie b's profile
Start early. Garage salers (myself included) are crazy and will show up even earlier if there is a prospect of good bargains -- guaranteed. People are excited by bright, legible signs. I remember my mom using yellow posters, black sharpies, and red balloons tied in the corners to attract attention of drivers on major roadways. Put some sort of wood backing (like a garden stake) on the back to prevent your signs from bending. Then use the same color paper/markers to make arrow signs directing your shoppers/browsers down the road to your fabulous garage sale! Have fun!
view hseattle's profile
I'm loving that poster shown! I'd stop at that sale if I saw that poster advertising it. Cheap signs never really pull me in. Its the creative ones that do.
view girlonthem00n's profile
Signage is incredibly important! Most yard-sailors (my family's term for their favorite weekend activity) are just out cruising popular main roads looking for a sign. Make it big, make sure it says the date & time, and an arrow pointing towards the street or turn, follow that up with additional signs leading people right to your driveway/yard/garage. You don't have to write EVERYTHING on the first sign, just make it attention grabbing and legible. An address can go on the second sign - someone driving a main road is going too fast to read more than 5 words: YARD SALE, SATURDAY 9 - 2.
I had a yard sale with 2 of my friends last summer, and the 3 of us had very different expectations going into it - I just wanted to get rid of stuff, one wanted to make money, and one just wanted to have fun. At the end of the day, I had one small box of stuff that I donated and the most $$$ in my pocket because I sold just about anything for any price offered.
The best thing about our yard sale was finding a family shelter organization that wanted to take any leftover home stuff we had - they help families in crisis (fires, domestic abuse, you name it) and they came at 4pm and picked up whatever we had left. Check into that option in your area!
view lizb's profile
Make sure to get up extra early and get set up . The diehards will be there early to grab the good stuff.
Post on Craigslist your sale but also post any major items in a separate posting.
Have a good amount of change.
Let a time limit and then donate everything that does not sell.
view denverdigs's profile
permits are a must where i live as long as you make you $5 permit back than no complaints... except for maybe sitting around in the heat. :\
Had a yard sale last year and didn't do very well. We had alot of kids shirts(I use to wear childrens tshirts in high school) and toys and didn't even sell a 1/4 of it.
My aunt who lives down a few blocks always has tons of people that show up to her yard sales!
I've told my parents we should just donate things but they are convinced they can sell it in a yard sale (which never happens)
view witchbaby's profile