Having a Successful Garage $ale

Whether your not sure about putting a Garage sale together or have already made up your mind, I hope that these suggestions are helpful.

I've had a few garage sales in my day and the first few were not very successful. Didn't make much more then $30 and had tons of stuff left over. I began to doubt if it was even worth the effort. What could I do to make my sales more successful? I started out by going to other garage sales and gathering information. I found out that there are several things that can make or break your sale.

When planning your sale, check to see if where you live does a 'community sale' type of weekend. Sometimes they have flyers that list the addresses of places that are participating or you may have to put a few signs up.

Holiday weekends are NOT good times. People are busy, places to go, things to do. I know a lot of people have their sale then but how much traffic do they really get? Do you have the time or desire to go to garage/yard sales on a holiday weekend?

When deciding on a date, keep in mind that you may have to change your plans if it rains. Even if you have all the items under cover, very few people want to be out in the rain. Put this info on your signs to let people know. Nothing is more frustrating then showing up for a sale and discovering there isn't one.

Many times people will try to come before the time you've decided on. It's up to you whether or not you will allow 'early sales'. These people are usually looking for things they that can resell. They are looking for specific items and can tell at a glance if there is anything of interest to them. I don't allow 'early sales' and say so on my signs and in any ads I place, but as I said it's up to you. When it comes to deciding on the time, I've found that 8 am is a good time to open. In the summer months it's still cooler out in the mornings and I've found that most people will want to get out early to avoid 'the heat' of later in the day. I close the sale right around 3 pm. I've found that not many, if any, people are out after that.

Your signs and/or ad/s should clearly state dates, times and place. In ads I try to list the types of items that will be for sale. Ex ~ Women/Men/Kids clothing with size range. Household/kitchen items Tools Toys Sometimes papers will run sale ads for free. Don't forget to check out placing ads in those little papers that local businesses hand out or are 'free' in the machines.

Don't put to much on your signs as this will make them hard to read. Think about posting flyers at local stores, Community Centers or Churches (remember to ask first if they allow it). Bright colored poster board/copy paper will get your sign/flyer noticed. Larger print makes them easier to read. Don't forget about having a sign on your property as well. Check with City Hall on where you can or cannot post signs in your Community. Having your signs taken down doesn't do you any good. Most allow them a week before until a last day of the sale and remember to take them down after the sale is over. Use permanent black marker and a clear plastic to wrap them in (in case of rain). I find that the drop clothes you use for painting work well, just make sure their clear. I completely wrap my signs, over lapping on the back and use Duct tape. Make sure the wrap is as tight as you can get it and all seams are sealed.

Start saving newspapers and bags for what people buy. Have a calculator for adding up items. Make sure you have small bills and change everyday of your sale. I use a shoe box with cardboard dividers as a cash box. Any larger bills (10's & 20's) are kept in my pocket. Don't leave your younger (under 10 or so) kids in charge. If you have toddlers, arrange for someone to keep an eye on them during the sale. Pets, like dogs, should be kept away from the sale area. Lots of people are afraid of dogs and will just leave without even looking no matter how 'friendly' your dog is. I keep mine in the house and let them out to do their thing several times during the sale when no one is there.

Be realistic. What would you pay for an item and consider it a deal? If an item will sell for $3 and you have $5 on it but no one buys it, you haven't made a dime. The more you sell the more you make. Consider things like $1 a piece or 6 for $5 (amounts are examples) on similar items like clothing, books, puzzles and knick knacks. Using a general price list makes it easier too. List things like pants $xx shirts $xx books $xx and post them around the sale area. If you have items that don't fall into a category state 'other items priced as marked' This will save you from marking each and every item.

If possible, hang clothes. This makes them much easier for people to see everything and will save you from having to straighten up piles. Group them by size and type (woman/men/kids). Retail stores do this for a reason, to make it easier for the customer to find what they want, so should you. You can make these using plastic plumbing pipes and some rope.

For items on a table, don't crowd them up. Similar items should be grouped together. Put a table cloth over the table to make it attractive. Books/movies are best in a box, spine up and all the same direction. The box should be only 1 to 2 inches shorter then the books. And don't cram them in so tightly that they are hard to get out. Puzzle boxes need to be taped shut to avoid spills and can also be put into boxes. Most have a picture of the puzzle on at least one side, same as with the books don't cram.

I only put large items on the floor. Everything else goes on a table of some sort. A 1/2 piece (lengthwise) of Plywood on sawhorses works well. Bending down digging through things is not my idea of shopping, why would I think others want to.

Don't put your 'station' at the back. You need to be the first and last thing people see. Again, like a retail store, sometimes items are seen on the way out that catch the eye. I always put the clothing at the back so people have to walk through to get to it. Your area shouldn't be crowded. Have space for people to be able to move, how many times have you been at the store and avoided an aisle that was crowded with lots of people? If you have lots of stuff consider having a second sale in about 4 weeks if need be.

Successful sales take a bit of work on your part but in the end are worth it. I've made over $300 with some of my sales and that isn't bad pay for about 12 to 18 hours work.