Seven Ways to Improve Your Yard Sale

There are at least 7 ways to improve your yard sale if you are willing to put a little extra time and effort into your sale. You've got plenty of time to plan a few improvements because the yard sale season even in the northern part of the country starts on the first warm day of spring and continues right up until the snow is ready to fly. You really can clean out lots of articles no longer in use in your home and yard, make some cash and actually accomplish both while having some fun doing it.

1. Begin by recognizing and believing that a yard sale doesn't have to be a junk yard with balloons. You really do have stuff in your house and garage that, while not currently in use by members of your household, have plenty of use left in them. There are also people within driving distance of your yard who have need of some of the items you are willing to part with. The job of the yard sale is to put seller and buyer together in a win, win proposition. Taking that kind of view into your yard sale can set the whole tone for the day.

2. Knowing that you are trying to bring both sides of the market together on your lawn for the purpose of doing business, should help to remind you to act in a business like manner. Taking your customer seriously and doing everything you can to be of assistance in helping to get a product into his hands will not be a wasted effort. Your business like attitude will encourage your shoppers to adopt the same manner and take you and your products seriously as well

3. Folks driving by will know you take your yard sale seriously if your yard looks clean, orderly and organized. Putting up a few balloons can be a great idea to attract attention to your sale, but not if the next thing passersby see looks like boxes of junk sitting next to bags of junk. Catching people attention is important but once you have their attention you need to have your ducks in a row if you want them to take you and your products seriously.

4. If people do stop you can really do them a great service by setting up your sale as if every customer was coming to their very first yard sale and hadn't a clue what to do or how to proceed. The fact is that there are always people who are rookies to the yard sale scene. Even those who frequent yard sales have never been to your yard sale before, so why not help everyone out by telling them how, at this particular yard sale, on this particular day, business is going to be transacted. If you want a no haggling, strictly price tag operation people need to know. If you are only looking for fair pricing and will agree to bargain then that needs to be out there. Use a large sign or small handouts to keep people informed. In the end it will keep things running smoothly and reduce the likelihood of ugly words.

5. You can help keep folks at your yard sale a little longer and perhaps draw them into one additional sale if you make the extra effort and get some homemade baked goods in play. Don't misunderstand, it's a yard sale and the baked goods are going to cost something. Make sure you don't lose money on baked goods but recognize that a couple of brownies wrapped in plastic wrap and tied with a bow can be sold for a rock bottom price and without losing you money can put contented smile on a shoppers face. If you have someone in your family who likes to bake this can be their work donation to a successful yard sale.

6. Don't forget that "Free" bucket. For best results try two free buckets one for kids and one for adults. Fill it with items that aren't worth haggling about but which some folks might find fun. Again the point is to put customers in a getting mood. The fact that the next thing they get they will have to pay for works to your advantage. Hanging around the free bucket means customers are still at your yard sale. If nothing else they are working as life endorsements of your yard sale to anyone who happens by. It really is true that nothing succeeds like success or like something that seems to look like success.

7. Finally advertise the living daylights out of your yard sale. You might think that the suggestion to advertise should have come first on this list of seven ways to improve your yard sale and it could have. But the point is, don't stop advertising once your yard sale begins. Keep circulating, calling, posting and waving until within an hour of closing. Choose your methods according to your location and your anticipated patrons but keep your promotion going. That includes asking those who do stop to send friends and neighbors by because you will be open and waiting to do serious business.

These suggestions will help you to take some of the possible irritations out of the day and let you enjoy the real fun and sense of accomplishment that your yard sale can generate for you and your family.