Holding a Garage SaleA garage sale is one of the great ways to cut down on
volume of items that have to be moved. Plus, they can put a few extra dollars in
your pocket and at the same time give you a chance to start saying goodbye to
your neighbors.
Old clothes, toys, furniture and many other items can be sold in
garage sales and anything that doesn't sell can be donated to a local charity.
(But let's face it, a lot of stuff that was once – but no longer –
important to you may just have to be thrown out.)
Here are a few tips for holding a successful garage sale.
Preparation is Everything
Successful garage sales are not
held spur of the moment. You'll need time to organize, price and perhaps clean
up the items you hope to sell. You should select a sale date well in advance,
at least two to three weeks. Weekends and Friday afternoons are popular garage
sale dates, but check the calendar to ensure your planned date doesn't conflict
with a holiday, or special event in your community.
If you know your neighbors well or have relatives nearby, you may wish
to hold a joint sale with them. More sale items on display will attract more "drive
by" customers to stop and shop.
Pricing Your Items
First-time garage sale holders will
often overprice their goods, for sentimental reasons, and less frequently, under
price items that may be collectable. Before you set your prices, you should
visit other garage sales to get a feel for prices (but try to resist buying
anything for yourself). Be realistic when pricing your items. You may also wish
to review pricing on Internet auction sites such as eBay if you have an item
that seems rare or collectable.
After setting your prices, you should purchase self-adhesive or tie-on
tags at an office supply store and affix a tag to each item with the price
clearly displayed. Ensure that the tags are firmly attached. If you are holding
a joint garage sale, remember keep a log of items sold or mark price tags with
seller's initials to ensure you fairly split the proceeds of the sale.
Garage sales tend to bring out the haggler in everyone, even the
seller. Don't be offended if you find buyers hoping to bargain with you –
its can be an enjoyable part of the sale. Hold firm if you're confident about
selling your goods, but be prepared to come down in price if you really want to
get rid of an item, especially as your sale comes to a close.
Advertise for Success
Even on busy streets, you can't
count on a driveway full of furniture and sales table to get traffic to stop.
Ask your Real Living Sales Professional about the availability of attractive,
functional garage sale signs, or buy a few from a local hardware store.
If local ordinances allow, you should put signs at busy corners to
guide shoppers to your sale. When posting the signs, be sure to write the date,
hours and address in the largest letters the sign can handle – if it can't
be read in a few seconds, many drivers will miss it.
Grocery stores, convenience stores, Laundromats and other locations
often allow shoppers to post garage sale notices, as well as schools and
community centers. In some communities, sites like Craigslist.org can be a
good, free source for garage sale advertising.
If you're selling a large number of items and hope for large proceeds,
you may wish to buy advertising in a local paper. Be sure to compare the cost
of the advertising with the likely sales income before you invest in an ad.
Think Safety
Remember, there are strangers – and
hopefully lots of them – who are going to be coming to your house. Do not
allow strangers to go inside your house to use the bathroom, use the telephone
or get a drink of water. If your children have their friends over, keep them
outside as well. Make sure you have your keys and lock the doors of your house
while you're outside. You and your spouse or close friend should both be tending
to the sale at all times. Keep a well charged cell phone in your pocket so you
can call out if case of an emergency.
Success on Sale Day
In the days before your sale, keep an
eye on the weather forecast, and if absolutely necessary, reschedule it. On the
day of your sale, ensure all your signs are up, and park your own vehicles far
from your driveway to allow parking for shoppers.
It's usually a good practice to have a cash-only policy, unless the
buyer a particular item is someone you know. If you are only accepting cash,
you should note this prominently near the garage sale sign in front of your
house, and again near your sale items.
Depending upon the number of items you have for sale and your pricing,
you'll need a varying amount of change. Ensure you have a good supply of $1,
$5, $10, and perhaps $20 bills. While $50 in change should be enough, you may
wish to have more on hand.
Keep a close eye on your money, and store it in a firm box or banker's
envelope. Ideally, two persons should supervise the sale – one to answer
questions and deal with shoppers, and one to handle the money. Don't forget
that you'll need to take breaks from time to time, and ensure that you have a
place to sit down and rest.
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