12 Key Tips For a Successful Yard Sale

It’s time for spring cleaning, getting rid of all your clutter, and having a clean, clutter free home this summer. It’s the perfect time for a yard sale. Here are some tips to help you get started. So clear out the house, have fun, and make some money for summer fun.

1. Planning Is Key

   Don’t decide to have a yard sale tomorrow. Planning is the key to selling as much as possible. If you regularly have yard sales set a space aside where you can store items such as a closet, the attic, or basement. Price each article as you put it away, and when you have your yard sale you will be well organized.

2. More Than One Day

   Hold your sale over at least a two day period. If you have time, three is better. Include a Friday, when you might get fewer but more serious shoppers, along with the weekend.

3. Be Objective
   

   Go through your whole house-including closets, attic, basement, bookshelves, as objectively as possible and list whatever you don’t need. Remember the things you once enjoyed but no longer need will be useful to someone else.

4. What Sells?

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   Wooden chairs and tables, lamps, wicker baskets, lawn and garden furniture, lawn and garden tools, overcoats, appliances, and cutlery all sell well. Old toys and dolls may be collector’s items, so if they are in good shape, don’t give them away. Campy is chic these days so get out those old ties and hats, old bowling shirts, club pins, and celebrity mementos.

5. Be Reasonable

   Put a reasonable price on everything. Try to assess each item objectively, but don’t price anything too low. If you give the impression the goods are of no value to you, shoppers will doubt their worth, too. Besides you want to leave room for bargaining, and you may want to lower prices on the last day. If you have furniture for sale, visit antique stores to see what they charge for similar items and lower yours 25% to 40%. Visit thrift stores to get an idea of how much to charge for other items.

6. Advertise

   Make up a flyer that contains pertinent information; your address with a map if necessary, the days and hours of the sale, the type of merchandise, and any big ticket items that might attract visitors. Photo it onto brightly colored paper and post at grocery stores, on church and school bulletin boards, and telephone poles and street signs around your neighborhood, with arrows pointing toward your house. A two day ad should pay for itself if you have a substantial amount of merchandise.

7. Organize Smartly
   

   Display similar items together and leave room so people can move around freely. If you don’t have a portable coat rack, borrow one. It’s easier to sell dresses, coats, and other long garments if they are hanging. Other clothes should be folded neatly on a table. If you can, set up a full length mirror. Sell knickknacks at the cashiers table and set up a sign,” All items on this table 25 cent.”

8. Create a Friendly Atmosphere

   Talk to your customers. Have fun. Set up a refreshment table and offer ice water. Or sell soft drinks, apples or easy-to-prepare-snacks like popcorn. Mothers or fathers with happy popcorn crunching children will shop longer.

9. Enlist Some Help

   Even a small sale requires three workers, someone to man the till, someone to circulate among customers, and someone to relieve the other workers, fetch things from the house, and run errands.

10. Keep The Change

    Have plenty of change and small bills. You don’t want to turn away a customer because you can’t change a $20.00 bill.

11. Beware of Peekers

    Beware of people looking for more than you’re selling. Keep your curtains closed and your doors locked during your sale. Leave no more than $50 in the till. Accept cash only.

12. Don’t Keep Leftovers

    Box up what you don’t sell and put it back in your yard sale area for the next time, or if you want it out of the house, donate it to a thrift store. Deduct the value of these goods from your taxes.