Yard sale season is in full swing! Whether you are looking to declutter your home or need to make some quick cash, holding a yard sale is great way to do both. Having a yard sale can seem a little daunting especially if you haven’t held one before, but if you follow these tips, you will be off to a great start!
Choose the right day and time. The most popular day for a yard sale is Saturday but if you have a lot of stuff to sell, you could make your sale into a two-day event. As far as time, the earlier you start, the better. Most extreme yard sale shoppers like to get to the sales super early to ensure they get the best bargains and selection. After looking into the best time to start you sale, statistics showed 7:00 AM!
Think about hosting a pre-sale. The night before your yard sale, invite friends and family over to shop. The more you sell at your pre-sale, the less you will have to drag out the next day.
Put visible price tags on all of your items. Shoppers are more likely to buy if they don’t have to ask for the price of something. It is easier for the shopper and whoever is helping you with the sale to know the exact cost of that awesome Snuggie that’s still in the box.
Take the sentimental value out. When you are considering what price sticker you want to attach to that sweater your great grandma gave you, remember that shoppers aren’t going to pay more for something just because it has sentimental value to you. I know the sweater may be like new and your great grandma is no longer with us, but try your hardest to price things realistically and for what they are actually worth.
Create stand-out signage. Use old cardboard boxes and some cheap neon paint or thick permanent markers. Just make sure your sign is legible and has the date, time and address all included. I can’t tell you how many times I see a yard sale sign with an arrow, then I follow the arrow, then never see another sign in sight after that. Think about placement and of course, if you can hang your signs at a busy intersection, that would be a great place to start.
Don’t forget your selling accessories! A few important things to have is change, plastic grocery bags to help shoppers haul away their new found treasures and something like an apron or fanny pack to keep your cash on you.
Anything you’d like to add? What are some of the things you did when holding a successful yard sale?
Great tips – I’d add to be sure to get your newspaper ad in early – I’m having a sale tomorrow but forgot to do that till the last minute – lost Thurs advertising because of it!
You can also enhance your sales by adding a lemonade stand – great project to get the kids involved
Oh yes, I forgot to mention advertising. Putting a free ad on Craigslist is another option..I find myself checking there if I am looking for a yard sale in my neighborhood.
Good ideas, especially the sentimental, though that is a hard one.
I mostly participate when it is a “neighborhood” one. This is good for the buyer and seller – more places to go, more customers, group advertising…
Also, don’t be surprised if people come before your set time, even if it is very early. You need to decide whether to allow them to shop or tell them it has not started.
I think it helps to have an idea of what is the lowest you’ll accept for an item since people tend to haggle. Some people reduce the prices towards the end. I personally would rather donate it if I feel “taken”, but am happy to let someone have it for a good price if they really need or want it.
Very good advice! I agree with the sentimental part, that is really difficult to sometimes let go of something. And yes, those eager shoppers do like to arrive early, no matter what time you start!
A calculator!!!!!!! I had my first ever garage sale with a start time of 7. So I wake up at like 6:40 drag myself out of bed throw on some clothes and brush my hair. I open my garage door and there’s a car parked outside and a woman jumps out ready to start shopping! AHHH! So I start hollering for my husband to get up and come help me, to no avail. The woman offers to help so we’re carrying tables out to the parking pad and mind you it is still very dark out. By then there are 6 shoppers going crazy already and I almost die when I realize I don’t have a calculator. I sprint inside, drag hubby out of bed to floor it to the nearest gas station to buy one. A woman takes pity on me and gives me hers, God bless her. So needless to say, please add calculor (or 2) to your list! It’s not hard to add up 4 or 5 items but if someone is basically buying every piece of jewelry you put out, and there are 5 impatient people waiting for their turn to pay, your mind just stops working. Also, I agree, advertising on craigslist, facebook, garage sale sites, etc is essential #1 in this social age.
You know, I actually forgot to add calculators to the list! That is definitely a must- especially in your situation! Yikes! Thanks for the tip