Tips for a Successful Yard Sale

Now that it’s springtime, garage/yard sales are in full bloom and due to the slacking economy, yard sales are big on ways to make a little extra money this year. Americans are trying to minimize the effects of the recession and every little bit helps, so after spring cleaning, it natural to sell off extra stuff and make a little cash in the process. But don’t be fooled, even though they may be popular, garage/yard sales are hard work. So the best thing to do is plan ahead and strategize your sale from the beginning. Here are several tips I’ve accumulated over the years that can help you have a successful garage/yard sale.

1. First, find out if there any regulations regarding having yard sales in your neighborhood. Some cities require permits, while others set limits on how many yard sales their residents are allowed to hold a year.

2. Advertise: Place ads in your local newspaper, community bulletin boards or at supermarkets. If there are no laws restricting them, put up signs in your neighborhood. Make good quality signs with a strong permanent marker (Sharpies always work well), on cardboard or poster paper. Always use black ink, nothing else, because other colors are just too hard to read. Write out yard sale in upper case so that it stands out and place arrows to direct customers to your address. You can also place announcements on city or local internet community websites or on craigslist.com.

3. Neighborhood yard sales: another good way to have a great turn out for your sale is to ask your neighbors if they want to hold a neighborhood or group-yard sale together. You can then split the cost of advertising in a newspaper and people are more eager to check out several sales going on at a time.

4. Clear your yard and driveway! Sweep and rake away rocks or gravel or anything on your property that somebody might trip on. The last thing you need is to have somebody fall and get hurt at your yard sale, so clean up those walkways.

5. Price everything accordingly: Make sure you put a price on every item, because people usually hate asking how much things are. They would rather see the price up front, even if they want to haggle with you about it. Plus, fairly price your items. Ask yourself this at the beginning of your sale, do you want to make a lot of money or get rid of the item? Set high prices early and as the day progresses, you can always price things down.

6. Keep your money in a secure place either in a fanny bag by your side or if in a money box, keep in a safe location inside the house. I think it’s best to keep it in a fanny pack and with you at all times. This way you have your money with you while you assist customers without having to worry about it.

7. Always have extra bags on hand. Stock up on grocery bags a couple of weeks prior to your sale. You can also offer them to customers who didn’t get them at perhaps other sales if there is a group sale going on.

8. Over the years, there have been two rules according to garage/yard sales faithful regarding whether prefer arrangements displayed neatly or aisles of clutter. Some people seem to think that customers like scrounging for hidden treasures in piles of junk, but if you ask me, neatness counts. The most successful sales that I’ve hold, I had arranged things neatly, making it easier for customers to locate items. Also make sure the items are cleaned and dust free. Cleanliness always helps to make a sale more appealing.

9. Refreshments sell: many of my neighbors sell refreshments along with their yard sales, generating large turnouts. One neighbor of mine loads up on hotdogs from either Costco or Wal-Mart and sodas from a dollar store and resells them for a dollar and fifty cents. She gets enormous crowds and makes out a hefty profit from both the refreshments and the yard sale. If this sounds too much for you, then you can stock up on chilled water bottles and sell them for a dollar a piece.

10. And finally have enough change on you. Have twenty five one dollar bills and thirty dollars worth of five dollar bills, and a few tens. If you have things priced at 25. cents, then you’ll need a roll of quarters, a roll of dimes and a roll of nickels. Having enough will save you from having to make a change run at the bank or market.

Of course the main thing to do is have fun at your yard sale and planning ahead will make things easier for you as well. The less you have to worry about, the more productive your sale will be and hopefully these tips will help you have a successful yard sale.