How to Have a Profitable Garage Sale

Making extra cash can be as easy as cleaning out your house. From getting rid of old clothing, appliances, books, even artwork through a garage sale or yard sale as some people call it. Garage sales can be a great source of quick money. Everyone can throw a garage sale, but every garage sale won't be a successful one. If you have a desire to have a garage sale follow these simple tips I've complied through my own garage sales trial and error to make your garage sale more profitable.

1. Only sell decent merchandise

Never, attempt to sell anything you wouldn't buy yourself. If you're trying to sell a pan without a handle unless the pan is made that way don't. First impressions are important and if someone sees junk as the first thing you're selling they'll think the rest of the stuff you're selling is junk.

2. Make sure your merchandise is clean

Nothing is more unattractive and drives away a potential customer faster than dirt. I once attended a garage sale and was going to purchase three pots for three dollars but declined after I saw the food stuck in the corner of two of the pots.

3. Set up an attractive display

Instead of leaving everything in cardboard boxes or setting it on the ground for people to look through set up a table covered, by a colored tablecloth and neatly place your merchandise on it. Go a step further; and separate items into categories like books, DVDs, clothes, use signs and place them in-between the spaces of the items.

4. Surround your area of selling with low no profanity music.

It's like when people are in the mall and they hear music as they shop. You want to give potential customers the same experience except their going to be outside not in the mall.

5. Offer Bargain Deals

Instead of setting the price you really want for the item set it a little higher. When you notice a customer eyeing the piece: stroll over and see if their interested in it. If they seem to be tell them if they buy it right now you'll give it to them for the price you actually want which is lower than the price you never intentionally wanted. Do you see what this does? You made an enticing item more enticing by offering a bargain deal. I've used this technique at many of my garage sales and have had much success.

6. Be willing to negotiate

Sometimes an item is not going to sell for the price you want in this case be willing to lower the price to a reasonable amount. Remember a little bit of something is a whole lot better than a whole lot of nothing.

7. Only sell up to date or not so out of style merchandise.

Unless what you're selling is an antique or collectible don't try to sell a pair of bell bottoms from 1970 that you think someone will purchase today to wear outside even if it's twenty-five cents. Remember sell stuff people have a use for today if that means you have to take some stuff out of your sale then do it. Your garage sale will be much better because of it.

8. Advertise the garage sale

You can't possibly hope to have a successful garage sale if no one knows about it use advertising such as flyers leave them in places such as grocery stores, on community bulletin boards in community buildings. Tell everyone you know you're having a garage sale invite them to come and bring someone else. Word of mouth advertising is always the best. Buy a small classified ad in your local newspaper one week before the sale so people will have plenty of time to know about it and free their schedules to show up.

Remember these few pointers from a garage sale pro and you're on your way to turning your second-hand goods into dollars.