Garage Sale/Yard Sale tips

[SOnotLayuh]

DH and I are considering having our first yard sale.

What are your best tips for making it successful?

 

[KibbyCat]

People who come to garage sales want stuff for cheap. Doesn't matter if you never wore it and it still has the price tags on - if you ask more than $2 for something, be prepared for them to ask if you'll sell it for half (or even 75%) off.

Where I live, the people who come to garage sales want everything for less than $1. If you mark it $1, they want it for a quarter. I was so frustrated my first few times when people would leave empty-handed because I wanted more than they were willing to pay for things. Half my stuff ended up getting donated to charity. The next time I tried a sale, I marked everything down and sold a lot more. Sure, I didn't get what I wanted, but getting 50 cents for an item that may have gone to Goodwill (for $0) is better than nothing.

If you have any consignment stores in your area, you may want to start there. Take all the things you don't want/need that are in good condition that you don't want to accept too little for. Otherwise, you'll be nickeled-and-dimed over them. Then, be realistic about pricing everything. If you wouldn't pay someone $5 for a pair of used jeans, don't expect anyone to buy yours for that much. Even if you originally paid $45 for them and only wore them twice. Garage sale shoppers don't care about that. All they want is a steal. So, either mark your jeans at $5 and be willing to take $2 if someone wants to barter, or mark them $2 so you're not stuck with half of your stuff leftover at the end of the sale.

 

[SnowWhite33]

People who come to garage sales want stuff for cheap. Doesn't matter if you never wore it and it still has the price tags on - if you ask more than $2 for something, be prepared for them to ask if you'll sell it for half (or even 75%) off.

Where I live, the people who come to garage sales want everything for less than $1. If you mark it $1, they want it for a quarter. I was so frustrated my first few times when people would leave empty-handed because I wanted more than they were willing to pay for things. Half my stuff ended up getting donated to charity. The next time I tried a sale, I marked everything down and sold a lot more. Sure, I didn't get what I wanted, but getting 50 cents for an item that may have gone to Goodwill (for $0) is better than nothing.

If you have any consignment stores in your area, you may want to start there. Take all the things you don't want/need that are in good condition that you don't want to accept too little for. Otherwise, you'll be nickeled-and-dimed over them. Then, be realistic about pricing everything. If you wouldn't pay someone $5 for a pair of used jeans, don't expect anyone to buy yours for that much. Even if you originally paid $45 for them and only wore them twice. Garage sale shoppers don't care about that. All they want is a steal. So, either mark your jeans at $5 and be willing to take $2 if someone wants to barter, or mark them $2 so you're not stuck with half of your stuff leftover at the end of the sale.

This is right on the mark! My Mom is a big yard sale person and she will turn right around and get back in the car if the prices are too high. And her biggest complaint is when someone says "I paid xx for it new" , I have heard her tell the person that if she wanted to pay new prices for stuff she would have went to the mall and not stopped at the yard sale

My other suggestion is to put stuff on tables neatly and organized. If it's clothes have them in gender/size. If I have to dig for stuff, I don't stay long.

And when we have a yard sale we have the rule that once it leaves the house it doesn't come back in. And once it gets late in the day cut your prices!

Good luck!

 

[daisyduck123]

I consider myself a yard sale pro. I have one-two a year, & always make about $700-$800 at mine (although I've made as much as $950 & as little as $500 once).

My tips:

1) Start early...be set up & ready to sell at 7am.
2) Have large, bright, neat signs at all major intersections
3) Clean all your items. No one wants to buy dirty stuff
4) Price all items clearly
5) Organize your items by group/theme
6) Carry your cash On you (fanny pack)
7) Place your stuff on tables...no one wants to bend down & look thru boxes
8) Hang your clothes on racks (I have a boy's rack, girl's rack, winter clothes, summer clothes, etc.)
9) Have batteries available so you can show that your stuff works

Good luck! I'm presently gathering stuff for my April yard sale!

 

[SandrA9810]

It's really hard to judge prices on things. Like say you want 5$ for an item, one person asks you and you say 5, they'll counter at 3. If you said 7, they'd counter at 5. The other person, if you said 7, might not even try to counter and just put it back, but might've purchased it at 5.
It's an evil game, which can get frustrating. But my rule is, I'm not going to give a good product to some one for a quarter because they think they can nickel and dime me, I would've just saved my time and donated it to goodwill. When all I'm asking for is a dollar or two.

As far as set up goes, I set my stuff up the night before (in the carport) and moved all the tables to the corner with a blanket over top. Then I just pulled the tables out in the morning. Being up at the crack of dawn is always a good start. If you've got a keurig machine, you can give away fresh cups of coffee for 50-75 cents. Cold drinks are also a nice seller in warm weather. I had some soda, capri suns, and bottled water, which could all be used even after the sale.

For my signs, well the big one on the major street. I took a box, flattened it, and taped it across the top. Then I bought some of the sample oops paint from lowe's for 50 cents, and painted Yard Sale in green with a beige background. It wasn't glaring neon where you can't see the thin sharpie lines. But still bright enough to be seen in time for people to make the turn. Then I hung it over a metal for sale sign a neighbor gave me. In the front yard, I used the little signs from Home Depot with the metal stakes. I did learn the hard way with the Dallas winds... to tape the signs to the stakes because they can blow out. I also put a pot of fake flowers underneath the sign to make it more noticeable. And even though I had the sale in the carport, which was in the alley, I had plenty of signs to lead the way. This also helped keep everything in the shade. People stay longer when they're not sweating up a storm.

If you have really hard dirt, pour a pitcher of water in the ground and let it soak up before trying to put the stake in. It really helps get it down into the ground and hold it all day.

For tables, I got lucky because the last home owner (my aunt was downsizing from moving into a new home) had those plastic heavy duty storage shelves in the outside closet. Some of them I left 2 or 3 high, with the others just 1 high. I also used things we were selling as tables, like the coffee and side table, the nightstand, the desk. I also clearly marked them with a price so people new they were for sale as well.

Clothes and a couple blankets were put on a clothes rack. This was borrowed from a family member who just so happened to have one for her own sales. But I had a lot of people browsing the clothes this way. Easy to check the tags, and see the garment. Framed pictures were hung on the fence so they were at eye level.

Ohh yeah, and watch the neighborhood for the days people put up yard sales. In Texas, I did best on Friday and Saturday, Sundays were always a bust. I figured more people might show up to get in the late bargain, but nope. You kinda want to jump on the bandwagon with this, because this is when shoppers are out searching for those signs. You do it on an off day, and you're not going to have those shoppers looking. Check craig's list and post your own ad there too. I took a few pictures of larger items and listed them with my garage sale ad, so there was something a bit more to entice people with. On my first day, I had a few people show up looking for specific things that I had listed.

 

[comicguy]

Tips:

Start the day with plenty of change (quarters, ones, fives, and tens)
Price in incrememnts of: free .25 .50 1.00 etc...
Make sure all items are clean
Group like items together
Be ready for an early start 7am
Post plenty of directional signs

 

[SookieStackhouse]

I did this with my mother inlaw once...

Be ready to start early
Price stuff CHEAP

 

[jennyf2]

Organize! I hate when I go to a sale & its a mess. My sisters & I have 2 sales every summer & do great! Last year we made over $1500 I am a HUGE couponer & sold some of that stuff...Also check with your neighbors & see if they are interested, it makes a difference if you advertise a "block" sale or something similar. I refuse to price "almost" new American Eagle, Hollister, Gap etc for 50 cents. I would rather donate it than get pennies for it. Just my opinion...

Good Luck! Can't wait for our sales this summer...Our $$ goes to our DISNEY fun!!

 

[JaymeC]

Start early.
Put up very clear signs with the DATE as well as directions. Make sure they're HUGE to you. Looking at them across your living room is a lot closer than down the street. Big arrows also help.
List your garage sale on craigslist or any other free sites.
Know from the get-go what you're willing to take for an item and if you have a helper (like your spouse) make sure you're both on the same page so you don't see that $20 baby crib walk away for $2.
If you have older kids who can decide what they want to get rid of let them pick their own stuff and price it themselves, then help at the sale It's a good learning experience.
Please remove your signs when you're done

 

[Kay1]

I dislike garage sales that have no prices marked anywhere. It's a pain to ask, "How much is this? How much is that?"

Good luck. Hope you make lots of money.

 

[SOnotLayuh]

Thanks everyone!

I really appreciate your help

 

[rszdtrvl]

My hints :

If you plan on starting at 7am, put in the paper and on signs that you start at 8am. Otherwise you are going to get the earlies trying to peek through your stuff as you set up. It can be tough to sell and set up at the same time!

We always put in our ad 8 or 9a until 3p. And are always totally set up an hour before the time our ad reads. We have a lot of people in the area who go to yard sales and resell in shops and on ebay, and they are always the early ones.

If you have kids, have them set up a goodie table, but DON'T let them pester the potential buyers. I will buy from a table of kids selling goodies, as long as they don't bombard me when I walk in to a sale. A good sign reading what the goodies are and their cost is great!

A soon as the weather clears up, we are having a yard sale. We probably have 2 per year. Normally do pretty good. We are going to be having them to fundraise for my son's Explore America trip in 2012.

 

[MissBritt]

LIST IT on Craigslist... I list the date and time, big or important items and the city, then write that directional signs will be posted along XX road (main road but not my street) because I'm leary of posting my exact address online.

Be prepared to sell like items in lots... children's clothes, for example, are often purchased "by the box-full" here instead of individually priced.

 

[Ioansgirl]

I am a very shy shopper and sometimes it is intimidating to go up to a garage sale, especially when noone else is there. Nothing will keep me away from a sale like a house that has all the stuff in the garage. I am much more likely to stop if items are in the drive way. It also makes it easier to see from the car if the sale is worth me stopping and getting my kids out of their carseat.

Also, I am much more likely to stop if there is more than one house near by having a sale. So if you get some of your neighbors to join in that would be helpful.

Lastly I would say you don't have to take the first offer on big ticket items. I had a really nice wardrobe that wouldn't fit into my small apartment. I took the first offer at a much cheaper price. The person left it to be picked up later and all day I had people offer me much more for it.

 

[amy-momofthree]

Start early! 7am is ok but 6am is better.

Put a sign out at the front of your yard that lists the top selling items; furniture and baby items seem to bring a lot of traffic if you have a hot item, list it.

See if any neighbors want to have one with you. The more the better.

Have PLENTY of change.

Put prices on everything.

DOn't look at the shoppers while they browse. It's hard not to do while they browse through your belongings but they will look longer if you aren't watching them

 

[karemore]

If I can't see the stuff from my car I usually won't park and get out.

I won't drive far for yard sale signs if there is no date on them. It's also rude to keep the signs up after the sale. Remember to go back out that night or the next morning to remove your signs!

If items aren't priced and the seller is busy with other shoppers I will leave, not stand around asking prices.

I do check craigslist for sales, and the local paper. I also hear about yard sales on facebook.

Good luck! I can't wait for yard sale season to start around here.

 

[daisyduck123]

If I can't see the stuff from my car I usually won't park and get out.

Same here.

 

[weHEARTmickey]

I agree with everything here I hang up poster boards in my garage CLEARLY stating "T-shirts $.50, Jeans $3, Outfits $5" etc....(those may not necessarily be the prices) This way, I don't have to price ALLLLLLL the clothes! Then, when we are about 3 hours from shutting it down on the last day, I can mark the posterboard: "1/2 off ALL CLOTHES!" or something like that.

Another thing I like to do is offer sidewalk chalk for the kids to play with in the driveway. If they're busy & not bothering their parents, the parents will spend more money!

I always advertise in our 2 local papers. It ends up costing about $50, but we get TONS of people from ALL over who wouldn't have known about our sale otherwise. (Always list tools, baby clothes-adult, dance clothes, furniture, books, etc...) People are looking for something specific & if your ad mentions it, they'll be there!

 

[Catira]

Having more than one person at a garage sale is extremely helpful. People do no want to wait around while your helping someone or have a question. Don't forget to have extra shopping bags as well as small demonation bills. Also a calculator to quickly add up purchases. Our city requires a garage/yard sale permit and you we are allowed to have a garage sale only every 3 months. I start at x price and then reduce my prices as the weekend progresses. I always tell shoppers that I am open to offers on what I am selling. For example, this past december I had a box full of disney VHS movies and had them priced at $0.50 each. A lady asked how much lower if she bought them all. I quickly calculated how many were in the box and gave her a $3.00 discount to take all 20 of the VHS movies.

 

[PolyndianPrincessJes]

We love to have yard sales!! It's a social thing for us...invite a few friends over, put on some music and order pizza for lunch. I think the relaxed atmosphere puts people at ease rather than having the seller watch them in silence.

I also won't take pennies for something just because someone doesn't want to pay $1 for this or that. I think of the yard sale as the last ditch before the donation. Any money made is a bonus because my main goal is to get it out of the house. I've actually sold most "with tag" items at my asking prices.

Watch the pets. We don't have any, but having dogs sniffing around can turn some people off (or their allergies on).

Keep more valuable items closer to where you'll be sitting. A neighbor had people stealing jewelry she had on a table. The kicker...it was all marked less than $2! So, while it wasn't "valuable," just realize that any item could find its way into a pocket or purse, so keep the pricier items in sight.

Have fun!! Try not to stress too much about it. Again...keep some mainstream music going!!