In
today's post, we're offering garage sale tips to help you experience great
success and make more money at your next garage (or yard) sale!
The first
half of the year is a tough time; we’re just coming off of the holiday season,
and we’re all exhausted and, usually, broke. It's a time of renewal, so those
are two solid reasons why it makes sense for you to want to have a garage sale!
And in
2020, garage sales ain’t what they used to be.
We’ve
compiled the best garage sale tips for you to read before you open up your
garage doors and rake in the dough – read more below:
10 Garage Sale Tips
1 – Make
It Memorable
As I drove
through a trendy Atlanta neighborhood recently, I saw signs for a garage sale
that really made me stop and look. Why? Because every single one of them had a
photo at the top of the flyer of a popular, recent meme. That’s right – I saw
Spongebob heading out, the “ermahgerd!” girl, and Baby Yoda staring solemnly at
me from a wooden telephone pole.
It made me
want to actually go to the garage sale, because I felt like it
was for me; that these people got me, and so the items they
had probably related directly to my interests. Coming up with a creative way to
advertise helps you stand out.
When my
family and I moved out of the rental home recently that we had lived in for 3
years, I put up about a quarter of the stuff we had up for free on craigslist,
Nextdoor, and other apps. I had to get my stuff gone ASAP, but per usual, I
procrastinated, and put the free stuff out on my front porch literally the day before
we had to get out of the house – and I had just found out that
our landlord wanted us out a day early. Yikes!
Normally,
you can give stuff away pretty easily, but some of our stuff truly was junk
– but it was junk I had a hard time throwing away, and I didn’t have time to
bring it to a donation spot. So, I got creative, and wrote a funny post about
how my husband and I were having a “Millennial Moving Sale.”
Guess
what? Every single last bit of my items got taken – and even some that weren’t
up for grabs – and we got our deposit back! Now that’s what I
call good saleswomanship.
2 – Make
It Affordable
Sure, you
may have only worn that Baby Bjorn once, and it is name-brand,
but what was stylish two years ago may not be stylish today. Getting the going
rate for an item that you see quite a lot of value in may not be feasible. Be
realistic, and take a look around.
What type
of area do you live in? Google it, and see what the average household income
is; if it’s below average, you may want to price your items as such as well,
even if it is painful.
You can
always advertise your stuff in other neighborhoods nearby, too – I’ve done this
whenever I’ve tried to sell something. Our city is diverse – one block can be
modest, while the next block could have mansions on it.
Figure out
which neighborhoods you want to target, including your own, but make your
prices fair – for both you and your customer.
3 – Get
Timely
Make sure
you pick the right day and/or weekend, and the right time of
day to have a garage sale. Again, do some research, and figure out the best
times to hold your garage sale.
Typically
it’s across multiple days and over the weekend, early in the morning. But do
whatever works best for your area. See what other folks are doing and when they
are holding their garage sales.
4 –
Collaborate
Notice how
I mentioned in the previous paragraph that you can hold a garage sale over a
weekend? It’s true, and you likely should hold it over a couple of days, but
one of the best ways to get eyes on your items is to actually hold a
neighborhood sale over a weekend.
Collaborate
with a few other neighbors who may be interested in selling off some stuff,
find a weekend that works for all of you, advertise, and watch the dollars roll
in!
5 –
Organize, Organize, Organize
I’m the
first to admit I have champagne tastes. I love going to a simple garage sale
and seeing items clean, clearly laid out, and priced. It honestly drives me
bonkers if I don’t see a price on an item! It’s one thing to label something,
“Best Offer,” but I would at least provide some context as to what you think is
a fair price for the item.
You’ll
also want to organize your tables by items. So, for example, use one table for
toys, one table for clothing, one for books or writing instruments, etc.
This way, people
can be sure to head over to the right table that has the item that they’re
looking for, and will appreciate your organization skills on top of that! A
happy customer is much more likely to lead to a sale.
6 – Don’t
Forget Cash!
Be sure
that you’re able to make change. You can buy a pouch for change at Office Max,
Target, or similar stores – they’re fairly cheap and are essentially bank bags.
If you’re doing a neighborhood sale, see if a neighbor has one you can
borrow.
On that
note, make sure that you have a Square available. They’re easy to fasten onto
your phone, and you can set up payments that way through an app – it’s the
modern way to do sales! If you use a Square though, make sure to take into
account fees. You want to be sure to price items appropriately.
7 –
Negotiation is Okay
You may as
well face it – some folks are going to want to haggle. It’s almost a sport for
them. And you have to be okay with that! You can be firm in your prices if you
need to be, but don’t be insulted if someone tries to talk you down.
8 – Be
Efficient and Be Timely
No one
likes it if you’re tardy to the party. Make sure that you start your garage
sale on-time, with all of your tables, items, and pricing in place. You’re sure
to get some early birds – maybe even some grumpy ones – but don’t stoop to
their level if they try and give you an attitude.
Make sure
that you have all your t’s crossed and i’s dotted, and if you say that you’re
starting at 8 a.m., then start at 8 a.m.!
9 – Add
Tidbits and Tips
Need
something to do while you’re waiting for customers to visit your sale? Write
tips and tidbits – even trivia – on your item tags.
Have a
super comfy sweater that you’re selling? Write it on the tag!
Hocking a
really fun family board game? Jot it down!
People
like a personal touch and again, it’ll set you apart.
10 – Don’t
Take Garage Sale Tips Too Seriously
Have
your own garage sale tips? Great! Don’t worry too much about
what others say – do your garage sale your way, and you’re
sure to have a successful sale!
Side Note – Would You Rather Sell Online?
Amazon FBA
(Fulfillment by Amazon) is something many people are doing now to earn a living
selling stuff online.
The great
thing about Amazon FBA is that THEY ship to your customers — not you! You just
source the items, ship them in bulk to Amazon, and they do the rest!
If this is
intriguing to you, you can sign up for this FREE
7-day email course from
Jessica and Jeff Larrew (6-figure Amazon sellers) to learn more about how it
all works.
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