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.
• Be legal. First of all, check the laws where you live to make sure you don't have to acquire a permit to host a sale. It's all fun and games until someone gets fined.
• Set sale hours. Set definite hours for your sale and stick to them. If you're planning a Saturday sale, consider starting at 9AM and ending at 4PM.
• Be prepared for early birds. There are folks who live for garage sales who will arrive at yours an hour before it starts. You can specify "no early birds" in your ad but that may not stop them. Plan to have everything together an hour before your start time, just in case. Also, don't be surprised if resellers arrive early and clean out all the good stuff.
• Price everything. Or, if you don't want to take the time to tag each item, group things by price and create larger signs.
• Be realistic about pricing. Just because you paid a pretty penny for that Bow Flex doesn't mean you're going to see a return on your investment. The goal here is to get rid of old stuff and make a little extra money, not fund your retirement.
• Everybody likes free stuff! If you have some things that you just want out of your sight (hello, ex boyfriend's old junk), consider creating a free pile. Trust me, that stuff will be gone in no time! And, as the day goes along, you can add unsold items to the free pile.
• Clean your stuff. One way to get folks to pay a little more for your old stuff is to clean it first. As you've seen here on Apartment Therapy many times, a little soap and water can quickly turn trash into a treasure.
• Have singles and change on hand. Inevitably, the first few folks will pay for a one dollar item with a twenty dollar bill — so be prepared.
• Get out of the house. While it may be tempting to host the sale inside your house, consider how many strangers would be tramping through your personal space. And, while I like to think that everyone is on the up and up, one of those strangers could have nefarious intentions, like scoping out how easy it would be to break in to your home. So pull all your old stuff outside and have a strict 'no strangers in the house' rule.
• Do it in a group. If the thought of doing this alone seems overwhelming or if you're worried about safety, rally your neighbors to host a multi-household garage sale.
• Get the word out. From craigslist and posting printed signs, to spreading the word on Facebook and Twitter, get the word out about your sale.
• Offer refreshments. Ok, so this is really only if you want to go fancy with your sale. Still, a pitcher of lemonade and some cookies can be awfully charming!
• Get rid of the leftovers. If you still have leftover junk at the end of your sale, consider listing an ad in the free section of Craigslist or on freecycle.org. If you have a lot of leftovers, some thrift stores and donation centers will pick up from you. There's no need to drag that stuff you didn't want back into the house!
MORE GARAGE SALE TIPS ON APARTMENT THERAPY
• Make Weighted Windproof Garage Sale Signs
• Survey: Having a Garage Sale — To Price or Not To Price
• Yard Sale: The Art of Evicting Junk
Images: 1. Flickr member bluebike and 2. Flickr member fooferkitten both licensed for use by Creative Commons
Veronica & Keith's Handmade Chic 
Before & After: A Bathroom Goes From Pinky Peach to Sleek and Chic
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Hunslet Dinner Plate
A Beginner's Guide to Superb Stir-Fry: Quick, Healthy Meals from a Wok
Easy Pitcher Cocktail Recipe: Strawberry Basil Margaritas
Comments (30)
decide what's more important: getting rid of everything, or making lots of money.
Excellent info. Myself & friends have done garage sales & a few important tips can make or break the day & your sales.
Good tips! I would like to have a garage sale soon, but with the temps being in the upper 90's to 100's by mid-morning, I think we will wait awhile. I especially like the tip about the pricing--you are essentially having people pay you to take the old stuff that you no longer want, so any profit is a good profit! The payoff is less clutter, and saving you the hassle of taking the stuff somewhere yourself.
A couple more things to have on hand: old newspaper to wrap fragile things up in and bags or boxes to help people haul more than just one thing away. The more, the merrier!
All good points. A couple of points I would stress (after holding 5 or 6 of them over the years) is to make sure everything is clean and price everything with a proper price tag (I use fluorescent stickers) and double the price of everything. Because people pretty much want stuff for free, and they will cut the price you ask in half anyways. Keep in mind that garage sales are A LOT of work, and in the end, most of the time you really don't make that much.
Apparently, nowadays, you have to be careful about theft at garage sales. A friend of mine recently held one and several pieces of jewelry were stolen while her back was turned.
She said if she ever held another one she'd have a friend help by being stationed JUST to watch for thieves.
I did this with the nieghbors last weekend. It was great my highest priced items were $5, but almost everything was $1 or less. Almost nothing was left.
A lot of great info, but I'd recommend starting way earlier than 9. We recently had a very successful yardsale that we advertised as being from 7 to 2. We did more than half of our sales between 630 and 8.
Also, if you're going to take the time to make and hang signs, make sure they're legible from the road. Nobody can read ballpoint pen on cardboard from a distance. Consider putting an arrow on your sign directing traffic for people who aren't familiar with the local streets and please take your signs down after the sale.
I always set things up on folding tables like im merchandising in a retail store. I rarely price things beforehand either. You can tell just by looking at some people that theyll pay more for something. Oh and i usually wait to have a sale until i have at least one larger furniture item to get rid of. The height and bulk of it draws more people in.
There is one picker (reseller) in my neighborood that is at every sale and wants the good stuff for pennies. I will not sell to him, he is such a creep.
This is very helpful, thanks! We're having a garage sale on Saturday. I already got the permit from my city and they even have a list of the city website of all the permitted garage sales each weekend. Next up, making signs and posting on Craigslist.
Be forewarned, when you post on Craigslist, people will come very, very early in the morning to see the good stuff. They will also continue to e-mail you during the sale although you aren't likely going to be checking e-mail to see if stuff is still available. If you've got a big piece of furniture that won't sell, remember to keep checking your e-mail and keeping people up to date.
I think there are a lot of regional customs, so all of these tips might not be universal. In Minnesota where I live, people aren't big hagglers, so if you price everything double they will just walk away and think you're a jerk for overpricing things.
I also notice that the "free" bin gets very little attention at garage sales in my area, usually because they're full of broken and worthless junk. I never look at them, but if it was cleverly displayed it could work (like with a funny note about your ex-boyfriend's baggage). My husband put a sign next to a box of old punk rock cassettes that said, "OH MY GOD THESE ARE AMAZING" and it got more attention that way.
We had our first garage sale a few weeks ago, and I had a few things that I knew I could get a lot more more money for certain things on Craigslist than at a garage sale. So I put those things up on Craigslist a week before the sale, figuring that I'd put anything that didn't sell in the garage sale, but it all sold online. I probably made an extra $200 that way. I did save a few larger, but less valuable big furniture items to draw people to the sale.
Be sure to have help. Someone stationed at every corner - I swear half the things you set out at a garage sale somehow just find legs and walk off on their own.
Also - if you don't have any "good stuff" then collaborate with enough people that you do. Only a certain contingent of yard sale shoppers will rush right up when all they see are boxes of clothes and some baby toys. Have some furniture and art, hopefully something vintage or collectible.
If you have items you're selling as a set, shrink wrap or padlock them together, or you'll lose the set.
Over the years I've learned that the early birds want to buy everything cheap cheap cheap. Resist. Personally, I think if I wanted to give it away, I would donate it to a good cause, not to someone who plans to resell it for profit. Yes, you do want to get rid of stuff, but less ruthless hagglers will come along later in the day. Have friends act as "watchers." Even at greatly reduced prices, I've seen people switch price tags and steal stuff. Plus people are more likely to stop and shop if they feel like a sale is popular. It appeals to a competitive spirit I guess. Keep an eye especially on families with lots of kids. Sadly, they are the worse. Whether the kids are a distraction or the perps, stuff will disappear or get broken without being paid for.
I would add using a tent or sun umbrellas if you live in a sunny/hot place. People like have a break from the sun, plus if you get caught in an unexpected rain - you're covered! Things can also get damaged from the sun/heat - think vinyl records & candles.
Readable signs are a must, and I think it help to have eye catching things & collectable items easily seen from the street. As a frequent yard sale fiend - I drive right by if it looks uninteresting.
I think having a free bin is great - one year we got rid of a ton of little kids toys (think fast food giveaways) I think we priced them at ten for a dollar. That helped to keep younger ones occupied while their parents looked, plus we made some easy money & got rid of junk!
The only other think I would add, is to use clothes racks to hang clothes - rather that filling up a table with folded clothes. It's much easier to flip through hanging clothes, than sort through a mound.
I hate when things don't have prices and usually don't bother asking how much. Many times, the host is too busy talking to other people to notice I might be interested. I also don't think it's right to haggle on a price 15 minutes into the sale.
For my last sale, I had people come the night before while I was setting up and finishing my price tags. They offered half for a few bigger ticket items and asked me about items I hadn't priced yet. I had to tell them several times to leave and come back in the morning. They said they couldn't. But they did anyway. Just testing me, I guess.
I love throwing yard sales. A few things I've learned:
- Bring some music outside. It creates a fun vibe for shopping. It also covers potentially awkward silences when it's just you standing there while a random person picks through your stuff. (Awkward silence drives people away.) It also lets people talk without being overheard, so that, for example, a couple can bicker with each other over price or whether they *really* need another vintage plate without worrying about you overhearing them.
- Book browsers can take a looooong time to shop, because they want to look at everything and do a bit of sample reading. If you're selling a lot of books, arrange them neatly in an area of your sale where people will be able to take their time browsing. If it's a hot day, put them in the shade.
- If someone asks you to hold something for them and they'll come back later to get it, have them pay up front. People mean well, but sometimes they forget or change their mind and don't come back to tell you. You don't have to be pushy about it. When they ask you to save something for them, just say, "Sure! If you could pay me now, I'll put a 'sold' sign on it and set it aside for you." If they say they have to go to an ATM, then just say, "No problem. I can hold it for 20 minutes" (or whatever seems reasonable given your proximity to an ATM).
- If you're selling appliances or lamps, run an extension cord outside so people can test them. If an item needs batteries or light bulbs, include them if possible.
- Be friendly, but not too friendly. Say hi to everyone, but resist the urge to turn into a high-pressure salesman.
I've garage sale-d with my dad since I was little. One thing that we appreciated was when people specified on the sign what their sale primarily was. For example when we saw the sign "lots of baby stuff!" we skipped it to spend our time with things we actually wanted to find. But when it wasn't specified it was kind of a let down and we would usually just drive on. Not saying everyone will skip your sale but it will direct more people actually interested!
The "no strangers in the house rule" doesn't work unless you keep your home locked tight to keep thieves from slipping indoors unnoticed. There definitely is more theft than there used to be at garage sales. I prefer to give things to friends, family, and charities. I'd be angry if those same things were stolen from me in my own yard, and the earnings aren't worth the aggravations.
Pulling off a stoop sale in Manhattan is fairly challenging, but for the novice it could have been a disaster. My friend and I spent a lot of time preparing and at the end of the day made a bundle.
A few things I might add - especially for city sellers:
have a water bowl w/ dog treats available. Will draw the dog walkers
being an interior decorator i was able to offer design suggestions when someone was contemplating a find. if this isn't your forte (although you probably have an interest as you are reading apartment therapy.) tell the potential buyer why you fell in love w/ the piece to begin w/
i wrote a how to blog based on the sale:
http://www.photojeanie.com/cashing-in-on-clutter/
PS Besides, I prefer to give away surplus things as I realize they're no longer wanted rather than to uglify and crowd my home by saving boxes of them. The habit also forces me to realize how much time, money, and space I'd wasted buying fluff, which has let me reduce "retail therapy" to practically nothing without feeling deprived or resentful. Conversely, many hoarders justify their piles by claiming they'll make big money in garage sales that in reality never will happen.
These are all excellent tips and will take those that apply to me, but how about for those of us who don't live in a house or have a garage? I live in on the second floor of an apt. bldg.
For months now, I've been going through my home looking at things that I want to get rid of. We just don't the space for a lot of it, specially since it's all stored in our biggest closet in the 2nd bedroom. The closet is overflowing with stuff. It's completely out of control!
Whatever I thought I could give way to family and friends first, I have or will get around to. But I have lots that just needs to go. The items range in size and value--one thing for sure, none of it is old and overused. A lot of these items are 2 years old at the most and in excellent good condition. For example, a number of salad plate sets of different designs (I collect them, but am narrowing down the "theme."), large serving trays that have been used 2 or 3 times in 2 ears, 1 oversized decorative mirror that used to hang in my husband's office, but does not fit with our home decor, lots of electronics/gamer acceessories, etc. We realized we had no need for them and so kept them stored.
I have slowly been taking photographs of everything with a pro. camera in a setting that shows how it can be used. I plan on uploading them to a public photo album and sharing on FB and Craig's List with friends and friends of friends.
I did think about having a "closet sale" in the apt. where I bring everything out to the dining area (the area you walk into first when you walk through the front door to the apt.), price tag and let people come in through the day to look at stuff.
Any sound suggestions for having a sale inside the apt.? I will greatly appreciate it.
Its been said but these two points are really important: 1- Be SET UP at least an hour in advance for the early birds. I was out there 1 hour in advance but to price things and lay stuff out, NOT to deal w early birds asking a million questions. Needless to say I hardly had anything laid out and priced by the actual start time. 2- THEFT! They also like small digital cameras! I had mine on a "special table" for exactly this reason but then some guy acted like he was going to buy it while he continued to look around. Stupid me... when I was precoccupied with another customer, which took, oh 10 seconds, he was gone.
Great tips everyone. Here are a couple that helped me. One person watches and haggles (if you chose to haggle). The other collects the money. This saves you from the "Oh, I paid her/him." And they didn't!!! Before you know it, the thieves are long gone. The person collecting the money should stay by the exit/entrance to your sale. Another tip, don't get haggled down early in the day. Someone might come along and pay what you are asking or near to it. Ask them to come back. They will if they really want the item. I have don yard sales mostly with friends and neighbors, and they have for the most part been fun. Enjoy.
If you find that you've made a lot of money at some point (say, you sold that couch and chair) have your garage sale buddy take over for a minute while you go into the house and safely put away your $20s.
Keep your house locked, but try to not lock yourself out. Like I did once.
If people try to haggle first thing in the morning, just tell them it's too early in the day and that they might check back later. They'll probably just pay full price if it's something they want.
@TammyE-great tips
If you live in a hot area, you can consider having a cooler of ice water and cups available. It may keep people browsing longer. You could consider selling cold drinks as well if you want to get into that.
Free bin--We usually had a free bin that was choose an item for free if you made a purchase. It kept people from looting the whole bin early, and yes, we added throughout the day.
We also had several people--one stationed by jewelry/small items, one taking money, two on roaming, and one inside on Craigslist posting/emailing.
I hate to admit it, but I have a "garage sale fanny pack." It makes it easy to access change, pens, and price tags, and keeps all of the $ close. I love garage sales! I always have them during life transitions... off to college, grad school, moving, etc.
@Anita- do you have any friends with garages? Combining sales together at one garage ensures you have enough stuff for an actual garage sale and you get some company throughout the day. Be sure to use different colored stickers for prices and just collect them when things are sold, this will keep the money situation organized.
Please Please PLEASE go around and take down the signs you put up after the sale is over; I have spend hours of my life trying to find a garage sale that was actually the weekend before.
Have found thru previous experience that if hosting a Friday/Saturday sale - change your ad. Run one ad in Thursday's paper saying the sale is Friday, and Friday's evening paper saying the sale is Saturday. I can only attend a Saturday sale - so automatically cross out all obvious 2 day sales with the assumption the "good stuff" is gone. Also - please do not use your sale as the opportunity to teach little Becky how to add, subtract and make change. A free bin for kids only is a good idea and will keep them occupied - note for kids only or you will have the greedy adult wiping you out of the happy meal toys! Please have prices on everything or signs - no one likes asking the price of EVERY item they are interested in! We always say a friendly "good morning" to the people showing up to ours. I hate when I go to a sale and the people just stare at me - but I also don't like someone acting like I'm in some high end boutique pointing out how much they paid for an "AMAZING" item they have for sale.