Garage Sale Tips And Tricks
One of the best things to change something in your life is to get rid of unnecessary, waste items. There are plenty of ways how you can do it. If your belongings are in a quite good condition, you can easily sell them and turn your unwanted clutter into cash. One of the best and the most working ways to do it is to organize a garage sale.
But if you do not know what you are doing and where to start, the idea of garage sale can turn into a strong headache and irritation for you. If you want to avoid frustration, you need to have a strong plan. A good garage plan is able to make your sale more successful. We’ve prepared some garage sale tips and tricks which may help you a lot. All you need is to follow all these tips from the beginning to the end. A well-thought garage plan can ensure the successful sale of your items. This means that you’ll earn more money at the end of the day.
So, we’ve divided our post into several parts:
- Garage Sell Planning
- Advertise As A Good Assistant For You Garage Sell
- Garage Sell Preparation
- Throwing You Garage Sell
All these garage tips, which are mentioned above, include several tricks, which are quite helpful for the garage sell organization. So, let’s start.
Garage Sell Planning
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Schedule It Right
The first step is to decide the date and day you are going to organize your garage sale. A traditional time garage sells is weekend mornings. If you want to have less competition, you need to consider a different time. A lot of people prefer Friday (because they have worked out Saturday ahead). Of course, you are free to choose the day which will fit personally to you. You can start garage selling from Wednesday till Saturday (in this case you’ll have higher chances to sell more, as well as to earn). A lot of people have their own plans for Friday and Saturday (as to meet their friends, do their rooms, cook something, etc). That is why experts recommend Sunday as the best day for sells. If it is possible, avoid too hot or frosty days. Firstly, you’ll get no pleasure from your sell. Secondly, nobody wants to wander around the street when the weather is too hot, windy, rainy or cold. Try to find a golden mean, by organizing your sale when the weather is moderate. It is considered that the best seasons for sale are spring and autumn. People won’t interrupt their day to attend your sale. That is why it will be better for you to start earlier because you’ll get a larger crowd.
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Decide What To Sell
Garage sells is the most comfortable way to sell your items and get rid of that one, which you do not use any more. Where to start? What should you do the first? Firstly, start with the small details. Take a big box and start every room examination. Go through every room in your house and pick up everything you do not need anymore. Place these items into the box. Don’t forget about your attics, garages, closets and storage boxes, because they are often the exact place where people used to store the things they do not use for months or more.
It is a good idea to place separate items (such as USB cables, cell phone chargers, accessories etc) into the separate box. It will be more comfortable for you to show them to people as well as to find or sell.
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Don’t Forget About The Permission
A lot of cities require special permission on the garage sale. That’s why you need to appeal to your local clerk to solve this problem. Also, check your town hall website. You can find “permits” or “civic responsibilities” section there. Apply for it in order to avoid shut down of your sale or penalty.
Advertise As A Good Assistant For You Garage Sell
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Newspaper Advertisement
One of the most important garages sell tips for selling your goods is preparing a newspaper advertisement. If you are aimed to attract a lot of visitors to your garage sale, it would be great for you to pay for some add in your local newspaper. Try to make your newspaper ad short and pointed (in order to save your costs and not pay for every out of place word). List only the biggest items you want to sell (as furniture, kid’s toys and more). At the end of your advertisement write your address and the date you are going to organize (start) your garage sale.
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Online Advertisement
Today online advertising is one of the most widely spread ways to sell and buy goods. If you decide to organize a garage sale, the online advertisement will help a lot. A lot of websites are quite generous on the word count so that you can easily describe what and where you want to sell. Do not use marketing style of description. Try to make your advertisement as simple as possible. And do not forget to tell your friends and relatives about your sell via the E-mail, Telegram, Facebook or the other social media.
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Do Not Post Too Early
Do not post your advertisement too early. It can be lost and people will not see it. Make it a day or two before the garage sale will start.
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Sale Signs
Make sale signs to let people know about your sale. Ask the clerk what you can do and what don’t. It will be necessary for you to avoid different misunderstandings and problems with the law. If you are allowed to make sale signs, try to make them bright and large, writing the date, time and place of the garage sale. Your sale sign should be as clear as possible.
The title of the sale sign should be “Garage Sale” or “SALE” to attract people’s attention (simple road sign with a large world “SALE” on it will work the most effective). Why? It is quite difficult to read a lot of text from the road at 30-40 miles per hour.
Put the ready signs out the day or the night before the sale day. It will help you a lot: some people will see your sign in the evening, as well as the early birds, will notice your garage sale sign early in the morning. People will share this info with their friends, colleagues or relatives, so it will work as a free advertisement for you. It’s great, isn’t it?
Garage Sell Preparation
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Preparation
About 99% of the successful sales depend on your preparation and self-organization. You should think about everything that can influence your garage sale. It will help you to organize your garage sale not only successful and easy but also stress-free for you. That’s why if you decide to organize a garage sale you should start its organization a month before the planned date of sell.
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Location
If you don’t live in a well-traveled location, so you need to ask your friends or relatives to help you with it. Location really means a lot. If you live far from the road it will be difficult for your potential buyers to find you. That’s why you should think about it more carefully and/or ask your friends to share their house (yard) space on the day you are planning the garage sale.
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Remember About Breakable Items
The last day before the garage sale, you need to check if everything is ready for it. Chair, tables and an area to place your items on, should be ready and prepared for it. Do not waste your money on buying tables or chairs, because you can spend more than earn. Keep an eye on the breakable items and try to place them on the table far from the side of your sale. It will protect them from undesirable falling down or crash if children run underneath the table and suddenly knock it.
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Sort Your Items
If you want to avoid the disorder in your garage sale, try to arrange the right space for every item. As, for example, you can sort the items by their price. It will make your sale easy for your future customers. Find a place for kid’s toys, furniture, books, accessories, home goods, clothes (divide them into categories: men’s, women’s and kid’s), etc. A good organization will not only help you to make a good look at your garage sale, but also attract a lot of potential buyers.
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Price It Right
Price your items individually. Why? Firstly, you can give a proper estimate of your items and not underestimate that one which may have a higher price. Secondly, during your garage sale process, your buyers may get the boxes mixed and you’ll need a lot of time to keep it organized. It will be difficult for you to say the right sale price of the items which you’ve previously set. Also, try to put a price tag on each item you sell to avoid brain haggling and headaches. Here are some successful garage sale pricing tips and tricks how you should put a price on the items (how to estimate them):
- New and unused items get priced 50% of their retail cost
- Mostly unused items get priced 30% of their retail cost
- Used items get priced 10% of their retail cost
If you sell books, CDs, or the other small items try to organize “2 for 1”. If the customer buys 1 book, give him another one as a present. It will be a great way to attract the other buyers who will buy not only one book, buy something else. People like presents. It will be a great strategy for you to earn some money and to get rid of the stuff which you do not want to use any more.
Towards the end of the garage sale day, post a “half off” sign, offering lower prices for everything. It will help you to sell more as well as to get rid of unnecessary items.
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Ask Your Friends To Help You
Putting on a garage sale is a long, difficult, responsible and a labor-intensive process. If you have friends who can offer you help assistance to set up, work with the crowd or to organize the whole garage sale, it would be great for you. Moreover, if your friends help you to prepare everything for sale as well as to run it, you’ll manage everything faster, easier and more profitable. They can suggest you a brilliant idea concerning your sale organization. For example: how to arrange the tables, where to place your furniture and more. Working with friends, you can also get pleasure and have a fun.
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Ask Your Neighbors To Be A Part Of Your Team
Ask your neighbors if they are also planning a garage sale. If it is so, ask them to consider teaming up. If you do so, you will be able to attract a wider audience that means you’ll get a higher profit from your sale.
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Kids Can Help You Too
Have you ever allowed your kids to help you with your sale? They can sell lemonade or tea, muffins, biscuits or homemade cakes. People like children. If you decide to let them get in the garage sale process, you’ll make them a good lesson and earn much money.
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Organize Everything For Sale
If you have a garage or another place where you can put and store everything for sale – use it. You can arrange your items which will be on sale a night before the garage sale. It will be a great job for you which will save you a lot of time in the morning. Make a plan and map where you’ll place every item. It will make your morning setup easier and faster.
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Don’t Place You Stuff On the Ground
Try to get everything up off the ground even if it is furniture. Small, delicate items can be placed on the tables, but what’s the bigger one? Try to get EVERYTHING up off the ground. People do not like to pick the items which are placed on the ground. You should follow this advice. It really helps even if your goods are not in excellent fettle.
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Make Everything Look Tidy and Clean
Throughout the whole day of the garage sale, take care of your items to make them look orderly, tidy and clean. You can also attract people’s attention by placing colorful and bright items closest to the street.
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Attract Attention
One of the most important and valuable tools is your ability to attract people’s attention. Do not worry if you do not know how to do it. All you need is to choose the best item from your sale and place it in front of the entrance to your garage sale place. If you have great, luxurious furniture, place it in front in order to invite people to your garage sale.
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Be Creative
Think about the items which will be quiet helpful for you as well as necessary for people. As, for example, if you have a lot of accessories you would like to sell, think about the mirror so people can see and estimate how they look.
If you sell electronics you should have batteries or an extension cord handy. It is very important because if your customers decide to buy some electronics or small appliances, they’ll be able to check or/and see how it works.
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Get Comfortable
You’ll be outside for hours. That is why you need to feel comfortable. Wear comfortable shoes and clothing. One more wise advice for you: have water and some biscuits handy (during the garage sale you’ll not have time for cooking).
Throwing You Garage Sell
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Prepare Yourself
Try to wake up earlier in the morning in order to set everything out and put up signs. Find a good place for you to sit as well as a safe place for your change.
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Be Friendly
Do not force your customers to buy your goods. A lot of them like garage sale because they are able to see different items and get some interactive shopping experience. Those people who are aimed to buy something will find it, grab it and pay for it. A simple “hello” may make the customers feel more comfortable about standing in your driveway.
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Have A Change
You need to have a plenty of small bills and coins on hand in order to be ready to make change for your customers.
Summary
Garage sells mean a lot of work, especially if you want to organize everything the best way. You should think about plenty of tips which are highly important to organize your sale. Pricing items, making adds, scheduling the garage sale, working with friends, neighbors or even your kids-is what the garage sell means. It requires a lot of work, efforts and time to prepare. But after it’s over, you’ll be awarded money and a free space in your dresser.