Garage sales are a spring and summer staple throughout Upstate NY. They are the perfect way to make some extra money and keep your house clean and organized by eliminating clutter!
Whether you’re planning your first or fiftieth yard sale, here are some helpful garage sale tips to help you make sure your next yard sale is a successful and profitable one!
Helpful Garage Sale Tips
Gather Things Gradually
Coordinating a garage sale can be a LOT of work! It will feel like a lot less work if you start planning early, long before the date of your garage sale.
The first step towards putting on a successful garage sale is gathering the items you would like to sell. There are a few ways to go about doing this, but one very effective way is to go room by room in your house, sorting through items and setting aside those you no longer need and think would be appropriate for a garage sale. Designate a place in your house where you can assemble and organize these items in preparation for the sale.
Price Everything
One of the most time consuming things about hosting a garage sale is assigning prices to each item and labeling everything. However, this is also one of the most important things you can do to have a successful garage sale!
It may be tempting to simply put items out for your yard sale and let shoppers come up to you to inquire about pricing, but labeling and pricing the items you plan to sell is a MUST! You want to make sure you are selling things for prices you are comfortable with (not prices you are coming up with on the spot) and you want to make things as easy as possible for potential buyers.
To make the pricing process a bit easier, try to price items as you are gathering and assembling them gradually. Use stickers and small price tags to keep things organized and simple, for you and for the shoppers who will ultimately be checking out your sale.
Collaborate with Neighbors
When it comes to garage sales, the more sales that are going on the merrier your sale will be! Groups of garage sales tend to draw more of a crowd. If you’re planning a garage sale, be sure to let your local friends and neighbors know. You can share some of the planning responsibilities and chances are your individual sales will be more profitable because more shoppers will make their way through!
Advertise Effectively
You can’t have a successful garage sale without shoppers! Be sure to get the word out about your sale ahead of time. Consider advertising in the local newspaper and online on sites like Craigslist. You can even promote your garage sale through social media; posting on Facebook or creating a Facebook event is a great way to spread the word about your upcoming garage sale. Share some details about the top items you will have available and photos to entice people to check it out!
A few days before the sale, put some signs up in your local area and at the intersections near your house to promote the sale. The day of the sale, make sure you have signs with arrows and key details about the sale to direct people where to go and help them find your garage sale.
Keep Your Sale Organized
Some people come to garage sales knowing exactly what they are looking for. Others come simply to browse in hopes that they will find something they need or want. Either way, you want to make sure your sale is logically organized so shoppers can enjoy their experience. Categorize items strategically and be sure to stay on top of reorganizing as items are purchased and moved around during the sale.
Accept Credit Cards
Most of the time, garage sales are a bit old fashioned and cash is the only method of payment that’s accepted. Unfortunately, that means that people who come to your sale can only spend the amount of cash they brought along with them. Most of the time that’s not much!
Take your garage sale to the next level by accepting credit and debit cards as a method of payment. There are a number of great credit card readers out there that can help to make this possible. You’ll be surprised how much more people are willing to spend if they can put it on a card instead of having to pay cash.
Plan for What Doesn’t Sell
If you’re like most people, you’re probably having a garage sale because you want to get rid of items that you no longer want or need that are cluttering up your house. Even at the most successful garage sales, some items are inevitably left over. Preparing for this ahead of time can help you make sure that those items don’t end up back in your house!
Before the day of your sale, have a plan in place for what to do with the garage sale items that are not purchased. Whether you donate them, throw them away or store them away for another garage sale down the road, having a strategy for handling the leftovers will help ensure that the items don’t end up cluttering your house again!
Host Your Most Successful Garage Sale Yet
Keep these tips in mind when planning your next yard sale and you’ll be in good shape to have your best and most profitable garage sale yet! Plus, you’ll be able to get rid of that household clutter that’s driving you nuts.
Have any other great garage sale tips and tricks for us? Share with us in the comments below!