How to Make More Money at Your Yard Sale

If you are having a yard sale, you might as well do it right and make the highest possible amount you can. The first thing you're going to want to do is make sure that a lot of people come to your sale. Spend the extra money to place an ad in the classified section of your local newspaper. This is how you're going to get the majority of your customers. Make your ad appealing.

Put in the most attractive items that you'll be selling, especially large items like furniture, and popular items like electronics. You don't need to put in that you have household items, baby clothes and books, because they're already going to expect those things anyway. However, maternity and plus size clothes are popular, so put those in your ad if you're selling them.

Tools, appliances and gardening equipment will also draw in customers. Remember to put your address in the ad, and the city you live in. I don't know how many sales I've missed because the ad neglected to tell exactly where the sale was located. This is way more common than you might think.

You can also place notices a week or so before the sale on bulletin boards around your city. You can find them in places like colleges, stores, libraries, and community centers. And of course, you will also want to place a lot of visible signs pointing to your sale. Make the writing large enough for drivers to read. You will make more money at your yard sale if it is visibly attractive to buyers.

Have everything organized neatly, clothes folded on tables or hanging if you can. Don't label smaller or numerous items individually. Have very visible signs listing your prices. This way, there will be less confusion, and there won't be any way for dishonest buyers to switch stickers or tags. Mark up more expensive items so people who like to haggle can talk down your price, and you'll either be able to still get the original price you wanted, or an even higher price than you expected if the buyer isn't into haggling and just pays the sticker price.

Try to have at least a few larger items, like furniture of exercise equipment, located somewhere where drive-by customers will see it. These items will draw in more people. Stand in front of your house to get a better idea of where to best place your items for maximum visibility and attractiveness. Plan where everything is going to be placed before you start setting up your sale.

You can also sell food and drinks to customers to make even more money. Buy lots of soda, bottled water, and packaged snacks while they're on sale, and sell for more money than you bought them for at your yard sale. If it's a hot day, you can make a good majority of your money just from selling cool drinks to hot customers and their kids.