Garage Sale Tips

Garage sale, yard sale, tag sale, estate sale, basement sale, house sale, porch sale- whatever you call it, they're fun to have and, better yet, have the potential to add substantially to your personal bottom line! However, as with anything that's worth having, there are a few steps and guidelines you should follow to give your sale the best possible chance for worthwhile success.

Here are some of the most popular suggestions from garage sale experts-both buyers and sellers alike.

Before the Sale

• Find out if your area requires a permit or has any restrictions regarding garage sales.
• Pick your sale dates. The most popular days are Thursday through Saturday on a non-holiday weekend.
• Invite a neighbor or friend to join in your sale-the more stuff you have to sell, the better!
• Price everything! Prices should generally be 10-50% of the original price of the item, depending on condition and desirability.
• For pricing, use permanent markers and removable self-adhesive labels.
• Price items in increments of 25 cents for easy change making.
• Anything damaged or not in working order should be marked "as is".
• Make signs to post on your front lawn and permissible street corners.
• Signs should be big enough to read while driving by-at least 24" by 24"-with short, large text.
• Signs should direct cars to park such that neighbors are not blocked or otherwise inconvenienced.

Setting Up Your Selling Space

• Wash dirty items. People will pay more for something that is clean.
• Display your treasures in like categories, i.e.; kitchen stuff on one table; toys in one corner; music and videos in one box, etc.
• Keep smaller, more expensive items close by so you can keep your eye on them.
• If you are selling electrical appliances, have an outlet or long extension cord handy.
• Arrange tables and items so that traffic will flow naturally without bottlenecks.
• Make sure any items you don’t want to sell are put away or out of sight.

The Big Day!

• Have lots of coins and small bills available to make change-at least $20 worth.
• Don’t leave your money unattended-better yet, wear a fanny pack or carpenter's apron to keep it with you.
• Only accept cash, unless you're willing to risk getting a bad check.
• Have plenty of bags and boxes available, plus old newspapers for packing breakables.
• Be prepared for buyers who want to bargain. If it's early in the morning, tell them that you may lower the price later in the day if it doesn't sell.
• Don’t allow strangers into your house-unless, of course, it's an inside sale.
• To avoid any hassles later on, post a sign that says "All Sales Final".

Have fun and don’t forget to smile!