What to Sell at Your Garage, Yard or Tag Sale

If it's your first time planning a garage/yard/tag sale, you may be wondering what you should and shouldn't sell at your sale. Well, you can pretty much sell anything!

I'm always surprised what people actually buy. What I think will sell doesn't and what shouldn't sell does. Of course, every location is different.

Here are my bestsellers!

Big Ticket Items

These are the items you should display upfront. The reason why your customers actually pullover or stop at your sale.

Any furniture; computers; TVs; power tools; exercise equipment...

I'm always asked for particular furniture pieces. Chairs, desks and dressers are popular. If you have a computer that you are not using, try to sell it. Usually parents will get cheap computers for their children to play around with.

I just sold all our weights at our yard sale for a nice price. Money in our pocket was definitely better than the dust the weights were collecting.

Tools are also a great sell, and a good way to get your husband to stop at the yard sale you are about to drive by. Lawnmowers, drills even screwdrivers! I even sold a box of rusty nails for a quarter!

Clothing

Clothing can be a hard sell. Gently worn baby and children clothes and shoes are my best sellers. On the other hand, adult clothes and shoes don't move well unless they are brand new with tags still attached. And, if they are designer, you have better luck.

Small Household Appliances and Electronics

I find small household appliances and electronics are easy to sell, as long as you have an extension cord available for customers to try them out. Coffee makers, toasters, microwaves, blenders etc. will sell unless damaged.

I have also sold old portable cd players, turntables, pda's etc. People love gadgets!

Games, Movies and Music

I have no problem selling video games. Movies and music are a bit harder. All depends on pricing, format and taste. Records, on the other hand, are sought after by many collectors.

Toys

If well priced, toys can sell well. Haven't had much luck with board games, but have sold well with Barbies, Trains, Fisher Price, Little Tykes, Learning Toys and Baby Crib Toys.

Books

I love books! I have too many and unfortunately they are not a big seller. You get the occasional avid reader like me, but otherwise no matter how cheap my paperbacks are priced, they don't move. Children's books do sell better. I usually price coloring books very low or give them away free with purchase.

Housewares

Sets sell better than singles. You can sell, china, glassware, silverware, linens,

home décor, candles, crafts, seasonal decorations, and other knick knacks. It's all hit or miss, as it depends on what type of customers you get that day. Candles, dish sets and glass sets also sell well.

Accessories

I have sold handbags, perfumes, body lotions, make up, jewelry, hair accessories. You will always have customers willing to purchase this stuff!

Antiques

These can be tricky. Usually people want to buy cheap at yard sales, and even if the customer knows the item is an antique, they will try to get it for almost nothing. I feel that antiques are better sold on Ebay, through a dealer or at a flea market that specializes in this kind of stuff.

Now what not to sell at a yard sale!!!

Well, there really isn't much that you can't or shouldn't sell. The obvious; any containers with just a little bit of lotion or perfume left at the bottom, dirty items, underwear. And, anything that is decomposing probably should be in the garbage, not your yard sale.

Good Luck!