Is your storage unit full? Does the house need some decluttering? You think you want to have a garage sale, but do not know where to start.
Truthfully, having a successful garage sale is harder than it may appear. You have put some time in planning it, or else it may not be profitable. Garage sales are so useful for getting rid of the items you no longer want or need. And while there are a few digital ways you can sell your possessions such as Craigslist or eBay, a good old-fashioned garage sale is the best way to purge your household quickly of individual items. However, you cannot just put your items out and expect people to show up. You must plan and execute your garage sale carefully. Read further for our list of tips for throwing a successful garage sale.
Use These Tips to Help Plan Your Garage Sale
The first step to planning your successful garage sale is to pick a date for the event. The weekend days are the best for hosting a garage sale, especially in summer, with Saturday being the day where you will probably get the best attendance. So, look at your calendar for a weekend that works the best for your schedule, but is far enough out that you have time to plan accordingly.
Next, pick a time that will serve as your operating hours for the garage sale. Mornings to afternoon are ideal. It is best to start early, don’t be apprehensive about the early hour either. Even 7am is not too early, remember the early bird gets the worm. Those who shop at garage sales know that the earlier you get to the sale, the better the selection.
Also consider the time of month that you pick that ideal weekend for your garage sale. Statistically, the first weekend of the month is the best date to pick. A lot of people get paid around the first of the month, therefore you will get more traffic and more people ready to spend money. Another thing to consider is what is going on in the community before you pick the time of month. If there are festivals or special events happening at the same time as your garage sale, that could affect your sales.
Finally, consider what season to host your garage sale. As mentioned above, summer is the ideal time to have a garage sale. However, fall and spring are also good options if the weather is accommodating. If you live in a climate where you do not have extreme cold in winter, you may want to consider having your garage sale. Some climates are just too sweltering hot to host garage sales in summer.
Get Your Items Organized for the garage sale
After you set a date, you will need to get your items ready to sell. First, you may want to go through all your old boxes in your basement, garage, or other storage spaces to locate any long-forgotten items that you can sell. This is also a good time to declutter your home. Anything that you cannot sell, but do not want can be boxed up and donated or recycled.
Here is some advice you will want to follow about how to organize your items for your garage sale. It really does help with sales to have a method on how you display your possessions. You will need several tables to display your items, and you want to place similar items together. For example, you may have one table just for old toys, and then another one for nick knacks. Potential buyers will react positively to a carefully arranged display, versus items that are just thrown carelessly together. Taking this extra time will suggest to customers that you took good care of your items.
Clean Everything
One thing you may want to do is launder all the clothes you plan to sell. It is a common courtesy to your customers to do this, and it will make the clothes smell fresh, and give rid of any lingering stain on the material. Take the time to fold the clothes neatly or hang them up to display at your sale. Try to organize them by size, and gender so customers will be more tempted to buy them.
Add the sales tag
Then, start to mark all your possessions for sale with a sales tag. Yes, you will get customers that will try to negotiate, but knowing what you are asking for the items, as identified by the price tag, will help them haggle better. You can even put up a sign letting people know that you are willing to negotiate. Signs that say “make me an offer” can turn people away, especially if they do not have a starting point to start from. A sales tag lets the customers know where you are willing to start negotiations. Plus, it helps you not underprice your stuff.
If you are uncertain on how to price your items, look to eBay or Craigslist to see how other people price similar items.
Advertise for your garage sale
You will need to advertise your sale, or it may go unnoticed. Even though newspaper classifieds are a little old fashioned, you should not count them out. You can bet deal hunters still read them to sniff out all the local garage sales. Be smart about how you advertise, and mention a few special items for sale in your ad.
Use the internet to send personal invitations to your friends and family who might be interested in your garage sale. You can send them an evite and have them RSVP.
Then, use the internet to advertise on websites like Next-door, Craigslist, and garage sale finder.
Make signs to put around your neighborhood., if signs are permitted. You can take advantage of community boards too. Print up some flyers for this purpose.
Sell Food and Beverages at your garage sale
If you want to increase the amount of money you make, you may want to consider selling food and beverages. Cookies, brownies, and lemonade are all quite common to see at a garage sale. If you have a child who wants to help, here is how you can let them be involved.
If you need to do some major decluttering but don’t want to get rid of the items, consider a storage unit.