How do yard sales work

I have had several garage sales and implemented some of the same ideas. I wish I had more of it! I hope and pray we do as good as you did, in that we are using this money for our honeymoon! So glad I clicked on your site! Great job! I even put kitchen utensils in a xl ziplock and sold it in no time for 3 dollars. If I had priced them individually, I would have been lucky to get 10cents for each item..

My son sold ALL of his toys… and he had a ton…… because we put them in ziplock bags. People feel like they are getting more for their money this way. Gearing up right now for our sale in September! Thanks for all the info, and comments! REally helped. You need tons of tables! I posted photos of the items with my Craigslist ad. I copied your sign design but had to print on 4 papers to make 1 sign and glue them to the Dollar store foam boards — printing large format signs like yours will cost a lot!

We also put balloons on our main sign in front of the street. We had shelves of tshirts new we were selling. Expect those early birds!

Forgot to add — I loved the tip of not pricing anything below 25cents. Easier to calculate stuff. Almost all of the big ticket items were sold on credit cards! What about placing things on the ground? I absolutely love your post!

I never would have even considered accepting credit cards so thank you for that suggestion. I feel less stressed already. Thank you!! I had never held my own garage sale, and the thought of how to do this was daunting. I held my first this last weekend, and your insight and recommendations here were awesome!! I used SquareUp for debit transactions, and everything about it went flawlessly!

Thank you for your kind heart and taking the time to write this article for others to benefit :!! I love the idea of the Square credit card device. On their webpage, it asks what type of business you have or something to that affect. So, great article! I will surely also be thinking about using the internet and trying to post things in other places online as the time hopefully gets closer.

Great article. While reading it i compared it to my chk list. Lot in common. Just had one this passed weekend and did great met some really nice people. Ended up selling branches of a cactus plant that just happenedy to be flowering beautifully right off of the plant. Looking forward to our next sale. Thanx again. Many great tips. Not a lot—maybe pieces?

Some of them were just one or two big things like a deck of cards and some stickers. Others were lots of small pieces like bangle bracelets.

Thank you thank you thank you!!! I love the idea about taking credit cards, but I would worry about charge backs. Then square comes to you to pay back. Any thoughts on that. Where do people get all the the folding tables? I know I will need at least 15 if not more. Thank you for the amazing tips.? We borrowed, borrowed, borrowed. Pretty much every house has one or two—so we asked our friends, family, and neighbors! And made sure to label each one on the bottom with masking tape so we knew who to return them to.

Love it! Such a great article! And thank you for the sharing such kinds of great tips. Yard sale signs the night before, or days before can drum up more business than morning on. Some weekends are better than others for yard sales, so choose wisely ie. Cash in on that and throw one together last minute just to save on advertise costs if you pay for newspaper ads and increase your visitors. Do you have any additional advice for someone having a whole house sale? Am open to any and all suggestions!!

Also, what do you think about accepting credit cards through Paypal? Care to share your secret? My three grandchildren moved in and I had to completely clear out the two spare bedrooms. Organization seems to be your best tip. Thanks again!

Thanks this was really helpful. Great ideas and wonderful strategies.. Went looking online for tips and found your very helpful article. Thank you for the excellent tips! I try to avoid things winding up in landfills with a minimum waste philosophy. People have no problem at all stooping down to check out things that are free. I also tell people not to carry those items into the area where I am selling things. If they want the free items, carry to your car first or pile it somewhere away from the priced merchandise.

I also do pretty good making money too. Also, you can do this same strategy near the end of your yard sale or even after it if the weather is good. Guaranteed to get it all gone! The only way someone makes this much money at a yard sale is if they buy too much stuff in the first place.

I want to have a garage sale. This was great! Just know that this is in my favorites on safari! I have a lot of vintage glass dishes, platters, bowls, china, both regular and christmas, pitchers, unique items. Does it sell? Hi, Maria! Check out our post for all of our tips to increase your chances for a great turnout. Good luck and happy selling!

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Share This Post. Try these. How to Pack an Awesome Picnic. I understand that by filling out this form, I am agreeing to receive emails from Wholefully. Leave a Reply Cancel Reply. Cassie borrowed from friends, family, and neighbors! Paying off debt! Not very exciting, I know. This is a fun article, I always love your ideas!!! Nailed it! And how cute is that neighborhood! For sales tax, contact your state treasurer.

Do you have an etsy site with your signs? I LOVE how bright, large and colorful they are! Do you have to charge tax when you accept credit cards?? When I go to a garage sale with no prices I leave. Cool article. Did they sell? So sorry! Ok thank you for the response. They were duplicates! Unique idea. Really, I would love to follow. Good luck! Thanks for the post. How much of your total sales were done on credit cards? Thanks you for the tips.

Hi, my name is Alejandro. Hi, Such a great article! Really helpful, thank you!!! This was really interesting to read……. Meet Your Host. FREE ebook!

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You can unsubscribe at any time. Gather as many tables as you can. Use sawhorses with doors or pieces of plywood if you have to. We even build a rack for shoes out of wood scraps and put mini-shelves in the middle of tables to give us more space on the tables. In our garage we keep a Garage Sale Pile. Everything unwanted or unneeded is stored in boxes or stacked neatly there waiting for the next sale.

Price everything you can. Use your colored stickers and, as a safeguard, use a china marker to price the item in a second place. Price tags have a mysterious way of disappearing. Put items with multiple parts in zippered bags and staple the price sticker above the zipper to secure the bag. Clothing stays neater and sells much better when hung up. Refolding piles of pawed-through clothes is a real pain!

We drape a long series of swing-set-type chains attached diagonally between two block walls to display our clothes. It minimizes confusion and lost tags.

Group housewares, electronics, toys, linens, books, etc. Think in retail terms to make it easier for people to shop. We set up tables in our garage and on our patio the week before the sale and start categorizing items. Line up tables in aisles with access from both sides if possible. And you can butt tables together to prevent access to other areas of your yard. We put up tarps, EZ Shades , anything to keep the heat down or rain off and comfort up. The colored tarps also add to the festive atmosphere.

Because of the configuration of our long driveway, we set up all of our tables the night before and block the driveway with our van. One of our older kids sleeps in the van with our German shepherd. This allows us to sleep in a bit later—about 6 A. If you have a large number of migrant workers or non-English speakers attending your sales, try to have someone in your group who speaks their language.

It aids negotiations and helps keep everyone honest. We put our largest items—furniture, TVs, microwaves—near the front of the sale and place toys in the back. Arrange for a truck to show up at the end of your sale or a couple of days later.

We divide the remaining items into two piles: Donate and Save to Sell Again. Do it like Wal-Mart and greet everyone. It makes for a friendlier sale and minimizes shop-lifting. After visiting the bank, download at least one secure P2P payment app to accept electronic payments as well. And consider investing in a portable credit card reader so that you can accept credit cards on-site.

Sort your items before you price them. This ensures your garage sale remains organized and attractive to potential buyers. Use a low-traffic room in your house, preferably on the ground level, as a staging area. Price items likely to sell individually accordingly. However, you can and should create lots for lower-value items buyers are likelier to want in bulk, such as paperback books and CDs.

Use manila tape and a Sharpie to price items, rather than specialized price tags. Also, resist the temptation to overprice items on the expectation that every buyer will haggle. Arrange your tables and hangers the night before your garage sale.

Secure everything in your garage overnight with overflow in your laundry room or in-home staging area and prepare to get up early to put everything out on the day of your sale. Make a map of your yard on sale day so you know where to locate each element during the presale rush. Give yourself at least an hour before the garage sale starts to set everything out and put up signs.

Reserve your negotiation strategies for the afternoon or the last day of a multiday sale. If you have lots left over, expect to spend hours more disposing of unsold inventory. A successful garage sale will leave you with a less cluttered, better-organized home — and a wad of extra cash to spend or save as you wish.

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Have enough small bills on hand to make change for your customers. If the customer wants to negotiate, then let them negotiate, but stick to your guns if the price gets too low. Well—not yet anyway.

Before you try to sell those things that have been collecting dust, actually clean them off! Fill bicycle tires and basketballs with air. If something needs batteries to run, fill it with some half-used batteries or even new batteries if you want to be nice so the buyer knows it works. Keep an extension cord handy for buyers to test out appliances that need an outlet.

And place a mirror near the clothing and accessories. It might seem silly, but going the extra mile can really be the difference in making a sale and losing one. The morning of the sale, get up early and do a little setting up. For everything else, keep it organized, clearly priced and easy to sort through. Stock your checkout area with plastic grocery bags and newspaper to wrap up fragile items. Those small touches will go a long way! So, why not cut them in on the profits? Is this just a secret plan to get your teen to clean their room?

If you have younger kids, get them involved by letting them man a lemonade stand or bake-sale booth. Who can resist a pint-sized entrepreneur? Okay, this might seem like a strange garage sale tip, but stay with us. Most shoppers are well-meaning people just out looking for a good deal. Just keep a pitcher of complementary water outside and point them in the direction of the nearest gas station.

Be on guard when it comes to all that cash too.