Does anyone have any great GARAGE SALE tips?

[kaabost]

We are about to move 1/2 way across the country and are planning on having a garage sale to get rid of everything we can do without. Making as much money as possible would be great but we really just want other people to haul some of our stuff away so that we don't have to. What great advice do you garage sale experts have? Thanks! Karen

 

[disneymom3]

Clean--everything needs to be clean!

Make sure it is organized and beg borrow and steal tables if you have to so that you have enough space that stuff is not all jumbled together.

Cheap--if you don't care about the money, mark it cheap and it will go.

SIGNS--need to be clear and give direction with DARK arrows. Not too wordy. Basically "Sale, arrow, hours and days if you want small address" (Address is in case they miss one of the signs if they are motivated they can go back and see what the address is)

Good luck. I am going to do one soon too. I was going to a friend's house to do it, but decided that I have too much big stuff! Too big to haul to another town.

Julie

 

[Our 2 Princesses]

We usually have our sale on Friday and Saturday. The last few hours on Saturday, we tell everyone who stops that everything is half price. You should see the stuff fly out of there. People leave with their loot and tell frineds and family who then come by.

 

[sanibelover]

After the half price bonanza, put up some signs that say free stuff. You will not have anything left to haul away. People will take anything........

 

[KarenAylwood]

We're planning on doing a garage sale coming up in May. One thing about advertising, we know a few people who have done garage sales before and the one thing they all said was to advertise a few days ahead, BUT to only put the development or street- an approximate location. Those who advertise with their exact address have actually had people show up the night BEFORE or at 6am on the day of. Literally knocking on the door!! Some of these garage sale experts are DIE HARD.

We're going to advertise our neighborhood and then the morning of are going to put out exact address signs

 

[disneymom3]

After the half price bonanza, put up some signs that say free stuff. You will not have anything left to haul away. People will take anything........

Hmmm, I guess I prefer to have Goodwill or whomever come take the stuff. If I am giving it away for free I at least want the tax write off!

 

[Muushka]

Sell cold cans of soda and bottled water!

I could not believe how many people bought the stuff. Brand names went much better than store brand (even though I priced the brand name higher).

 

[pyrxtc]

I'm having one soon too and I plan to sell water, goldfish snack bags and glow bracelets. 75 cents for water will give me $13 in profit for 24 bottles. Glow bracelets wil be $1 or 6 for $5. I am paying $31.00 for 1000 I will make a 77 cent profit om most bracelets and people will buy more to get the better price.

I am marking most thing $1 for each piece of clothing or 11 pieces for $10. Everything is $1 unless marked seperately. Old barbies are 25 cents each and shoes are $2 PR. I just don't want anything back in the house.

I am going to make sure everything is clean and have an extension cord so I can plug in some things to show they work. I am going to do 50 cents for anything but furniture on sunday afternoon.

 

[Disney Ontario]

Hi, every May, our street has a huge garage sale. The more houses, the larger of number of people come out. I always make my mothers chocolate chip,M&M cookies. Not too small either. 25 cents each. They are always the first to sell out. Do some baking ahead of time and get the kids to sell them.

 

[disneymom3]

Hi, every May, our street has a huge garage sale. The more houses, the larger of number of people come out. I always make my mothers chocolate chip,M&M cookies. Not too small either. 25 cents each. They are always the first to sell out. Do some baking ahead of time and get the kids to sell them.

DD made $7.25 last year selling lemonade. Except her little friends were here (a group of moms got together to do the sale) and so they all split the profits getting about 75cents each. I think this year, I will have her make cookies to sell in the morning while she is still here. (She has her cousins bday party later in the day.) That is a fun idea! She gets to bake and sell! Two things she is really into.

 

[NeedaVacation03]

My girlfriends and I have always had our best sale day on Thursday. We stay available until about 7:00pm, catching people on their way home from work with their newly cashed paychecks
It has worked out well for us. I try to never price things too high. I dont want to keep it, I want it to leave my house

 

[NeedaVacation03]

My girlfriends and I have always had our best sale day on Thursday. We stay available until about 7:00pm, catching people on their way home from work with their newly cashed paychecks
It has worked out well for us. I try to never price things too high. I dont want to keep it, I want it to leave my house

 

[crisrn2003]

We posted signs that said 7am (NO EARLY BIRDS!!!) to noon regular price, noon to two, half price. After two, all remaining items free. Make sure at about 1:30, anything you don't want to give away, you take back into the house. Have stuff on tables and easily displayed--most people don't want to dig around in boxes for things. Be willing to haggle (I don't like to, so I had my mom there--she'd argue with a rock!!). Have lots of change and lots of $1 bills (we had to go back out twice for change--everyone kept coming with BIG bills). Try to have a few big items too. Thats what drew in several of our people. And if you have tools, lots of men love to come look at those and will bring their wives too. I also gave one lady a "BULK" discount because she bought so much stuff, so....she kept buying more. And even if you think it won't sell, put it out. It amazed me how much of my "junk" people bought. I had even saved gift bags from previous gifts---someone bought all those as a group for $5. Good luck.

 

[Mom2Ashli]

What a great thread. I am having a garage sale this weekend, with all proceeds going to my 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk. I plan on putting signs up saying where the money will be going. Hopefully I will get some extra donations from that.

 

[ArielsMommy]

Sell cold cans of soda and bottled water!

I could not believe how many people bought the stuff. Brand names went much better than store brand (even though I priced the brand name higher).

I usually make quite a bit at garage sales selling water and soda. I always sell brand name. I price the water at .75 and soda at .50. I buy cases cheap at Costco or Sam's club. I think this is really necessary when you have garage sales in FL.

 

[barbeml]

Lots of great ideas here!

Some tips that worked for us:

Put your big draw items at the end of the driveway where folks can see them from the road.

Make big easy to read signs. We participated in my DSIL's community sale, and we did our own signs because the "official" signs were impossible to read.

Have big boxes labeled .25 each, $1.00 each, $5.00 each, etc. and sort your merchandise accordingly. Much easier than individual tags.

Batteries & power strip to demo electronic items.

Save grocery bags to offer customers.

Have lots of change--everyone has nothing but twenties from the MAC.

I agree with everyone who sells refreshments: we had homemade scones & Starbucks coffee, plus lemonade & brownies. Almost sold out of everything.

Good luck!

 

[Christy]

See if you can get a few neighbors to also have one-you'll attract more people, plus you can split the cost of a newspaper advertisement.

I also always sell soda and make a nice profit. The items that we've found that typically sell best: children's clothing & toys and men's flannel or denim shirts.

Watch for those who are "in the business," esp. if you are putting out good furniture-they'll ALWAYS try to have you sell something for way lower that what you've asked for-don't be afraid to barther with someone who barters with you! My eighty-something year old grandmother is "in the business." She goes to garage sales on Fridays (or sometimes she's one of those "Thursday night people") and buys up all sorts of things that people don't realize are valuable. Then she sells the items at flea markets or sells jewelry to a pawn-type shop and makes a bundle!

 

[KarenAylwood]

Saratoga NY area here too!!!

(well, college/grad school in VA, but goin home in less than a week and a half! )




I'm planning on selling chocolate chip cookies and soda

 

[bucky1023]

Make sure you have everything priced before you put the items out. It makes it easier when you are setting up and people start coming first thing in the morning.

When there is only a few hours left start selling everything 1/2 price, people fell that they are getting an even better bargin and you are getting rid of your junk.

Good Luck!!!!!!!

 

[2BoysMom]

Actually, my trick is to actually price things rather high (for a garage sale) and not at $1 or 50 cents. It's psychological, people think they are getting something "really great" and not "junk." Since most die-hard yard salers (are there any other kind?) want to dicker in price, you can drop the price and still do well financially. I find if things are too low, people won't buy, and I can't seem to get rid of the stuff. If you have a (brief) story to tell about a particular piece of merchandise, that helps to sell it as well. Stories create value.

I made $1300 at my last yard sale before I moved to FL and $800 the year before. My friends are always stunned by my success. I advertise in the local paper (ALOT of people come from that) and I make my signs for the end of the street using "neon" card stock, cut with pinking sheers so that the edges have points on them instead of a smooth edge. Since the card stock is not large enough for a sign, I staple about 4 of them vertically (easier for passing drivers to see) on a piece of cardboard, which I then nail to a telephone pole.

Just a couple of tips.

Have fun!