Garage sales are a great way to get rid of your unwanted items, and people will buy anything. At my last garage sale, I had someone offer money for the chair I was sitting in, and I spent the next three hours sitting on my porch step. No matter what you’ve got, there’s a market for it. You just need to know a good strategy.
Permits
Not every city asks that you have a permit, but some do. If you don’t have one and you need one, you could end up paying heavy fines. Additionally, if you have an HOA, you need to know if they have allowed garage sales; if not, then your neighborhood-friendly Linda is probably going to report you.
Start Cleaning
When you’re going to do a garage sale, you need to clean your house and begin cleaning the items so they look their best. It’s going to help you get the maximum profit out of your items. In many cases, it will also help you see how much you want to get rid of, as most people add things they weren’t going to before.
Put Everything Into Categories
Every time I’ve ever done a yard sale, I sort things into categories. That way, when people drive up and ask where the toys are, I can point to one area, and they don’t waste time. It makes things go more smoothly, and cleanup is easier. Being organized is key because it will ensure that everything looks more professional.
Get Help
Doing a garage sale is a serious pain if you’re doing all the heavy lifting yourself. Get some help and choose who will help you on the day of the sale. One person should be in charge of money, while others can help with the bagging and other areas. I recommend having a lot of bags on hand to make things easier for customers.
Pick The Date
Friday through Sunday are the best days for yard sales, with mornings being the peak time. However, keep in mind that people work, and Sunday is a day when people go to church, so you might not pick up until later. Additionally, try going for the first weekend of the month, people have just been paid and haven’t spent it all yet.
Don’t Get Emotional
It’s tough selling your old prom dress or first sweater. But the person buying it isn’t going to care about that. They want the best price, and they don’t want to have to haggle a lot. A good rule of thumb is to price things at about 10% of their total retail price. If you have things that are new, try 50%. You can also go on sites like eBay and see what your items are going for and price around that.
Bundle Items
If you have books for $5 a piece, you might not sell them. However, if you bundle items and make a deal, you’ll sell more. One thing that works well is letting people fill up a bag for $5 or $10, depending on the items. Will you miss out on getting the exact dollar amount you want? Possibly. But you’ll move the items and get some cash, which is what you’re having the sale for in the first place.
Don’t Price Hike
Some people do garage sales and think that if they price high, the person will haggle and they’ll come down. Some people do that, others look at the price and walk off because they think it’s a bad price. Instead, you should price your items realistically, and know that people will appreciate finding a good deal.
Make The Setup Look Good
The better you make your items look, the more you’ll sell. Display the clothes as outfits if possible. Have batteries in items so people can see they work. Use a mirror if you have one, so people can hold up the clothes and see how they look. Fill up bike tires and ensure there is no dirt on anything.
Have Change
I cannot stress this enough. I have lost countless sales because I didn’t have change, and it’s something you don’t want to deal with. Make sure you have change for twenties and always have enough for if multiple people pay with big bills. You don’t want to lose any sales, so this is vital.
Take Digital Payments
We live in a digital world, and that’s not changing. Most people will come to a garage sale with cash, but if they don’t have enough, imagine their glee when they see you take a card. Now they can buy more stuff. Most things like Venmo are free, and it can be a big help.
Make The Prices Easy To See
Invest in some stickers or tags and make the prices easy to see. For bigger items like dressers or bookshelves, make the price attractive and visible. You don’t have to use fancy fonts or anything like that, just make it look nice, and it will get people to stop. The prices should be in plain sight so a customer isn’t searching for them.
Have Wrapping
If you don’t want to invest in newspapers, offer to wrap glasses in an additional bag or some type of covering so that their items don’t break. It’s a small gesture that lets them know you appreciate their business. Chances are, they’ll tell others about the experience, and you’ll have more people coming by.
Sell Online
If there are items left over at the garage sale, you can sell them online. Keep in mind that sites like eBay, Poshmark, Mercari, etc., all take a portion out of your sale. This is because the site is free, and that’s how they make their profit. Even so, you can still sell quickly and make good money. If you don’t want to take the time, go on Facebook Marketplace. Things tend to sell quicker if you’re looking to turn and burn items.
Stock Up
If you don’t have enough tables or display items to help make your items look more professional, you can get more fairly cheaply at superstores or other areas. If you’re worried about being stuck with them after, you can sell them online. We did this with our display tables, and they sold in less than a day on Facebook.
Stay Safe
When you’re holding a sale, keep your house locked and keep a close eye on your kids at all times. You’re inviting strangers into your area, and you never know what could happen. Stay safe and make some great sales by having the best displays possible, and you can’t go wrong.
