Yard Sale Help Needed!

[Disney4me04]

Okay I want to have a yard sale. I need to make sure with my manager of my apartment building that it is okay. There was nothing in my lease so I am sure it is fine.

But I need some help here:

1. I do not have any set up tables. I know that I have a 2 small tables. I can use DS table. And his toy box to place things on.

2. I have tons of his clothes, and a Columbia jacket that is in great shape that will not fit him next year.

3. A ton of tupperware. We have way to much for 2 people. I think I even have some still packed in the basement.


When is a good time to have it? ( I was thinking early June Friday-Saturday)

Will it look bad if I have to use boxes turned upside down to place things on them.

Prices. -- like the jacket I was thinking 10.00 is that to much. How do I price clothes, tupperware, etc. I even have VCR tapes I just want to get rid of.

I am in Milwaukee, WI so it is just starting to get warm here.

I would be running it Friday alone and Saturday DS can help me.

 

[mad4themouse]

You'd probably do better going Saturday into Sunday with your sale. The only people who would be shopping on a Friday would be the "professionals" and they're not going to give you more than a fraction of what you're asking.

$10 for the coat is fine. If it's in "like new" condition, you might ask for more.

The Tupperware isn't going to sell for a lot. Group them together if you can and price them to sell quickly.

If you have a clothes rack, hang all the clothing up rather than folding them on a table. You'll spend the whole day re-folding and arranging that table otherwise.

Go ahead and use the cardboard boxes for display purposes. I had used my children's picnic table and play table for displaying stuff at my last garage sale and I finally had to put signs on them that they were NOT FOT SALE, because I got so many inquiries as to their price. One woman insisted that since I had them out, they must be for sale, that's why she stopped, etc.

A weekend in June would be good but May is better around here. Too many people head out of town for weekends in the mountains or down the shore after Memorial Day. Make sure that you have help because doing it alone can be overwhelming, hectic and opens you up to con artists who distract you while a partner breaks into your house or walks away with stuff you have on display. Can you tell that I live near an urban area?

Good luck with your sale. It takes a lot of effort but the pay off can be worth it!

 

[alaskantwinks]

Hi I'm planning a garage sale, and thinking of having it next weekend. I have a ton of stuff to go through! I've had many before, and what I do is price things based on the shape it/they are in. What size are your son's clothes? Columbia jackets are expensive new, so I wouldn't feel at all bad about charging at least $10. I don't think that is unreasonable at all. If the clothes are in decent shape with no stains or holes, I would charge $2-4 each for pants and shirts, if it is a school age childs clothes. Sometimes I sell bags of things for a set price if I really want to get rid of them. (socks, etc.) If you have a little table that normally holds plants, or telephone stand, or end tables, use those to display items. I don't have a real good fold up table either. I will have to do the same thing as you, I might use some rubbermaid containers too. If the tupperware is is good shape, maybe 1/2 of what it retails for? Look up prices on tupperware.com and see what they normally sell for. You can buy stickers with prices pre-printed on them to save time, or just the little blank round stickers will do and price them yourself. I hope this helps! Good luck, and wish me luck too!

 

[alaskantwinks]

Make sure and have plastic bags for people to take things in like they give out at the grocery store in case someone buys a lot, and also make sure and have enough change. $20 in different denominations should be fine, especially 1's and 5's and quarters!

 

[pjlla]

How about some extra boards/plywood.... lay it between the two tables you do have as sort of an "extension. We did that a few years ago for a neighborhood sale.... it went table/plywood/table/
plywood and we ended up with about a 30 foot span!! And think about other things you could use as "tables" such as TV trays, sawhorses with board in between, etc. Haul out your kitchen table it you have to.... people are much more inclined to look at stuff on a table versus stuff on the ground/floor.

About the jacket.... you could certainly start at $10 if it is in "like new" condition, but be prepared to come down.... maybe not until the second day. Try to notice if it gets a lot of looks but no buyers. That might mean the price is too high. I personally wouldn't spend more than $5-7 MAX on a jacket for my child at a yard sale..... and that would be only if it was in TERRIFIC shape.

Other clothes mark very low if you really want them to move. Most people won't spend more than $1/item MAX for yard sale clothes from my experience.

I agree with hanging the clothes if possible.

If you are doing this alone (or even if you are not), buy a carpenters apron ($1) at Walmart and keep the money right ON YOU. That way you won't be tempted to walk away from it for "just a second".

Do plenty of advertising, even paying for an ad in the paper. Put up lots of signs (but be sure to remove them later... pet peeve of mine!). Have bags available for multiple purchases. Have an outlet ready for people to be able to check on electrical items and batteries available for people to use to test small items if necessary.

Keep your house/apartment LOCKED TIGHT during the sale, just to be safe. Keep a portable or cell phone handy for any emergency (actually had an auto accident at a yard sale I was at once!). Decide ahead of time if you are willing to take personal checks for anything.

Anyhow...... that is all I can think of for now..... Good luck!.....P

 

[Disney4me04]

thanks or the help. I just remembered I have Large Rubbermaid containers that I can use. Most of the tupperware is in great condition. I am mostly trying to get rid of stuff. So it will be priced to sell.

I live on the corner of a busy street. So I will do it right in the front. I think we will do well and I already told DS he will be there to help me on Sat and Sun.


I will be starting to get things together today. Cause if I can not do it here. I am going it at my moms house. I figure if DS and I take care of it all she won't mind.


I am going to get some round stickers and price as I go.

Any other ideas?

I am thinking I won't have to advertise since I am on a main street and traffice should help. Maybe put up signs a block away. Have to check if you can put up stick signs in the grass. I know I can not attach to public property.

 

[Deb T.]

Just wanted to let you know that it seems to always take me forever to price things for garage/yard sales. Allow yourself an extra day to get it all done.

I use a fanny pack to keep my money safe - I use the front smaller section for loose change, the middle compartment for ones and fives, and a separate compartment for tens and twentys.

I like to make my lunch the night before. The morning of the garage sale, I put my lunch, some snacks, a couple of bottles of water, and a couple of cans of soda in a cooler so it's handy for me whenever I get hungry or thirsty.

Be ready to roll about a half-hour before your published start time. We always have a few people sitting in their cars outside our house waiting early! We've even had a few people actually ring our doorbell asking us to open earlier!

Good luck!

 

[crusoe2]

We're planning to have a yardsale in a couple weeks, too. Around here everyone recommends doing it the first weekend of the month and they usually only run them for a few hours on Sat. morning. I have also been advised to divide things into categories as much as possible and then set a price for that category. For example, books for a quarter, clothing items for $1, larger toys for $5, small furniture items for $10, $15 or $20, etc. The idea is to simplify as much as possible - it's supposed to make things easier for you to keep up with and easier for the customers, too. I have lots of like items - boys jeans in various sizes, bags of socks, pairs of tennis shoes, etc. I'm thinking about putting things like that in large cardboard boxes with the price on the front of the box rather than on each individual item. This is only the second time I've done a yardsale so I'm learning as I go - would love some feedback from folks who have done this alot. You guys have already given me some great ideas. Thanks.

 

[ssgtwife]

I have had many yardsales, and here is my theory...If it is going into the yardsale, and it doesn't sell, then it goes straight to the donation center at the Goodwill/Salvation Army...it's not coming back into the house!! So if you just want to get rid of all of it, then price it all to go.
My experience in selling and buying at yardsales is this: People expect to get a bargin!! You can't let your feelings of "I paid $30 for that, and they want it for $3???" If you want it gone, let it go!
I do specials towards the end of the day at my yardsales, like "fill a bag for $5" Whatever they can fit into the bag, for $5 really works!! Like I said before, whatever doesn't sell, goes to charity anyway, so why not make that last 5, 10, 15 or even $20??

Known fact: Your items will sell better and faster if they are marked with a price!! Some people are a little shy about asking the prices for things, so instead of asking, they just won't buy. Price everything!!

The idea of grouping things such as books, videos, etc. is a great idea!! I do that too..."All books $2" "All videos $1", etc.

Good luck! Make lots of Disney money!

 

[powellrj]

ask others what kind of luck they have. I know in my moms town thursday was always the best day because it was a very small town and most people were gone on friday and saturday. On the other hand my best days were always friday and early saturday morning. It would just die after about 11am. Advertise what kind of items you are selling because some people will only go if you are selling what they want (like tools or toys) See what the going rate for things are in your area. I know $10 for a coat no matter what kind it was would never sell in my area. The most you could sell it for would be $6 or $7, but thats just around here, maybe your area is different. If you have the time, stop by a few in your area for a minute and see what people are selling. I would also invest in some baggies and sell small items bagged together(like happy meal toys), they usually sell more quickly than selling the items alone. My last sale I was tired and really didn't want to mess with it so I just put everything out on tables and had grocery sacks and charged $5 a bag. I made several hundred dollars in 4 hours and packed the left overs up and took to goodwill an was done with it!! Good luck in whatever you decide to do!!!

 

[tinaluis]

We had a garage sale the weekend before Easter (Friday and Saturday) and did very well. All clothing was $1 or 6 pieces for $5.00 - adults and kids alike. Shoes were the same price $1.00 a pair or 6 pair for $5.00. Coffeemaker, breadmaker, crockpot, knick knacks, glassware, silverplate serving trays, etc. were all priced to sell at $4.00 or less and most everything sold. Whatever didn't sell was donated to Goodwill. I agree with the others, price it to sell so you don't have to put it all away again. Good luck!

 

[StephMK]

I agree w/the price it by kind of item - all videos in a box w/a price on the front per item makes it easy for you & the buyers. If you can group clothes by size, I think they will go faster. Personally, I don't like going through a whole table of assorted sizes but either way, kids clothes will sell well. Sounds like you're in a perfect location, good luck!

 

[ceecee]

Thursdays are Garage sale day around here. I get so many people it's unreal. They usually come early, a few read my ad and came the night before one year (I had tons of outside Little Tikes toys and a playset) A lady actually ran in with $75.00 and said I want that playset! Fridays normally are half if that in the number of people and Sat. I usually just do a few hours, not much here on Sat. I use our closet door over saw horses as a table. I put my flagpole in between 2 ladders for hanging clothes. I put hair things, socks, etc. into small ziploc bags and they seem to sell really well. Winter coats just don't sell for me (I always have name brands) maybe it's due to the summer. I usually have mine at the end of May. Maybe the first of the month makes more sense.

 

[kilee]

If the clothes are in decent shape with no stains or holes, I would charge $2-4 each for pants and shirts, if it is a school age childs clothes.

Know your area-- around my house-- these wouldn't sell. And we are a middle class community (even the next community over which is full of $500,000 houses wouldn't sell for that-- and they have a ton of garage sales). Most clothing items around here are $1 or less. We had a yard sale last summer--- we originally had close to 300 items-- in the end we were only left w/ 7 things!!!! We did really well-- other than a crib and bunk beds-- nothing went for more than $3 most things were $1. We really just wanted the stuff gone-- and we figured $100 in the end would be better than $50 and lugging the stuff back in. BTW we did end up w/ just under $500!! So we were really pleased!!

 

[bjakmom]

What a great thread - and great ideas! We're having a yard sale next month - all proceeds going towards my sister's trip to WDW with her boys ! We're going to do one Saturday in my neighborhood and the next Saturday load up whatever we don't sell and take it to her house and add her stuff to it - I like the idea of clothing $1/6 for $5 and at the end selling bags for $5 each - we don't want to keep anything not sold!

If you don't have a clothes rack, try to find some poles (a fence?)or even trees to string some rope up and hang all the clothes - if not, people will just toss them around and get them all mixed up.

 

[cyndibelle]

i just had one a couple of weekends ago..just did it for one day...all my clothes i prices really cheap..a dollar or two..just to get rid of them...other things i priced to sell..the biggest item we sold was a bike trailer..that went for 80 bucks.. at the end of the day we made 375 dollars!! i was so thrilled to make that..i would have been happy with half that ..i really think pricing your items to sell makes all the difference...

 

[CourtasanSatine]

in my area people plan yard sales around big local events(chili cookoff,flea market weekends and the like)

 

[Nebsky]

Whatever you do make sure you do the following.......

Have it the first weekend of the month and start early!!
Reason for this....The big time shoppers are out early to get a headstart on the rookies. Also, first of the month is when the Govt sends out checks....Plan ahead...

Always have 2 people in the area at the same time. One can help sell the items the other can keep and eye on things. Alot of people will rip you off. Be careful when large crowds come in.
Keep you eyes open!!!

If you start getting alot of money, make sure to get the big bills out of sight and in your house. A family near us had a good sale and their "cashbox" disappeared. They had over 500.00 in it.

Dont go cheap to early. If things arent selling first thing and you have hagglers...Dont let them set the price. Its your stuff. Dont let it go too cheap.

Good luck. Our last sale we got over 400.00.

 

[Tigge50447]

Ive had a few garage sales. And hopefully going to have one at my sisters house, she's on a main road with Lots of traffic.

- If you have electronic items make sure you have batteries in them or some people can use to make sure it works.

- If you are selling stuff that need an outlet use and extention cord or leave a power strip out so people can test it. We sold a small word processor because I had it turned on and running so people could mess around with it.

- I also try to put like baby socks in a plasic baggie with the size and price on it. I stuff it then seal it.

- I think from the road presentation is important too. I do this alot I'll drive by slow and if it doesn't look like anything I want I don't stop. Put large items out so people can see them from the road. Put kids toys out front so they also can be viewed from the road.

My sister has one of those little tike car beds so hopefully that will draw attention to the sale.

Good luck!

 

[beglluvr]

These suggestions are great! I wanted to add was that the earlier in the season you have the sale, the more people it will attract. We have had one every year the first weekend in May and have been really successful, but when we had one last August, we barely had anyone. I think the key is to do it before people are "yard sale'd out"... at the beginning of the season, people are really excited to go yard saleing.

Another option would be for you to ask around and see if anybody else in your neighborhood/apartment building is interested in doing it as well. That way, you can advertise it as a "neighborhood yard sale" or something similar. Buyers seem to like parking their cars in one spot and being able to walk from sale to sale (everyone still responsible for their own money and inventory). In my experience, this attracts more people.

Good luck with your yard sale!