Over the weekend we finally had our yard sale. In the process of decluttering as we were moving, we realized our new location would be perfect for a yard sale, and, since we were moving to Eugene without jobs lined up, we would need any extra cash we could get. We packed all our sale boxes up and moved with them (obviously, if you are in a good location I would recommend doing this BEFORE moving). As we were unpacking, we set even more stuff aside once we realized we didn't need it in our new place. I spent a few weeks organizing our clutter and prepping our sale. We finally had it on Saturday. It went well and was definitely worth the work!
The one other yard sale I've helped with was the one I threw with my mom before I moved to Olympia in 2010. My sister and I went through our entire house, decluttering the bulk of our childhood toys and things I wouldn't be bringing with me when I permanently moved from home. We set up the garage and yard like a huge store (even filled the Volkswagen van with hundreds of books and called it the "bookmobile"), put up fun, colorful signs all over town and made major cash. Since this was my second successful yard sale, I now feel I'm a pro and thought I'd pass my advice along ;)
#1 Invite friends and neighbors to join
Really, the more stuff you have to sell, the better.
For us, it was the perfect way to introduce ourselves and get to know our neighbors.
*If your friends can't stay the whole day, have a system set up - whether it be scribbling in a notebook or color-coded dots - so you know what of their stuff is sold and how much you owe them at the end of the day.
#2 Gather your materials
Besides things to sell, you will need:
- Big sharpie and regular sharpies
- Neon poster board (or cardboard for signage)
- Price dots
- Price tags
#3 Price as much as you can ahead of time
I did a bunch of pricing the day before (if it's hot, don't put price stickers on items more than a day in advance or they might not come off easily.)
The morning of, those early-bird garage-salers WILL show up before you're ready. We had people lining up at 9:30, when we weren't "open" until 10. Kevin hadn't priced any of his electronics and books, expecting to have plenty of time during the day. Not the case at all.
People garage sale early. Expect the morning to be the busiest time for your sale, and be ready with those prices!
#4 Advertise!
Set up signs in your neighborhood, make flyers to post at coffee shops, grocery stores, schools (if not in the summer) and other community bulletin boards in your area. Although cardboard signs do work, brightly colored signs work better. Make them eye catching. If you stick with cardboard signs, try a bright colored paint to contrast, rather than a black sharpie. Don't forget to have a sign in your own yard that matches the signs you've been advertising with. I recommend posting the neighborhood signs a day or two before the sale at most, but you could post the flyers a few days in advance.
Check for your city's posting laws and post appropriately. You don't want to spend your time hanging signs just to have them taken down because you technically broke the law.
It's also good to post on Facebook and on the walls of any local groups you might belong to. Post a free ad on Craigslist the night before and include a few photos of the bigger items you're selling.
#5 Set up your cash box
It's also a good idea to have the following on hand:
- Pen and paper (you never know)
- Calculator
- Scotch tape
- Measuring tape
- Sharpie
- Extra price tags
#6 Design your sale like a store
- Try to have as many of your items up on tables, shelves, or, at the very least, flip a box upside down and use it as a table. People are more like to buy when things are displayed out in the open and off the ground. They won't really want to root through boxes (unless they are searching for well organized DVDs, CDs or books) and no one wants the crap you left on the ground.
- If you have a way to put your clothes on hangers and hang them on a rod or a line that would be best. We didn't have anything like that. At first our clothes were simply in a box labeled "clothes" and, obviously, no one was touching that. We then laid out a tarp in the grass to display our clothes by laying them out and instantly people started buying them. It wasn't the best way to display clothes, but it definitely worked better than leaving them in the box.
- Price everything. Many people (including myself) simply would choose not to buy over asking how much it costs. Make it easy for them.
- Have bags available. Paper, plastic, or even some canvas bags you don't need anymore. If people buy a lot, at least give them the option not to juggle their purchase to the car.
#7 Plan for the day
It's going to be a long day and there will probably be moments where you are sitting in your yard all by yourself. Bring a book or something you can easily drop when someone stops by. Kevin set up his mini speakers so we had music going in the afternoon. Also, everyone stopped by to take a look at this silly girl:
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| She hates us. |
Make sure you have sandwiches or leftovers ready for when you get hungry, or a helpful hubby to go snag you some takeout during the afternoon. Also, sunscreen! I regret to inform that I did not plan that one very well, but Kevin was smart and wore a hat all day.
Following these steps should make for a great turn out and hopefully make your efforts well worth it.
Happy Selling!
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