As the weekend approaches, street corners all across the country become flooded with signs giving directions to local garage sales. Although they're great at driving in traffic, all it takes is one windy afternoon to destroy hours of hard work. Keep the patrons coming with these simple weighted signs, we promise they're easier than drawing on poster board!
Maria over at Meck Mom, held a recent garage sale and instead of paying out more than $4 per sign at a local big box store, she decided to take matters into her own hands instead.
After rounding up a few shipping boxes and some left over from bulk store purchases, she set to work. With the help of some florescent paper run through a home printer, the verbiage was added and to help hold things upright during windy times she added bricks inside the boxes, though she also suggests using soup cans to do the deed.
We're thinking rocks from your yard or an abandoned lot, play sand (which could be donated to a local sandbox when all is said and done), or water bottles which would be recollected after the fact would also work.
Make sure to check out more garage sale tips over at Meck Mom and see more of this idea in action.
Thanks Maria!
(Image: Meck Mom)
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Great idea. PUH-LEEEEEEZE remember to go and gather them all up after the sale is over! I can't stand seeing outdated signs left on the roadside.
@jprich, Agreed, plus local code probably requires it and, in some communities (not mine), it's enforced.
A garage/yard sale sign sitting on the ground is going to be easily missed.
The sign should ideally be at, or somewhat near, a driver's eye height.
I like it when people put the DATE of the yard sale, not just the day. That way, I will know for sure that it is a new sign and not a forgotten one.
@DailyNuance- I know where I live, signs that tall are not allowed. Besides, I wouldn't want a neon garage sale sign at my eye level... because I'm supposed to be looking at the road! And garage-salers know to look down already :)
oh, and peahen- 7 am isn't so crazy... it gets HOT times 1000 by 10 or 11 here!
Oh, the BEST way to mark your yard sale was something we discovered accidentally. Park your car at the end of the street, facing the main road. Place a sign on the dashboard (we used a full sheet of neon green posterboard) and anchor it under the windshield wipers. Ours said, YARD SALE NOW with an arrow.
We made $400 at that one. The week before with the same stuff, we'd only pulled in $75. The power of the sign!
http://makinglifeup.blogspot.com/
I agree with this concept wholeheartedly.
ALWAYS use black on color or white lettering, and if possible computer printed. No cutsie multi-colored handwritten-in-fading-felt-pen signs if you want people to read them fro moving cars!!!
Great idea, and I like the added dimension that the box gives!
Letters should always be THICK and bold on the signs. The biggest error I see is using neon colors on white cardboard and thin little lines that aren't readable.