Getting the Most Out of Your Garage or Yard Sale

Garage sales are great for making a few extra bucks, and can actually be very profitable if done right. Yes they are a pain to organize and run, but can be well worth the rewards. Having nice stuff to sale, a lot of it, and reasonable prices are the key to a good sale, also location can play a big part as well as advertisement, and neighborhood involvement. So here are some tips on how to organize a profitable garage sale.

Don't try and sell trash at a garage sale. Items that no longer work, or broken are not something you want a customer to see. The reason is because people tend to shop at garage sales in groups, or packs and if you upset one then you potentially upset their friends and other potential customers.

Make sure you have plenty of things you can sale, fill your tables, your yard, and driveway with your sellable things. Also make sure to have a nice display, don't just have a box full of items that the consumer has to rummage through. Get some tables and display your stuff, like a business would, and make sure everything you have for sale is visible.

People who tend to shop at garage sales only have about 10-30 dollars their looking to spend that day, so try and be reasonable with your prices. Things that you sale should not be more then a dollar or two, unless it's something really worth it and in good condition. 5 dollars is not too much to ask, but can be pushing it for smaller items. Now when it comes to large items, like nice grills, computers, furniture and such, don't be afraid to price as you see fit. If someone wants one of these items, and the price is right, they'll leave and come back with more cash.

Also in terms of having low prices you will attract more customers. Remember that garage sale hunters go out in packs and many times keep open lines of communication with one another. Sally may know that Margaret needs a specific item, so when Sally finds it she'll call Margaret and tell her you have it at a low price. Keeping this in mind you can see how your low prices, quality, and quantity can affect your overall sales.

Now most of the time we cannot help our locations, where we live is where we live and you can't change that, however you can move your garage sale to a better location. Many places have large scale sales where a community will rent a place and hold a large event for selling their things. Normally you have to pay to rent a table, but the fee is usually not all that high, so it can be well worth the effort.

You have to let people know that your having a garage sale, so advertise! Most of the time the simple neon posters with your address and days of the event are enough, just make sure you have accurate information that will lead customers to your location. Putting arrows on the signs is a great way to communicate to the public, and make sure you place your signs a few days in advance of your garage sale, and at key locations. Intersections, close to schools, anywhere there is a high concentration of traffic. Also consider taking out an add in your local paper, this can be a bit pricy, but it will get your message out there and bring in potential buyers from other locations that your other advertising attempts could have possibly missed.

Now one of the most important things you can do is get your entire neighborhood involved. A whole community that gets together and organizes a community sale is no doubt going to do better then someone going it alone. The reason being is that all a customer has to do is drive to a single community and they can shop for an entire day. This is attractive because the customer does not have to drive all around town, and can shop for a long period of time rather then separately. If you do get a community garage sale organized I would highly recommend that you take out an add in the paper to attract more buyers.

Days and times of the year are very important when it comes to garage sales. Obviously the weekend is a prime time, but try adding Thursday to your days of the sale. Time is also key, try and set the time of your garage sale to take place between 7am and 3pm, usually you will get your most traffic around 8am-1pm but you may get some early birds and some late arrivals. Now the time of the year is very important, October through February is terrible, because most people are saving up for Christmas, new items are preferable to those you'll be selling, and the months after Christmas everyone is tight on cash and can't afford to spend any extra. Try to have your garage sale in the spring or early summer, right after tax time. People will have a return on their taxes and have some extra cash to blow, and they might as well spend it at your garage sale.

Haggling is a part of your garage sale, and you will run into those people that want your price to drop by a quarter. Just try and remember that your having this garage sale not only to make a few extra bucks, but also to clear space in your home for new things, so don't be too upset by hagglers.

Well that's about it, just remember to have good merchandise, and advertise in creative ways and your next garage sale will be a success. Have it at the right time of year, and you'll do even better!