Yard Sale $$$$:Please share your best tips

[toystoryduo]

I have enjoyed reading all the information on having yard sales that has been on the Budget Board lately. It seems like a lot of us that are having yard/garage sales this year are trying to earn some money for our Disney trips or another vacation. Can we start a thread here with tips on having a successful yard sale? Some of you have made some pretty impressive amounts. I've never made over $100 and I would definitely like to change that. So, how do you do it? Thanks for the info!

 

[tikilyn]

My tip would be to go to goodwill (or someplace like it) and buy a clothes rack. My goodwill sells them for 12.00. That away you can hang you clothes up!! I haven't had a sell yet. but trying to plan one soon!! I have like over 5 rubbermaid container full of childrens clothes(they won't sell on ebay. I've tried)!!

 

[winniedapooh]

The yard sale I had I put out plastic shopping bags the market puts your groceries in and put them on a rack next to all of the clothes on the tables and said $5 a bag fill them as much as you can. I got rid of a ton of clothes that way. I also have had much success with my .50 cent table. Everything that I don't want I place there and put a big sign on that that says .50 cents each. I always sell out of that stuff and you would be surprised how much those 50 cents add up! The other thing I do is price very reasonably, I do not want to bring it back up to the attic so I very rarely have people trying to dicker with me. Kids books which I l literally have tons of I priced at 5 for a dollar. This may sound cheap to some but the kids that got these were the happiest kids and Moms I have ever seen! Videos for a dollar went like hotcakes, I am not storing too many of those and have most on DVD now so again it comes down to whether or not I want to continue storing it in my attic or not. This last yard sale only 2 things went back up! The remaining clothes etc all are going to the local shelter where they are much needed.

 

[pjlla]

Keep your stuff clean and organized. Hard to buy stuff at a yard sale when you can't really see what they have or it is so dusty/dirty you don't want to touch it!! This probably won't help you much, but the best yard sale I ever had was after I had helped out a friend who was moving in a hurry. She didn't have time to have a yard sale and we helped her move stuff to the "dump" (our yard!) We made well over $300 just selling stuff she was sending to the dump!

Actually, that was my "personal" best for a yard sale. I organized/ran a church yard sale about two years ago. I really pushed for donations from church and neighborhood people. (But we have a REALLY small church). Anyhow, by the end of the one day sale we had cleared over........ drum roll..... are you ready for this.........$1,000.00!!!!! We were praising God all over the place after that!! (Our church really needed the $$).

Be willing to take less, especially towards the end. Wouldn't you rather have $1 than end up having to take it to the dump?? Have extension cords and batteries available for people to "test" things. Hang as many clothes as possible. They will sell better and for a higher price. Price EVERYTHING. Some people are reluctant or shy about asking prices and would sooner walk away. Have a "FREE" box. It may attract a few people further into the sale and result in a few more sales. Put large items out front (furniture, large toys) to stop the "drive-by browsers". Good signage and advertising is a MUST. Keep your cash on your person (in an apron pocket or fanny pack) for security purposes, and keep your house locked tight. Have your DS or DD sell sodas, lemonade, brownies, cookies, doughnuts if they want to make a few $$. Have plenty of bags and newspaper to wrap breakables. I'll post more if I think of anything......................P

 

[my3girlstoo]

We have a big attic so any big item or toy that I know the kids will out grow, I keep the boxes in the attic. When we have our rummage sale the boxes look new and it makes the toys look nicer too.

 

[poohtown]

we just had a spur of the moment yard sale and made almost $200. on what I considered junk. Here's what I noticed:

1. I didn't even have time to clean stuff from the basement - people seemed to love old stuff.

2. Most people seemed ok with prices but the ones who bargained always pulled out money from a wad of 20's and 10's.

3. I started out with fair prices but allowed for reductions. (don't price something at $10. if you don't really want to sell it around $7.)

4. Alot of people love the search and surprise. I put out 3 boxes filled with old Christmas ornaments - some vintage some new. I wrote $5.00 for unknown Xmas contents and people grabbed those up within 15 minutes.

5. The stuff I thought would sell the fastest lasted the longest and vice versa.

 

[tinaluis]

Make sure you price everything. Some people are shy about asking for prices.
If you don't want to bring it back into the house, price it so it will go -- no matter how much you paid for it.
Hanging clothes sell better than clothes on tables.
If you're going to put clothes on tables, try to sort by size. We had many people come and ask what the range of sizes was and where they would look for a certain size.
Be willing to go down on your prices -- I had a HUGE Rubbermaid box full of stuffed animals and priced them at $.25 each -- bargain, right? Well people would come to me with two large and one small and want to know if I would come down on the price of the small one -- what?? You're getting the large ones for $.25 -- but I just took a deep breath and said, OK - $.10. It's nothing personal, they just want to feel like they got a bargain. And you know what, I didn't want to bring any stuffed animals back in so almost all went.
Give yourself a little wiggle room on pricing if you don't like to have people haggle with you. We had two almost brand new coolers priced at $5.00 each. As soon as the garage sale opened several people tried to buy them for less than they were priced. I held my ground and got full asking price for each of them. If I hadn't, I would have been prepared to donate them and would have felt better about that than just giving them away for almost nothing.
The one thing I wasn't flexible on was the Disney videos I was selling because I can and do sell them on eBay. They were priced at $5.00 each or 5 for $20.00 and quite a few sold, but just as many were put back when people realized I wouldn't lower the price on them. I knew that could happen and was willing to take that chance.
I had a crystal/glass basket and a lady asked how much it was - I said $3.00 and she insisted I take $5.00 because it was so nice. Of course, she was the exception, but she definitely made my day.
All told, we made about $1,150 in two days and we couldn't be happier. Good luck to you on your sale!

 

[barbeml]

I separate items by price and put in boxes with big signs such as "All Items in this Box $1.00 EACH." Don't forget the "EACH" or they will argue they should get everything for $1.00 (people can be funny at garage sales).

Also, I always have a box of 10-cent items for the little ones to look through--keeps them busy while Mom spends more $$. I gave away lollipops to all the kids--after asking Mom or Dad if they could have one.

To get rid of a bunch of Barbie stuff, I packaged one dressed doll, some clothes, accessories and furniture in each bag (I used the big clear zip-loc type bags) and marked them $10 each. I sold 12 bags this way.

We had a long extension cord and batteries on hand so that people could make sure stuff worked.

We lined all the merchandise along both sides of the driveway and people could walk up the middle to browse.

Simple pricing and good signs help. Not everyone is comfortable asking "How much?" and it is hard to remember the prices you set if they are not marked.

Good luck everyone!

Barbe

 

[CajunDixie]

Toss heavy plastic type toys in the dishwasher and clean everything up as much as possible. Use Ziplocks for small toys or games with lots of parts, rubberband books or videos by the same author/subject and hang clothes. I use neon posterboards for signs....... hot pink shows up quite well from a long distance away. If you advertise in a paper mention any big name brands of stuff you may have even if its just one item.....like Vera Bradley, Pampered Chef, Longaberger...

 

[ceecee]

I use a lot of ziploc bags as well. Barbie stuff, socks, tights, hair accessories, like toys, etc. I tried the .50 and 1.00 box and so many people said I got these in the .50 box when I knew better. I had opened happy meal toys for .10 and .25 for new in package ones and actually saw a lady OPEN 2 of them. Another lady switched the tags I had on my T-fal pans to the Farberware set which were marked higher. I had 2 new in boxes Barbies walk out the door during the first few hour rush. Several CD's were missing and cases were left, so now I tape them shut. We live in an upscale neighborhood too, but you've really got to watch people. I now have my "check out table" in the front of the garage. Also no more "holding" items...2 years in a row someone has said will you hold these while I run to the bank and never came back. One lady had $60.00 worth of stuff I held and she did not come back, so I put it out the next day.

 

[pjlla]

Funny.... I was just coming back to mention the Ziploc bag idea, but I see people mentioned it. It is a good idea. And the Happy Meal toys.... I usually put "one free per child" to keep the kids occupied while Mom/Dad shop...............P

 

[Local_Girl]

It's been great reading everyone's ideas...makes me want to have a garage sale too...but the township has closed and torn up our road (widening it!) for the next several months, so we'll have to wait till the fall!

Some of my best tips: Make sure you have at least one other person helping you with your sale, more than one if you have a big sale. This way, while one person is occupied (bathroom break, helping a customer with a big item, etc.) the other(s) can be watching/making sales. DH has been occupied for several minutes at a time disassembling cribs, computers, etc. and helping the buyers load them into their cars. If there is no one to help him, another buyer may walk away and you've lost the sale.

Price everything. Hang whatever clothes you can, especially the best ones. Group things that are alike/similar together. Advertise in the newspaper, supermarket and laundromat bulletin boards, etc. Put up neon signs at key intersections in your area with LARGE easy to read letters and REMOVE them when your sale is over. Be prepared at opening with change and small bills. Be friendly but don't hover!

 

[pygmymom]

Lots of great tips on this thread! If you're holding a multi family sale, make sure the tag reflects who it belongs to, either by initials or color, etc. When I price clothes, I also put the size on the tag.

Organize! Many shoppers have commented my garage resembles a store. I label the sizes on the table and they follow an order. All toys are together, kitchenware, etc.

Have a partner--not only do you not want to do all the work, you have to go to the bathroom sometime. And while you don't want to hover, you certainly want to keep an eye on people.

I set up a little tv tray and chair as my "checkout". I also have on hand a calculator, pen, extra masking tape and my notebook where I track sales. Money I keep in my Disney World fanny pack on my person, it keeps me motivated (and money safe)!

If you are cash only, I would post it on a sign. I also post no bills over $20, and sorry, no returns.

Some sales have balloons or flags in their yards to attract and lead people to their sale. Like everyone says, good signs are a must, too.

Things that really seem to go are puzzles (make sure they have all the pieces), videos, any type of kids' educational toy, and housewares.

Good luck with garage sale season--they're a lot of work, but it can mean a lot more room in your house and a few more Disney Dollars in your pocket.

 

[toystoryduo]

Thanks everyone for all of the great ideas! Please keep them coming!!!

 

[brandip22]

I've been thinking of having a sale, too. Now I am getting concerned over people just stealing stuff, though. What are your best tips to avoid this? I'm thinking to have my stuff lined up on my driveway closer to my hosue. My "checkout" can be at the end of the driveway. Maybe I canalso mark things with a "sold" sticker so we will know what has been paid for when they leave. ANy other ideas?

 

[bigbabyblues]

I'm getting ready for our yard sale Friday and Saturday, and had a question.

I have several baby outfits that are 2 or more pieces, how do I keep them together? Like the hats with the outfit, or the outfits with a shirt, pants, and a jacket or hat? These are things that would be hard to put it all on a hanger, one is a onesie-type snap shirt with a long sleeve shirt and pants.

Hoping I'll do well, this IS for Disney afterall.....and I have a bunch of baby things and some Longaberger to get rid of.....

Steph

 

[Hunnybee]

Anyone have any ideas about the best time for a garage sale? I swore I wouldn't have another garage sale after my last one -- but, this is the "done with babies" sale which usually does really well (swing, exersaucer, baby clothes, maternity clothes, etc.) I'm wondering when is the best time to have it. I'm looking at possibly doing it the end of June. Any suggestions?

Steph, I have been saving the special hangers that baby clothes come on to hang those 3-piece things on. Maybe safety pin the 3rd piece or put it all in a gallon ziploc bag? You could always poke a hole in the top and hang a hanger through it since everyone says the stuff hanging up sells the best. I know it's always easier to see that way.

My worst part is the pricing. Does anyone have any price guidelines they use? Or know of a book or good website I could check out for pricing for kids clothes/toys/ etc.?

This is a great thread! I hope to see lots more tips. I'll be coming back to this one.

Have a great day, everyone!

 

[bigbabyblues]

In our area, the first weekend of the month is the best time. Alot of people get paid around this time, and there are tons of people out. The town I'm from has a 7-mile yardsale all through the town, they draw tons and tons of people. Too bad we don't have that here.

As far as pricing, I never know what to ask either. I'm also having the "No more babies" sale this time, too bad DH took most of the tiny clothes and all my maternity clothes to Goodwill, but I still have the big stuff and the better clothes. I looked on Ebay at a couple things similar to what I'm selling and tried to base my prices off what they are going for there, or an average, etc. Some things I just guessed, but I'm willing to come down. I want to make some money, but anything I sell it for is better than what I get if I donate it, which is nothing.

Good luck!

Steph

 

[allforpooh]

All great ideas, the only thing I would add is if you have any old baskets with handles laying around use them. Set them out or walk around and hand them out to people who have several items or even just one item in their hand.

This gives them a place to hold the items they want while they look for more.

Denise

 

[Chicago526]

Find out if any of your neighbors also are planning yard sales. If so, try to have them all on the same weekend. All the families can split a single ad in the paper (call it a neighborhood yard sale ) and you'll get lots of interest because there are multiple sales in the same area.

One sub-division in my home town does this every year. they get over 100 homes to participate each June, and it's so well known that people come from 1 state over to check it out! No kidding!