The #1 benefit in participating in your city wide garage sale is that it's free advertisement!!! You don't need to put an ad in the paper or put signs out, the city does that for you (at least they do here) for FREE!!! You can't beat free!!!
Here are some tips for having a successful garage sale:
- Price things to sell. I understand you want to make money, but if you're like me, you want your items gone and out of your home. We devised a color dot system for our sale to make marking items easier and quicker by using these: Walmart $1.We made a bunch of these signs to show how much each item cost according to our color dot system:
- Again, I have yet to figure out how to rotate pix!!! Next you will notice on the bottom of this sign it says something about a white label. For the items that didn't fit this price guide, we wrote or label made some prices. Walmart had the same kind of package like the color dots but white labels - also for $1. I had these left over from labeling holiday cards, so I used these:
- Once prices were established and all items were marked, it was time to set up. You'll need lots of tables, shelves, racks, bars...whatever you need to make your sale look good. You really do need to take the time to set everything up so it's neat. If I walk into a store or a garage sale and everything is all over the place, I'm immediately turned off and want out. Multiple times throughout the sale, you'll want to tidy up the tables so people can see the items and see what kind of variety you have to offer.
- We were up and setting stuff up about 1.5 hours before the sale "opened". Keep in mind that there are those die hard garage salers that will show up VERY early to get the deals. It's annoying but you never know what people will buy...the first year we were selling a pedestal sink for $3. A woman bought it because it was cheap but she had no use for it. I was thinking "whatever, as long as it's outta m'house!".
OTHER TIPS:
- Save hangers from all your purchases throughout the year to use for your garage sales.
- Save the plastic bags you get from grocery stores to bag up customers items.
- Allow plenty of time to organize and price. This year I was SO busy that I procrastinated until the last minute.
- Keep a "running box or tote" labeled 'Garage Sale'. Throughout the year you can dump all the items you want to sell into these boxes so they're all ready to be priced when the time comes.
- Get plenty of change before the sale. People will pay with 20 dollar bills and you'll need to break them so that you can make the sale. If you don't have it, you may lose your sale!!!
- Have plenty of hands on deck. My only rule about joining me in the city wide sale is that you have to work it with me. One person is adding up the sale total for a customer while the other is bagging it up. Many hands make for light work!!!
- Plan a lunch that you and your helpers will be eating. Divide and conquer. One person bring stuff for sandwiches, the other brings sides, the other brings dessert. You'll need to eat because this is hard work!!!
- Have a plan B for if the weather is bad. If it rains, your stuff needs a new location. Clear out your actual garage for fast location change of your stuff!
- PRICE TO SELL!!
-Bullets suck! I can't figure those suckers out.
-I need an iced chai REALLY bad right now.
-I did not and am not proof reading this stinker. I've got two kids in my face about going outside!!!
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