Garage Sale tips are on the agenda today. It will soon be spring and that, to me, is the best garage sale season of all. But now is the time to get ready for your garage sale (yard or tag sale)! I have some tips and tricks to have a successful garage sale…the best one ever!
Garage Sale Tips and Tricks
Garage sale, yard sale, tag sale – I know we all call them something different depending on where we live; but it is all basically the same thing. A garage sale is a wonderful way to purge your home of items you no longer need or use and make some money to boot. Win!
There are a few things you can do to go from a good yard sale to an amazing one! I am going to share what’s worked for us in the past so you can implement them in your next sale!
We are getting read for our annual spring garage sale. I love to shop thrifty and yard sales are great for that too. BUT I have never found an easier way to make a little side cash than a good old fashioned garage sale. So what can you do to have a bigger, better and more profitable garage sale? I’m so glad you asked!
10 Tips for The Best Garage Sale Ever!
Garage Sale Tip #1 – Plan Ahead
If you want to have a spring yard sale then you should start planning it in the winter. Sure you can throw together of last minute sale, I’ve done that too. But for the BEST garage sale you want time to plan.
- Pick a date, put it on the calendar and plan around it. Depending on how much clutter you have to clean out, it could take several weeks or even months to get yourself ready. That’s ok!
- See if your area or neighborhood does annual or semi-annual garage sale. These group tag sales will bring bigger crowds which is a better opportunity for you to make money.
- Find out if your city or town requires a permit to hold a tag sale.
Garage Sale Tip #2 – Make a Collection Area
- Use 1/2 of your garage or a spare room in your house (if you can) to collect and organize what you’ll be selling at your garage sale.
- Organize items into groups like kitchen items, books, clothing, etc. This will make set-up on the day of your yard sale much faster.
Garage Sale Tip #3 – Get Volunteers
- It is so much easier to have a great yard sale when you have a helper or 2.
- Normally this will be your spouse and maybe your kids but if you’re single ask a few friends to help. Make sure to offer friends some food / treats / drinks for their time. You could consider offering your garage sale volunteers a set percentage of the profits as well.
- Can you yard sale volunteers help you with the pre-sale organization? Even better!
Garage Sale Tip #4 – Make Sure Everything Is Priced
- There are 2 schools of thought here. One says price high so people can haggle. The other says ask what you want because some people just want to buy without negotiating. I tend to fall a little in the middle. Most shoppers want to walk away feeling like that got a deal so give yourself some wiggle room in the prices.
- Price as you go. As your organizing and going through your rooms to find items to sell, price them right away.
- Make sure price tags are visible and shoppers don’t have to search for them.
- If you’re unsure what to price something check for similar items on Craigslist and Ebay.
- Yard Sale Kit with Pricing Labels
Garage Sale Tip #5 – Advertise Your Yard Sale
- You really don’t need a newspaper ad anymore.
- Find local groups on Facebook to post your yard sale. If you don’t feel comfortable putting your exact address you can ask people to message you for it but that does make more work for you.
- Announce it on your personal social media.
- Add it to your local Craigslist with a few pictures of choice items.
- Post flyers at your local library.
- The day of, put out clean, easy to read signs with LARGE print.
Garage Sale Tip #6 – Organizing The Sales Area
Keep your yard sale area neat and easy for shoppers to see what is available. Group like items together.
- Clothes with clothes – clothes are best seen and sold if they are hung up. Try hanging a heavy rope between trees or in your garage door area to hang the clothes. You can also invest in a garment rack. If not make sure everything is neatly folded on a table.
- Books with books – consider offering discounts when multiple books are purchased.
- Household goods
- Kitchen
- Bathroom
- Etc
Garage Sale Tip #6 – Cash and Cashier & Help
- Have a designated cashier for your garage sale so you can be in with the shoppers.
- Make sure you have plenty of small bills for change. You may want a way to check large bill for counterfeits (it happens). You can buy a Money Marker for this.
- Do not work your garage sale alone. In addition to a cashier you want 2 – 4 people “working” the crowd and sadly watching for thieves.
Garage Sale Tip #7 – Free Stuff
I like to have a box of freebies available at my garage sale. This is the stuff I don’t feel like haggling over, may be missing pieces or need repair. I rarely have any of it left.
Garage Sale Tip #8 – Refreshments
You might want to consider offering some drinks and snacks at a reasonable price; it will keep people shopping your yard sale longer! This is a great job for the kids to man. Here are a few ideas that have worked for us:
- Donuts
- Water bottles
- Coffee
- Hot Chocolate
- If you’re really ambitious you could do grilled hot dogs (I saw this once but never have tried it personally).
Garage Sale Tip #9 – Don’t Bring It Back In
Have a plan for leftovers when the yard sale is over. Many companies will come and pick up your yard sale leftover items at a specified time. So make that plan in advance and do not bring the clutter back into your home.
The only caveat to that is if you are planning to have a 2nd day or 2nd weekend to your tag sale.
Garage Sale Tip #10 – Where is the Money Going?
I always like to have a goal in mind for the money we make at our tag sales. Maybe savings for a vacation, a new couch, home repairs, etc. But a goal and a plan makes all the prep work and sales worth it!
I hope these tips give you the confidence to have a yard sale, no matter what you goals for the money. I love to have the once or twice a year to keep the clutter down around the house.
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