Are you hoping to make some extra money from your next garage sale? Ready to clear the clutter and hope for a few dollars in your pocket along the way? In this article, we’re sharing our top tips for a successful garage sale to make your day of selling go smoothly and successfully.
Moving Home? Be Ruthless!
One of the most popular times for a garage sale is just before you move home. It makes very little sense to move items you no longer need. You may end up paying a moving company to take something to your new home just to sit unused in the garage.
Getting rid of things can be difficult. It is easy to think that you might find a use for things somewhere down the line, and many of us find it tough to let go, but selling items at a garage sale can ensure that you get some money for your items.
How are you going to decide what to sell? One of the most commons tips about cutting the costs of moving home is about purging: “If you haven’t used it in a year, you need to sell it, donate it, or throw it in the trash.”
Have Kids? Rope Them in to Help
Children don’t have a whole lot of ways to make money. They are also often the most guilty of hoarding their old toys.
You can tackle both of these problems by getting them involved in your garage sale. This can mean an extra pair of hands to help you and also motivate them to get rid of some of their unwanted belongings.
Some negotiation might be in order. Kids are often looking for ways to make extra money (just like adults). Garage selling is one of the activities mentioned on this list that children can actually help with. Allowing them to sell unwanted items can teach them important lessons about money, and help fund their next purchase.
Promote Your Yard Sale Properly
“If you build it, they will come” is not the attitude to take when you are running a garage sale. Some passers-by will come and take a look, but by not advertising, you are missing out on a whole community of people who love to visit garage sales.
As well as putting up signs beforehand, think about other ways you can let people know that your sale is happening. You can post to Facebook groups in the local area, find community noticeboards or even use websites such as Yard Sale Search for free advertising.
The more people show up, the more likely your garage sale is to be a resounding success.
Protect Your Goods (and Yourself)
The weather can be unpredictable. If you don’t have the right level of protection you can be susceptible to whatever conditions happen to be on the day of your sale.
An absolute worst case scenario can be a washout. Not only will this mean not as many people visiting, but it can also lead to items getting ruined by the rain. To avoid this, you should set up some sort of protection via a gazebo or a canopy. These have the added bonus of protecting you from the sun, which can also lead to burning if you are spending all day out in the yard trying to sell your items.
A pop-up canopy can be a simple solution. Read here about how to choose one which is affordable and easy-to-use. These can come in handy on many occasions other than garage sales, too!
Price Items Before The Sale
If you’re going to be there on the day of the sale, it can be tempting to take the approach of “making it up as you go along”. This is sometimes okay if things aren’t busy, but if you find yourself inundated then it can be difficult to come up with prices for things on the spot. You may end up selling something for far less than its worth or scaring off potential customers.
A few stickers allowing you to write some prices on items can go a long way. Whether you get up early on the day of the sale to add your prices or you do so well in advance, it is important to have some sort of pricing system. This can also help if you get friends and loved ones to help you, as they won’t have to ask the price of items all the time.
Have Some Change Ready and Don’t Complicate Prices
Selling items for $9.95 instead of $10 is an old trick used by stores all over the world.
It might be advantageous in terms of psychology, but it can be a pain when it comes to change. Use even dollars as much as you can so you’re not having to use silly change. Have some quarters just in case, as well as a ‘float’ of change. It is not good to lose a sale because you don’t have the right change to give someone. Most banks can provide you with a service that gives you a bag of change. Be sure to have plenty of ones and fives too.
Did you enjoy our tips? Feel free to share your own garage sale advice in the comments section or share our advice to others on social media.