Ways of Having a Successful Garage Sale

There are several reasons to have a Garage Sale, not the least of which is to make money. Times are tough, who couldn't use a few bucks? Then too, there is the junk that is filling your closets and taking over your garage. If you don't need it, sell it and get it out of the way! Outgrown clothing, toys, sporting equipment, books, appliances and furniture could be very useful to someone else instead of collecting dust and getting in your way.

All Garage Sales are not created equal. If you have ever shopped Garage Sales on a regular basis, you know that some are a pleasure, others are a mess that you walk around briefly and leave, or worse, drive by without stopping. There are things you can do to make sure your Garage Sale is a success rather than a flop.

Prepare well in advance - You will be surprised at how much time it takes to dig everything out, sort it, clean it and price it for your Garage Sale. If you wait till the last minute you will likely miss items you could have sold. Start a week or two in advance and give yourself time to do it right.

Make sure your items are clean - Dusty, dirty things are gross and many people will be turned off and leave your Garage Sale. Wipe it off, find missing parts and make each item look as nice as you can. Having dirt on it won't automatically make it an antique.

Price everything - Customers do not like to ask the price. Some may haggle, but you should have a reasonable price on every item so the customer does not have to guess, ask you or make an offer. It is your job to price the items. Price your items reasonably. People come to a Garage Sale looking for a bargain.

Set a good date - You can start on Thursday, but be sure to include Friday and Saturday in your Garage Sale schedule. Garage Sales start early. 11:00 is not acceptable. Check other advertisements in your area and see what time people start their Garage Sales. If it's 7am or 8 am, start your Garage Sale at the same time. Check the big picture too. Many neighborhood Garage Sales have occurred on the same weekend for decades. It would be a disaster to have your sale on the east side on the day of the annual west side neighborhood sale.

Have a Neighborhood sale - Participate in your neighborhood's Garage Sale or if you don't have on, start one. Customers will flock to sales if there are several in the same location. With the cost of gas, neighborhood Garage Sales are the preferred way to bargain shop. Ask your neighbors to plan sales on the same days (be flexible, you may have to change your date) and perhaps share in the advertising costs.

Advertise - Advertise your Garage Sale in the local newspaper, on public community bulletin boards and on the web. Put up clear, large, simple signs directing people to your sale. Check your local regulations first so the "sign police" don't remove your signs. Be sure to take your signs down immediately after the sale. Brown cardboard makes lousy Garage Sale signs. Invest in some poster board or in premade garage sale signs. Include the address, date and time of the Garage Sale in large, clear letters.

Change - Have plenty of change on hand the day of your sale. Keep a modest amount in an apron or cash box and the rest securely locked away in the house. If you need it, you can go to your own "bank" and get change. Not having change is a bad reason to lose a sale.

Get Help - A one person Garage Sale is possible, but very difficult. Make the entire family pitch in to set up, tear down and assist customers the day of the Garage Sale. Having someone on hand to load heavy items is a plus too.

When it's over, it's over - When your Garage Sale is over take down your signs, load up your car and take the rest to Goodwill, the Salvation Army, or another worthy charity. You didn't need it before the Garage Sale and you don't need it now. The last thing you should do is put unwanted items back in the house.

Having a Garage Sale is a summer tradition. Do it right and enjoy the benefits. You will have extra cash and extra space so you can go out next week and shop Garage Sales yourself.