Many years ago, we got together with a third couple and organized a combined garage sale.
We started very early on a Saturday bolstered with hot coffee and a box of donuts. Everything was priced and
labeled (different colors for each of the 3 couples), and by noon almost everything was sold.
We were excited
to see all our old stuff recycled to new homes and very happy with our new found cash. And we were starved so
we took our garage sale earnings and headed to our favorite neighborhood gathering spot. The burgers were the
best, the drinks were cold and thirst-quenching, and we celebrated a successful yard sale. Of course the
celebration dipped heavily into our earnings, but what better way to reward our hard work.
A Few Weeks in Advance:
Obtain used empty boxes.
Begin going through each room, closet and drawer and fill empty boxes with items you no longer use. (Remember: if you haven't used it in 6 months, you probably don’t need it.)
Clean, polish, iron or otherwise make the items look as nice looking as possible. The better the condition, the higher the price you will receive.
Wrap fragile items in previously read newspapers.
Seal boxes up and store until you set the date for the garage sale.
Set the date for the garage sale.
Check your municipality's and homeowners' rules and regulations regarding garage sales. Obtain any necessary permits and know the rules regarding posting signs.
A Week in Advance:
Determine the starting time of your sale. (Tip: People who attend garage sales like to start early, so take that into consideration when setting the time for the sale.)
Inform your neighbors of the added traffic they may expect on the day of the garage sale and apologize for any inconvenience. Invite them to the sale!
Determine the ending time for your sale. (Tip: Typically 4 - 5 hours is plenty of time.)
Place your ad in an inexpensive newspaper, on community bulletin boards and in any on-line media for your area, (Tip: Consider going together with friends or neighbors and split the price of a garage sale ad.)
Purchase colored round labels. (Usually you can get a whole packet at a dollar store for only $1.) Use larger signs to advertise price for bigger items.
Obtain money you can use for change. (Tip: get more than you think you will need.)
Purchase or borrow a counterfeit marker if you will have items for sale that may be purchased with $50 or $100 bills.
Borrow tables from friends or family.
OK, this is the hardest part. Open the boxes of stuff you are selling at the garage sale and DON'T put anything back in your house.
Price your items and REMEMBER this is a garage sale and most items should be priced at 10% - 25% of their original price.
You use 'green' bags for your shopping, so if you have friends who haven't converted to reusable bags, see if they have any plastic bags to place sold items in for purchasers.
A Day Before:
If you are lucky enough to have a secure prep area, set up you tables the day before.
Organize like things together on your tables.
Secure dangerous items (like knives) so people won't cut or hurt themselves.
Make sure EVERYTHING is priced.
The Day Of:
Be ready to start your sale at least 30 minutes before the advertised time.
If you have to move the tables to a different location in the morning, remove breakable items first and ask a friend or relative to help.)
Leave pets in the house or in a fenced back yard
Arrange your most interesting items closest to the street.
Have a calculator handy.
Be ready to check large bills with your counterfeit marker.
Keep your money in a container with a lid and guard it at all times.
Ask other family members to mingle within the people at your garage sale to make sure items don’t disappear without being paid for.
Don't accept checks unless you know the person.
If you are selling anything that uses electricity or batteries, make sure you can show that the item works.
Don't bargain for the first 30 – 60 minutes. Tell the potential buyer that you will only negotiate if the item remains after that period of time.
After an hour, reorganize the items that remain and start dropping prices. After another hour, reorganize again and drop prices further. Continue this procedure until the end of the sale.
Box up any remaining items and take it directly to a charity.
