Garage Sales

A garage sale gives you the opportunity to clear your home of unwanted goods and make some money in the process. This month we will provide you with some helpful tips to ensure your garage sale is a successful one.

by HSM Staff

The first step in having a garage sale is setting a date. Generally, you want to give yourself a minimum of one week to set up for your sale, but you may need more or less. Talk with your neighbors and come up with a date that works for everyone. Advertising a "multi-family garage sale" or "neighborhood garage sale" will encourage more people to stop and check out the merchandise that's for sale. Take out an ad in your local paper or list it for free on Craigslist to notify the public of the date and times of your garage sale as well as the type of merchandise for sale.

Search your home for things that you don't need or no longer use. Look through the closets, basement, and other storage areas of your home and you are bound to find a cache of items that you can easily do without. If you haven't used an item in three years, you should sell it. Remember to purge your bookshelves of knick knacks and unread books too.

Once you have gathered your items, clean, inspect, and test your items. Clean items sell better and for more money than dirty ones. Inspect your items for damage- you can still sell a damaged item, but make a notation of the damage on the item's price tag and reduce the price. Test electrical and battery powered items to see if they work. If an item works, include on the tag "works". If an item does not work, mark it "doesn't work" and price it accordingly- someone may still buy it anyway. Place fresh batteries in all items that require them and have an extension cord available to test electrical ones for your customers.

Put a price tag on everything that you are selling. Think about the condition of the product and place a reasonable price on it. You may want to price items a higher if you want to leave a little negotiating room. Alternately, if you are firm on a price, state so on the price tag. Pricing your items will prevent people from constantly asking you for prices- some people will not even bother to ask for a price and will instead just put the item down.

Set up your sale like a retailer would. Put large items on the lawn where they are visible from the street to draw in customers and make your displays attractive. Make your sale shoppable by ensuring that the aisles between tables are wide enough for your shoppers and by not placing items underneath the tables. Utilize lighting in dark garages so that your items are easily visible. Make safety a priority by taping down cords, removing sharp objects, and keeping the aisles free of clutter. Keep valuables safe by using a display case to house them; place a sign on it that reads "ask for assistance" and put it near your cashier's station where you can keep an eye on it. Remember to include a sign indicating the types of payments that you will accept at your check out area too.

Obtain all of the materials to run your garage sale. You will need about $25 in one and five dollar bills as well as a roll of quarters to give proper change- remember to keep your money in a fanny pack that you will wear or in a lock box. Have a calculator on hand for making calculations. Save newspaper and plastic bags to wrap and bag merchandise. Prepare for bad weather by having plastic handy to cover items that are outdoors. Make or purchase all of your signage to promote your sale.

On the day(s) of your garage sale, remember to be friendly. Greet your customers and strike up a conversation. You will make them feel welcome and make you more approachable when they have questions. Remember, a smile and good eye contact are always good for business- good luck!

Tip: If you are selling large items and you have access to a truck, offer delivery services for a small fee- remember to place a sign indicating that delivery is available.

Tip
It may seem silly, but having a garage sale requires a great deal of motivation. It can be a long, tiring process of clearing out closets, cleaning, organizing, and tagging. To help you to keep your drive, set a goal. Decide exactly how much money you would like to generate from the sale and on what you will spend it. Keep that goal in mind throughout the entire process and you will find yourself to be more motivated.

FYI
The World's Longest Yard Sale, known as the 127 Corridor Sale, runs for 630 Miles- from Defiance, Ohio to Gadsden, Alabama. The 2008 sale will begin on Thursday, August 7th and run through Sunday, August 10th. For more information visit the official website of the 127 Corridor Sale.

What's the Difference?
Everyone has seen a garage sale, yard sale, estate sale, barn sale, or tag sale advertised somewhere before, but do you know what makes each one unique?

Garage sale- An informal marketplace of unwanted items from the home held in a garage, but may also include the driveway and lawn.
Yard sale- A garage sell minus the garage.
Estate sale- A sale that usually includes all the contents of a home.
Barn sale- A garage sale that is held within a large outbuilding or barn. Often held on farms, barn sales will often include large items for sell.
Tag sale- Usually denotes merchandise of a higher quality at reasonable prices. Items at a tag sale are typically sold inside the home as opposed to the garage or yard.

Advertising Your Garage Sale

Truth in advertising- Don't advertise your sale as "huge" if it isn't.
Promote what you are selling- You will attract sellers that are interested in your wares by promoting the types of items you have for sale: antiques, furniture, tools, children's toys, clothing, etc.
Number of participants- You will generate more traffic by noting how many families are participating in sales on your street or neighborhood. Many people will not take the time to stop at a single garage sale, but will stop if there are several to shop.
Network- Be sure to pass the word about other garage sales in your neighborhood and have your neighbors return the favor. You may even have flyers drawn up with a list of their locations to hand out.
Signage- Put up signs the day of your sale and attach balloons, flags, windsocks, or other items that will draw attention to them. Include on your signs the date(s) and times of your sale, address, number of participants, types of items for sale, and directional arrows. Remember to use large, easy to read print and remove signs promptly after your sale is over. Note on your signs "no early birds" if you do not want people stopping in before your sale starts.

Merchandise and Merchandising

Try to include a variety of items that appeal to a wide range of individuals.
Many people will cruise by your sale to decide if it's worth their while to stop. Draw them in by placing large items on the yard or driveway where they are more visible (furniture items usually work well).
Place plywood between tables to increase your display area.
Place items in boxes or containers that are the same price: a 25¢, 50¢, $1.00 bin, etc.
Use blankets to display books on the lawn so that their covers are visible.
Offer promotions for multiple purchases.
Have a "free" box for things that you just want to get rid of.
Rearrange items as you sell down merchandise to keep it looking fresh.
Reduce your prices in the afternoon or on the last day of your sale not before. If someone offers less than you are willing to accept for an item, invite them back later in the afternoon or on the last day of the sale to see if it's still available.

Green Tip of the Month
Garage saling is earth-friendly. By selling an item you no longer want to someone that does, keeps it out of a land-fill. So, feel good about stuffing all of that green into your pockets!