Are you drowning in in stuff? Do you have a stockpile of baby clothes, equipment, or supplies, but don’t plan to have anymore kids? Is it impossible to work in your garage, because there are boxes piled everywhere?
A garage sale is a great way to get rid of items you no longer use or need and make a little extra money.
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You have decided to host a garage sale. You could open your door, stick a sign you made on the back of your kid’s homework paper in your yard, pull out your boxes, and hope for the best. You might get lucky and sell a few things, but chances are you are going to have a lot leftover to pull back in and not make much money. To get the most bang for your buck and get rid of all that stuff, there are a few things you should consider.
How to Rock your Garage Sale:
Location: Do you live in an area that gets garage sale traffic? When considering location also consider whether you have space for parking and how much off the beaten path are you located? You might have some die-hards who will find you or get creative with parking but most will move onto the next garage sale.
Restrictions: Are you allowed to have a garage sale in the neighborhood where you live? Is there a specific time of year you can hold garage sales? Do you need a permit? What are the regulations on posting signs for your garage sale?
Advertise: Yes do it…there is nothing worse than doing all the work to prepare for a garage sale and then no one shows up. There are several ways to advertise for a garage sale: local newspaper, Facebook, Craigslist, and community bulletin board. Know your area and what method works best. If you have a much sought after item, such as a BOB Jogging Stroller, highlight it in your ad.
Make signs and hang them up either the night before or that morning. Make sure your signs are sturdy and are not going to be blow over with the first hint of wind. Make them legible and large enough to be seen from your car. Arrows help guide the way especially if you need to take several turns before you land at your garage sale.
What to Sell: Be realistic when choosing what to sell. Check clothing for stains and/or holes and tears. If you would not buy it then someone else probably won’t either. Are your items in good working order and have all the parts? If not, is it an item, someone could repurpose or use the parts?
Be organized: I don’t know how many garage sales I have been to that just dumped everything on the table with sizes from newborn-adult or better yet had it stuffed in a box. Some people have the patience to sort through the mess, but not me…no thank you. Fold clothing neatly on a table sorted by size and gender or hang clothing up; especially specialty or higher end items that need showcased.
If you are like most people, you probably don’t have a stockpile of tables. Ask friends and neighbors if they have tables you can borrow or check to see if your church allows you to check out tables. Get creative. We have put out sawhorses, placed a piece of plywood on it and covered it with an old white sheet.
Pricing: If you want to get rid of your stuff, then price it that way. Do some research on pricing clothes for a garage sale, be realistic and consider what you would be willing to pay. Once you have determined a price, mark that on your clothing or put up a sign indicating prices for general categories such as $.50 for all clothing or $1.00 for this table. If you chose to use a sign rather than marking items individually, make sure it is large and visible. I don’t know how many times I have walked away because the seller was too busy to ask about prices or I just got tired of asking the price of everything. If you have experienced your rush and things are slowing down consider offering fill a bag for $___ ($2 or $3) or have a 1/2 off sale.
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