Yard Sale!
I’ve decided to have a yard sale. I want to get rid of my old bed from when I was a kid that’s currently living in our (second) guest bedroom (to be replaced by a space-saving click clack sofa bed) along with a bunch of broken computers and all sorts of crap that is sitting in my parents’ basement becoming mildewy. There is stuff in the basement left over from one of our church’s yard sales, and lots of old toys, and it’s all going to go.
Here are some comments I found here, here, here, here and here on how to have a yard sale:
The last time we had a garage sale we went to the trouble to put an ad in the paper. We made sure to mention the most prominent things we had for sale. In the ad we posted an 8am start time. At 7am there were people parked in the street out front. The items listed in the ad were gone within the first hour. I had no idea people really read those ads!
Look for ads for a large consignment sale or community yard sale in your area. Plan your garage sale for the same date. Just place a few signs leading from the exit of the heavily advertised sale to your house.
Here’s a tip about advetising on craigslist: include pictures of your items and a price list of what asking price would start at…. I made a good chunk of money, the drove the rest of my crap to the Salvation Army and donated a few hundred dolars woth of stuff. Hello tax return!
Keep your money in a belt, something like a toolbelt at your waist. Don’t use a money box. People run off with them. It can be annoying.
Don’t schedule the yard sale for more than one day. The second day will be leftovers nobody wants, and you’ll be exhausted.
Expect early birds, as early as five a.m., and welcome them. But don’t negotiate on price before the time you advertised you’d open. If they’re that eager for it, you know it’ll sell later, so why shortchange yourself? (Besides, it’s these peoples’ fault that you had to get up at 4am; they should pay.)
Mark everything, but be flexible. Especially later in the day. But don’t be afraid to say no, either. One lady offered me a dollar apiece for over a dozen DVDs marked between four and six dollars early on, and acted all shocked and offended when I turned her down. I didn’t have a DVD left at the end of the day.
Attach streamers to your signs. Make it look festive. It helps.
Have a box of free stuff, stuff for kids, little things people might be able to use but that isn’t worth selling.
Oh, and buy a couple of cases of soda and/or water for cheap, have them on ice and sell them for cheap. People appreciate it, and giving them away during the day is a blast.
Some people (myself included) don’t like early birds; they’re skimming the cream of the sale while I’m still working to get it all set up. I heard of a great way to avoid this: “Early Birds Charged Double”. That way if they REALLY want that possibly antique set of andirons then they’re free to pay a premium, but if it’s not worth their money then it’s certainly not worth my time.
Make sure that you have enough change: Go to the bank the night before and get at least $50-$100 dollars in change. Be smart about the change you get, if you have a lot of items under a dollar, then you will need coins. If your most expensive item is more than $50, then you might need a few $20’s. Most of the change you get should be $1’s and $5’s though.
Clean items up and make sure they are in working order- If something doesn’t work, label it as such and expect not make a lot of money on it. Dust everything and clean with those antibacterial wipes. People will spend more money on a nice looking item.
Put things on folding tables or shelves if you can- Hang clothing and put shoes in pairs. Customers are more likely to stay and browse if they don’t have to work to see what you have and if it is higher off the ground like in an actual store.
Have a snack stand- If you have kids or some extra volunteers, think about having a soda or coffee stand and possibly some donuts for sale. Garage sale shopping is hard work, and having snacks on hand is a great way to make a few extra bucks. [Ed: bake sale?]
Make your yard sale a good shopping experience. Set things up like displays in stores. Put like items together, and try to put as much on tables as possible. Use a broom handle to hold clothing on hangers.
Personally, I would rather give an item to a charity for nothing than give it to a garage sale patron who offered me one of the classic “insultingly low prices” - if it’s the difference of a nickel or a dime, I’d rather the charity made money on an item than that I did.
Whatever we don’t sell will go to Goodwill or Interval House (although I think Interval House may be pickier so it would be quicker to take it all to Goodwill).