Clear the clutter and make some dough! Host a Yard Sale or Garage Sale. These sales are an excellent way to give new life to your previously loved and no longer needed items. We have said it before and we will say it again…”Reuse is even better than recycling”. Read on for some “Do’s and Don’ts” for hosting a successful Garage or Yard Sale.
· Check the long-range weather forecast before you set the date—weather will have a big impact on the success of your sale so try to plan accordingly.
· Begin your sale early in the morning. The die-hard Garage Salers begin their searches early.
· Use newspaper advertising and highlight any larger items like cars, appliances and furniture. Take advantage of free online advertising as well.
· Don’t allow anyone in your home for any reason.
· Use signs (think Sharpie and cardboard) in well-placed areas. Count the signs you put out and collect them all when the sale is finished (check with your town to learn the do’s and don’ts of sign placement…)
· Sell like items from bulk bins. Clearly mark the contents and price of the items in the bins (example: “Baby Clothes 25¢ Each”).
· Stage all items on tables in the garage the night before so that the morning of the sale all you have to do is move items out onto the driveway.
· Have plenty of cash on-hand. $50 in quarters, ones and fives should suffice. Consider using a locked cash box and keep an eye on the money at all times.
· For safety, place kids’ toys away from the street. Doing so will also draw parents farther into your sale…
· Join forces—multi-family and community sales tend to attract more foot traffic.
· Don’t be discouraged if you don’t sell everything. Resale shops like Goodwill and Habitat ReStore are always willing to accept your used items and will give you a receipt for your donation.
· Don’t place sentimental items in the sale. Just because you think an item is valuable, doesn’t mean others will agree. Keep and enjoy those priceless items for their sentimental value.
There are numerous online resources including lists of tips, checklists and printable signs. A quick online search will produce a lot of sites to consider. A couple of sites we found particularly helpful were organizedhome.com and yardsalequeen.com. You can also find helpful videos for planning and executing your sale on YouTube.
