Welcome to Homemaking Tips Tuesdays where contributing writers share helpful homemaking tips so you can feel more successful caring for your home and family.
{This week, post by: Jessica}
Whether you call it a Garage Sale, Yard Sale, Rummage Sale, Tag Sale or Lawn Sale, now is a great time to consider de-cluttering your home and using these 10 garage sale tips to have a sale of your own.
My family typically holds two big sales a year. We have one in the spring and one in the fall to help get rid of items we have out-grown or don’t have a use for anymore. A successful sale is easy if you follow these garage sale tips.
10 Garage Sale Tips for A Successful Sale:
1. Signage!
It’s really hard for people to shop your sale if they can’t find where you live! List the street name of your sale on signs posted on major streets that lead into your neighborhood.
Use arrows at every turn to help point shoppers in the right direction. Post signs at every major entrance to your neighborhood to attract people driving in various directions.
When making signs, choose paper that is eye catching such as yellow, neon green, or neon pink. Write your street name in bold black letters and use a black marker to draw arrows leading shoppers exactly to your street.
2. Stage your sale as much as possible the night before.
Garage sales start early and the last thing you want to be doing is pulling items out of storage totes as your customers are pulling up.
Throughout the year, I collect unwanted items from our home in labeled storage totes (one for clothes, one for toys, and one for household goods).
Having items already pre-sorted in totes makes it much easier to set up your sale.
3. Use tables to keep items off the ground.
Setting up the night before is much easier to do if you stage a few tables in your garage to hold your items. Having items off the floor also makes it easier for your shoppers to see all that you have available.
Group items on each table by similarity. For example, children’s books pair well with toys instead of with adult books.
4. Price larger items ahead of time.
If you are really looking to get close to a specific price on an item, then mark it as such.
Do not worry about marking each piece of individual clothing. Simply create a sign that reads: Shirts $1; Jeans $2 and so on.
If your sale becomes busy, having some items pre-priced will save you time in answering shopper’s questions on each individual item.
5. Remember the season.
Long sleeve tops and Christmas decorations may not sell well in the spring. Hold onto them for a few more months and have another sale when those items are most likely to sell quickly.
6. List big items online.
Lits bigger items online using apps such as letgo or offerup.
You will probably get a higher price for that item by selling it online than you will at a garage sale.
If you live in area that may not otherwise receive a lot of traffic, advertise your sale in various places online. Make sure you mention some of the items you have available such as children’s clothing, toys, books, etc.
7. Partner up with a friend or neighbor for a larger sale.
Consider organizing a sale for your entire neighborhood or at least team up with a few friends or neighbors to create a large garage sale.
Advertising a multi-family sale or community sale may draw in larger crowds of shoppers looking for a variety of items.
For safety reasons, never be alone during a sale.
8. Start with plenty of small bills for change.
You would hate to miss a sale because you cannot make change for a $20. Use caution when accepting large bills, and keep all money stored in a safe place.
A cash box that one person is responsible for is a great option. Alternatively a good ol’ fanny pack keeps money safe on your person.
If you are holding a sale with another friend or family, make sure you have a system in place ahead of time for tracking each family’s sales.
9. Negotiate!
People are shopping your sale in hopes to find a really good deal. If your items are priced unrealistically high, your overall sales will be low and the sale itself may be unsuccessful. Remember, the whole point of the sale is to pass items you no longer use on to others and make a little extra spending money.
Emotionally detach from your items and sell them for a fair price.
Well, this depends a lot on their age and the size of your sale.
For toddlers or little ones you need to keep a close eye on, it may be best to keep them indoors or away from the sale. This is where teaming up with another family can come in handy. Let the dads run “kids camp” while you and your friend hustle the sale.
Older kids may love to be involved. My girls always set up a lemonade stand during our sale to make a little extra spending money of their own. Part of their earnings go towards an expense they have (such as taekwondo belt testing) and the rest of it we use for something fun like ice cream.
This teaches kids how to budget their earnings in different areas. Older kids may even enjoy learning how to negotiate prices. There are also great lessons to be made by letting your kids handle the money as well. Supervise them to make sure no mistakes are made.
At the end of your sale, decide if any of your unsold items are worth hanging onto for next time. Otherwise, donate the rest.
Make sure you take down all signs as soon as your sale is over. No one wants to waste their time driving around looking for a sale that has ended.
Jessica is a stay at home mom of two lovely little girls. She is also a military spouse and an entrepreneur. Jessica enjoys staying active and spending time outdoors with her family, cooking, and reading. In addition, Jessica is hard at work growing her company Five O’Clock Jelly.
