If you are like most people, then as you begin packing your belongings you will realize that you have far too many things! Purging unnecessary items can be helpful in the sense that it is cleansing and it can also bring you some extra cash before you big move.
Some things to consider, though, are the time and effort it takes to host a garage sale. Make sure you can set aside one to several days for your sale. Friday afternoons and Saturdays are usually the best days to conduct a successful garage sale. You will want at least one additional person besides yourself to manage the sale. If you do not price everything ahead of time, then you will be the best person to man the sale since you will want to bargain with buyers for what you feel is a fair price. Also be sure the weather and your location are conducive for hosting your sale.
Once you know you want to have a garage sale, there are many steps you can take to make it a successful one:
Have Realistic Expectations
Go in with the understanding that, most likely, not everything is going to sell. Consider donating leftover items to a local charity or giving them away to friends who may be able to use them. Some people will simply mark “free” on items left in the last couple hours of their sale. It is worth it to you to give things away that you will have to cart to the donation area anyway, or if those items will be more trouble than they are worth to ship.
Pricing Your Items
People won’t necessarily want to pay top dollar for your used items, even if they are in great condition. The bottom line is to figure out what the item is worth to you. For how much money would you be willing to part with it? Now, how much is the item worth brand new from a store? Typically, garage sale items sell for 20-40% of retail price when they are in good condition. Finally, how much are people willing to pay for that item, used?
Organizing Your Sale
Clearly mark items and sort them by function or by the area of the home. Think of how a store is organized and try to mimic that same idea. For example, group kitchen items together, lawn and gardening equipment together, and clothing in its own area. Consider hanging your clothing so your patrons won’t have to sort through boxes or piles. Place trinkets and other small items on a table top for easy browsing. Place odds and ends in boxes together with like items.
Consider pricing things in lots or groupings to help sell more things at once. Give your patrons an opportunity to buy several items for a discount.
For example, mark boxes of like items “three-for-a-dollar” or “two-for-one”, or “all children’s books, 25 cents each or $10 for the box”.
Be sure to have an electrical outlet and/or batteries ready to demonstrate that electrical items are in working condition.
Marketing Your Sale
Before the say of your garage sale, make large, clearly legible signs to post around your area. Guide drivers from a main road to your home. Use arrows to clearly depict where to turn and use your full address so they can map it on their GPS. State the time and days of your sale so that you don’t get people dropping in unexpectedly.
Several days before you sale, consider posting your ad in the local newspaper’s classified section, leaving fliers at local businesses, or passing them out around your neighborhood. Online ads are also a great way to get the word out. Your newspaper may post your ad online for free when you buy a space in their physical paper.