Tips for Advertising Your Garage Sale

Advertising your garage sale is one of the key elements to making sure it is successful. There are a number of ways you can accomplish this, from traditional advertising methods like putting up signs and placing a newspaper ad, to the more modern resources of community websites. Obviously, the more techniques you use the better, and you will attract maximum buyers by using every available advertising tool. However, this is just a garage sale. Whether you decide to use one or all of these ideas simply depends on how much effort you want to put into it.

Signs
Advertising with signs is almost a necessity, especially if you don't live on a main road where a lot of people would be driving by anyway. Put a sign up in your yard and one or two on the closest main roads or busy intersections. They should be large and clearly say that you're advertising a garage sale, along with the date, times, your address, and an arrow pointing toward your house. This information should be visible and easy for people in passing cars to read without having to strain their eyes and get in a wreck (use thick lettering). Write distances so that buyers will know how much further they have to drive, especially in a rural area. Depending on where you live, it may be very important to make sure you aren't posting the signs illegally. Some communities are strict about placing signs or advertising without permission and might even fine you, but in most places it won't be an issue.

Craigslist and Community Websites
If you live anywhere near a city represented by Craigslist, you should definitely be advertising your garage sale on the website a week and a couple of days before. Also look for other community websites, message boards, and free classified ad websites targeted at your town or geographic area. If you have nice-looking or big ticket items, posting pictures will help potential buyers decide whether to come or not. Also, if you have a personal or family website, you may want to mention your garage sale on there. If you post pictures on your website, you can choose to include a URL to see them on your flyers or signs.

Newspaper
Of course, the traditional way to advertise a garage sale is to place an ad in your local newspaper(s). This is still where many seasoned garage sale goers get all of their information. Therefore, in order to attract them either they'll have to happen to see one of your signs on the road or you will need to place a newspaper ad. The drawback of this method is that it costs more money than the others. If you have a local penny ad newspaper, check out your options there. You will need to decide how big of a sale you're having and determine whether it's worth it to you, but it's probably the best way to attract customers.

Flyers
Posting flyers with basic information about your garage sale in local businesses is another good method of advertising. Grocery stores, restaurants, libraries, and any other busy place that has a board or allows people to post flyers are places to attract buyers to your sale. This is especially true if you live in a small town or community.

Word of Mouth
Don't forget the oldest advertising method there is: be sure to tell everyone you know about your garage sale! Tell them to pass the information on to all of their friends an family, also. Mention to your coworkers that you've been working on putting a garage sale together for this weekend and they just might ask for directions (if you don't mind having them dig through your items, that is).

Tips for What to Say When Advertising
The way you word your flyers and newspaper ads will help some people decide whether they want to make the effort to stop by your garage sale. Be sure to mention it if you're having a multi-family or subdivision sale, as this will attract more buyers. The larger the number of families involved in selling, the more more customers will show up, so mention how many households are involved. Include your phone number. People may call if they can't find your house, to ask about a certain item, or to find out if you'll still be open for business on a rainy day. List categories of items that you'll be selling, and be sure to mention popular things and larger items such as furniture or baby items. Flyers and website ads can include a map to your house.

Advertising to People Driving By
Finally, make sure that your items are displayed in an organized, neat manner, so that people driving by will be encouraged to stop and look around. Make sure that larger items are visible from the road.

Of course, the size of your garage sale and the number of big ticket items you're selling will determine how much energy you want to put into advertising. Use the advertising methods that make the most sense for you, your location, and the type of sale you're having.