Summer is upon us, which means it’s almost garage sale season!
Growing up, my family ALWAYS had garage sales. We made them big family events, inviting my cousins and aunts and uncles. We pooled together all our stuff to create a mega-sale, and then we ate a big meal together at the end of the day to celebrate our earnings. I have very fond memories of those days.
When we wanted to get rid of something in our house, we put it in a “garage sale” box; taking something to Goodwill was completely foreign to me until my adult years. Although preparations can be a hassle, I still firmly believe in selling your used goods as opposed to just giving them away (nothing against you, Goodwill).
If you haven’t had much experience throwing garage sales, or if you’ve tried and been unsuccessful, follow some of these that I’ve picked up over the years (thank you mom). You’ll be rolling in dollar bills in no time.
Garage sale tips:
1. Put big ticket items closest to the street. This can include furniture, musical instruments, antiques, or collectibles. I always put my furniture on the curb, and it always sells. Most people will drive-by and take a peak before they decide if they want to get out for a closer look, so put out something enticing.
2. Prepare your items. This is the most time consuming portion of throwing a garage sale, but it’s worth it. A couple of days prior, set up some tables in your garage or backyard and set out all your goods. Group similar items on tables (i.e. kitchen items, clothing, shoes, etc.), and decide where each group/table will go on the big day.
3. Price your items. I know, it’s a pain. But I firmly believe that people are more willing to buy something if they can look at it and know exactly how much it’s going to cost them. Coming and asking you may be too much of a hassle, especially if you’re busy with another customer. To save time on labeling items, consider grouping them by price (i.e. “$1 table”).
Cardinal rule: don’t underprice! Most people price too low, thinking, “who’s going to want my used ____ ?” But you just never know how many pre-teens may be looking for a box set of Saved By the Bell (yes, I owned it). Most of your customers will try and talk you down on price anyway, so you might as well start with a decent number.
Exception to this rule: For big ticket items, leave the price tag off. When someone asks you how much it is, ask them how much they are willing to pay. You might be surprised at how high their offer is!
4. Presentation is everything. The less you treat your stuff like junk, the more someone will be willing to pay. I can’t believe the filthy things I find thrown in a pile on a blanket at garage sales; I don’t usually have the time or care enough to get down and dirty in order to find a hidden treasure. So wipe off any dust, fold your clothes (hang if possible), and make it all look pretty!
5. Create a fun atmosphere. Consider offering your customers coffee, donuts, or other baked goods – either for free or for a small fee. They’ll stick around longer, giving them more time to browse, and they might be a little more apt to spend with a full tummy.
If you do decide to sell food, don’t get discouraged if no one’s biting (no pun intended… ok, pun intended). My husband and I tried selling hot dogs and sodas once, but only sold 5 to one family the whole day. But we had so much fun laughing at our lame attempt to get people to buy them that it was totally worth it; plus, we made our money back with the 5 we sold!
6. Advertise! Put big signs with arrows (Please, don’t use letter-size paper. No one can read that.) on all the major street corners and at the end of your street. Expect to put out at least 4 or 5. Advertise some of the items you are selling (pictures help), your address, and the hours of the sale on free sites like craigslist.org and yardsalesearch.com.
Most importantly, have fun with it! Consider inviting friends or family to join in, and make it a fun get-together. Community sales tend to pull in more customers, anyway.
Look forward to the money you will make and the space you will clear out after the sale. After all, the average garage-saler can expect to make $380 in one day (source: yardsalesearch.com)! Yowza!
Linked to: The Shabby Nest and Fingerprints on the Fridge