Hosting a garage or yard sale will always earn you some money, but with these top 5 tips you could be making more money than you ever have before.
Tip 1 - Proactive Promotion
Don't wait until the last minute to throw up some cardboard signs stuck to a lawn chair by the side of the road. 2 weeks before the sale weekend put an ad in your local paper. List the information on local, free posting sites. Let family and friends know what you have coming so they can invite their family and friends.
Make A frame, free standing signs, to put on street corners with directional arrows and hours to set out the night before.
The good thing about this is, even if you skimp on the street signs, if you get some sort of ad in the community paper...your yard sale will be packed. IF you don't schedule it on a special event or Holiday weekend.
Tip 2 - Be Eclectic Electric
Go through every room in your home. From attic to basement. The wider the assortment of goodies to sell the more buyers you will attract. Get those drive-buyers to stop by displaying something for everyone. Gadgets for the men, video games and toys for the kids, kitchen ware for the women. The wider the variety of items the greater percentage of buyers.
Tip 3 - Be Over Organized
Group those baby clothes in outfits. Color code your glassware with tall in the back and small in front. Come up with some appealing display ideas. Bright table clothes or balloons to draw attention to specific items. Think like a shop owner because for one weekend you are. If it's dirty - wipe it down. If it's wrinkled - straighten it out. If it's tarnished - polish it.
Tip 4 - Be Seller Savvy
Mark prices on your items with the expectation of being offered a lower price. Tag all items clearly to avoid the give away mentality when things get busy and you can't think fast enough for a fair price.
Start your drastic reductions closer to the end of the event rather than accepting that first low ball offer. It is a yard sale, not a yard free for all.
Keep the early vultures away. These guys are the garage sale experts, showing up before you have opened your yard to
shoppers:00 a.m. Their scanning for the best of what you have.
They'll try to swoop in first and pile up all the stuff they want to try and buy it all with 1 bulk offer. Don't buy into their strategy it's to early in the morning for that. Make them come up in price more than you go down.
Tip 5 - Keep Super Safe
Keep the house closed to strangers. Don't allow anyone to use your bathroom or try on an outfit in your house.
Accept cash only, most shoppers expect that anyway. Keep your money close in an apron or fanny pack. Recruit friends to help keep an eye on things.
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Sue Krippner is a Professional Interior Re-designer and Organizer and has coordinated community yard sales for herself and clients. There is no better way to begin a design project by making money while you declutter. To get a no cost Garage Sale Report packed with even more helpful tips to make sure you have the most profitable yard sale ever visit:
http://www.frugalhomedesign.com/yardsale.html
