Here's a couple that have worked like charms for us
Have someone stand out on the nearest busy corner with a sign (like the kids do for car washes) directing them to your yard sale. The sillier they act the more traffic you'll get. The sillier they dress the more traffic you'll get. Try it, I guarentee it really does work! My grandparents lived a bit off the beaten path and had a garage sale in preparation for moving to an apartment from their home of 50 years. A few people trickled in from 7am till noon, traditionally the bulk of your sales are then. Goofing off, I put on one of Grandmas old dresses, stuffed it in the chest hideously and put on a cowboy hat and boots. I still don't know why or quite how it happened but the next thing I knew I was standing a few blocks away on a busy street corner dancing in that outfit while my Aunt held a sign saying YARD SALE 2215 192nd Place. Between 7am and noon we made $80, between 12 and 5 we sold all but one small box and made $700. I'm not kidding. It's worked at every sale we've had since.
Price ONLY the items you are fairly firm on. Everything else, especially the things you want to just get out of the house leave unpriced. Put up a BIG sign saying "Make an offer". If the offer's reasonable take it. The "pros" will haggle but a lot of people will just walk away if they think you're asking too much.
Organize like a dept store. Towels together, clothing together, toys together. Put the nicest and most desirable items closest to the street in full view of people driving by. They are more likely to stop.
If you want a good price for it, clean it up well. If it won't clean up it likely won't sell. Don't make the mistake of thinking "I can't get out this grease stain or fix this major hole in these jeans but I'll bet someone out there can." You'll waste precious time and energy hauling it out and pricing it and most likely have to haul it back in. Don't price it according to what you paid when you bought it, price it according to what you'd be willing to pay at a yard sale for it. My mother once bought a towel set for a LOT of money. A few years later she tried to sell one of the used hand towels for $3. She wouldn't bargain on it either. She wound up sending it to the thrift store. She priced my 1988 wedding gown at $200 (it was $500 new ten years earlier). It's been through 3 yard sales and I finally gave it to the thrift store not long ago.
Ditto horribly out of style clothing or home decor that isn't considered vintage yet. Some things are just better off in the trash or the thrift store.
I priced the clothes at $1 a piece. It really added up when people came up to me with a nice stack of clothing. I also arranged the clothing on a table in piles according to size. That seemed to help. Also, make sure you start the day with plenty of change-lots of singles-also some quarters. Put up lots of signs in the neighborhood, too. Good luck!
. Hope they help...............P
