Having a Successful Yard Sale

How many times have you said "Oh, I'm saving this for a yard sale?" Most of us have quite a few items laying around that we really don't need, or want, but keep with the intentions of selling in a yard sale. Having the actual yard sale often eludes us however, because the thought of organizing and having one seems to daunting and stressful. We also worry that it will not be successful enough, and end up being just one big waste of time.

There are quite a few things that you can do to make sure your yard sale runs smoothly and is the great success you hope for it to be. The most crucial part of a successful yard sale is not the actual yard sale itself, but how organized you can make everything before hand. Creating a well-layed plan before hand will help to reduce the headache a yard sale can be.

Organize and Clean Your Items

A successful yard sale consists of more than just throwing your stuff on the front lawn and expecting people to stop and buy it. The first step to a successful yard sale is to go through and organize the items you plan to sell. Place all kitchen items together, all books together, clothing, etc. You get the idea. This will help make it easier to set your items up in organized groups when it comes time for the actual sale.

Clean your items. Wash and dry any clothing you plan on selling and wash or at least dust, any knick knacks, books and furniture. People realize they are buying used items, however they do not want trash. By presenting clean items to potential buyers, you raise the chances greatly of having them actually purchase something.

The Price Is Right

Decide on prices for your items. Each and every item you have in your yard sale should be visibly priced. There are many different options available for this. You can purchase stickers or price tags from the store, or even just use masking tape. If you are having a multiple family yard sale, a good idea is to use different colored stickers for each family. This helps to keep track of which family is selling which item.

Keep the prices even. When having a yard sale, it is a good idea to keep all of your prices clean and even numbers. This makes it easier for people to pay for an item, and easier for you to make change for it as well. It's also easier to add up even numbered prices than it is odd numbers. Even numbers would include .25 cents, .75 cents, and $3.00. Odd numbered prices would be prices like $1.99 or $3.49.

Visible pricing is essential to a successful yard sale. People want to know how much something is. They do not want to have to try and track someone down to find out the price of an item. By pricing each and every item, you raise the chances of having your items sell.

Advertise, Advertise, Advertise

At least a week, if not more, before hand, start advertising for your yard sale. Many newspapers will sell yard sale kits with the purchase of a newspaper ad. These kits include not only the ad in the newspaper, but signs for you to put up around town as well. Be specific in your ad. If it is a multiple family yard sale, state "2 family yard sale" or "4 family yard sale." If you welcome early birds, people who show up extremely early, make sure you state that in your ad. Include the dates, times and address of the yard sale. You can also give a general description of some of the items you will be selling. If you have any large items, such as furniture or appliances, it is a good idea to place those in your ad.

Put up signs around town. Flyers can be placed in grocery stores, convenience stores, church bulletin boards or telephone poles. You can also place signs on the intersecting streets of your block to let people know a yard sale is near. The more people that see your signs, the more people that can show up at your yard sale.

All The World Is A Stage

The stage you set for your yard sale plays an important role in how successful your yard sale can be. Again, you don't want to just throw your items out in the front yard. The more organized your set up, the greater your chance of success. Place as many small items as you can on tables. People do not want to have to bend down to look at what you are selling. Keep your items grouped together as well.

Place large, much desired items at the back of the sale. Items that you think people will really want like televisions, appliances and furniture should be placed at the back of the sale. This way, people that are coming to look at those items will have to walk past everything else that you are selling, and perhaps see something else they would like to buy.

If you are selling clothing, consider hanging the clothing up. This can be done on a clothing rack, or even on rope strung between two poles or trees. Haning the clothing is more presentable, and will make it easier for people to look through them. If you have no way of hanging the clothes, keep them folded neatly on a table.

Other Important Tips

There are a few other tips that will help make your yard sale successful. The day before the yard sale, you should go to the bank and get change. Nothing can kill a sale faster than not being able to break that $20 that someone has in their wallet. Getting a large amount of dollar bills is a good idea, though you should also have some fives and tens in there as well. If you have items that are priced lower than a dollar, you should also have a good amount of coin change as well.

Have bags or boxes for the items. The woman buying the entire set of kitchen dishes will more than likely want something to take them home in. Having bags and boxes for people to put their purchases in won't neccessarily increase the chance of selling something, but it is a good idea none the less.

As you can see, having a yard sale can be quite simple once you get everything organized. With just a little bit of effort, you can have a smooth running and efficient yard sale that can put a smile on your face and money in your pocket.