This weekend I went to an awesome garage sale. I'm not a big garage saler but this one knew all of the secrets: they drew me in with street signs when I wasn't planning on it, they had the stuff they promised, they bargained enough that I wanted to go over my budget to get more of their deals, and their stuff was good enough that I was totally pleased when I got home and looked over my loot. Find out what they did right and share your secrets after the jump.
The garage sale sucked me in on a drive to the famers market with a sign that said "Retro," "Danish," and "Mid Century." So, the first thing they did right was have a theme. They only sold things that fit within that theme which made everything at the sale something that someone who was attracted by the theme was interested in.
The sale was also a group sale. By pooling all of the great items that 5 neighbors have there is more merchandise for the theme. With a large group a theme sale is much more feasible.
Finally, they knew the value of their items and only had high quality stuff. They didn't have a free box or a junk table. Instead, everything they had was in decent condition and was priced fairly and correctly.
The garage sale this weekend, because they did it right, was the best one I've ever been to.
What are your garage sale secrets?
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For more on successful thrifting, antiquing, and garage sale shopping:
• Yard Sale Treasure Map: Yard Sale Treasure Map is a Google-hacked website designed to be a source for all Craigslist.org posted yard sales. Enter your zip code, search radius and day and Yard Sale Treasure Map will show markers for all Craigslists posts that mach your query.
• Money In Your Pocket: Tips for Hosting a Garage Sale: Whether you call it a garage sale, tag sale, moving sale, or rummage sale, summertime is a great time for getting rid of your old stuff … and making a little scratch, too. While hosting a garage sale can seem daunting, this list of tips should help get you on your way.
• Sell Possessions Effectively Without Using eBay or Craigslist: Selling a lot of things at once can be a daunting task, no matter how you choose to do it. Many like the yard sale route which always seems to be pretty effective. However, that option isn’t always available. Sometimes you don’t live in a prime location or it simply isn’t the season for yard sales. So what do you do then? Well, many move to one of the two popular online venues: eBay or Craigslist. I’m going to let you in on my new method of selling that doesn’t involve either of those. In fact, I owe all my thanks to Tumblr.
• 10 Common Thrift Store Finds and Ways To Use Them for DIY Projects: We often hear people complain that they're no good at thrift store shopping—they have an aversion to dirt, no patience, or just bad luck. The truth is that anyone can be a good thrifter if they keep an open mind. It's as simple as recognizing when an object needs a good cleaning, a coat of paint, or even just a new context.
• Best Kept Secrets: Hidden Thrift to Treasure Stores: How can you find the good stuff before everyone else without spending a fortune? Here are some little (and well) known places that will appeal to the most thrifty at heart.
• Ultimate Guide to Flea Markets: Where To Go, How To Shop: Isn't it often the case that the coolest pieces in a home are one-of-a-kind finds from world travels? You can either throw your hands up in despair at your ill-luck, or go out and find your own treasure. Make the most of your travels this summer and hit up the nation's best flea markets. You never know where your own mint condition gramophone may be hiding.
• What You Need to Know: Shopping at Antique Stores: Apartment Therapy has talked extensively about how to shop for furniture at several places other than your traditional retail stores. First there were auctions and then estate sales. In this post we address the fine art of finding just the right piece at antique stores. There's an art and you'll have to get a little crafty.
• Strategies and Tips for Successful Thrift Store Shopping: Thrift shopping can be meditative and also extremely rewarding, if you know the strategies.
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Fantastic tips!
I held a garage sale on a Sunday and it bombed. Apparently Sunday is not a big day for garage sales.
One thing that a lot of people don't seem to realize: if you don't do the signage right, it makes a huge difference. If people can't find your house, they won't show up! Use arrows on your signs - don't just put the address and expect that everyone will know where it is. Color-coordinate your signs, especially if there are other sales happening at the same time. You don't want someone else's sign to hijack the traffic to your sale. Put the date and time of the sale on the sign, not just "Today!". If it's nice out, make as much of your stuff visible from the street as you can - if everything's in the garage, many people will just drive by because it looks like you don't have much. If you're not a garage-saler yourself, go to a few before your sale so you get a feel for how to price things. It's painfully obvious when someone is holding a garage sale and has never been to one themselves - things are waaaay over priced. Put a price sticker on everything, or signs like "shirts $1, pants $2" unless you look forward to answering "How much is this?" about 5,000 times. And some people (like me) tend to just not buy anything rather than bring an armful of items up to ask the price of every single thing.
Just some tips I've gathered as an avid garage saler :)
Great post. I love the recommendations, especially blog about finding thrift store treasures. I noticed you mentioned Yard Sale Treasure map, and wanted to tell you about a similar app MOGASA, that has even better features. Like Yard Sale Treasure map, you can create custom garage sale maps from your phone, but you can also review and share sales and search for specific types of sales and goods. http://www.mogasa.net/garage-sales
Who hasn't heard about some intelligent shopper snatching up an art masterpiece at a garage sale for a pittance? And while those types of finds are very uncommon, often little overlooked items could be discovered at yard sales, priced at a pittance. Some healthy spending cash can be made, if one is knowledgeable and knows what to try to find, in selling yard sale treasures. How to spot treasures at garage sales? Some items to look for, according to an eBay user with the moniker al89joe, are old Christmas ornaments, vintage collectible salt and pepper shakers, things made of bakelite, enamelware, glasses and Fireking or Anchor Hocking mugs made of milk glass. More research on eBay should tip you off to other items that get quickly snatched up for good prices.
A good garage sale is a lot of work, but the money is good!
If you are looking for a really cool FREE resource packed with tips and how to garage sale advice you must check out http://www.garagesaleadvice.com
If you want it all on a silver platter, then you can buy a 10-video course which will show you everything. It is called garage Sale Blueprint and you can find more details at http://www.garagesaleblueprint.com
Good luck!