Having a successful yard sale depends upon your goal. If you're having a yard sale to make money or to get rid of unwanted clutter your strategy will be different.
Regardless of your goal, start gathering yard sale items as far in advance as possible. Find a place in your house or garage to start storing everything that you plan to sell. If you come across an item that you no longer want, take it immediately to the “gathering” place. The general rules are:
- If you can't remember where you got it, it can go
- If you haven't worn it within the past twelve months, it can go
- If you received it as a gift and hated it from the start, it can go
If you're having a yard sale to make money, start planning a few weeks ahead by identifying your big ticket items. There's no way you'll make a substantial amount of money without furniture or appliances to sell. Heirloom items and collectibles can return some nice change if you have some history on the pieces and if you market your sale in the right places.
Marketing can be quick and costly or cheap and time consuming. If you prefer the quick way, pull out your wallet and place an ad in your local newspaper. The cost for an ad can be pretty high but you're certain to attract customers who will go out of their way to buy what you're selling. Keep in mind that “professional” yard sale shoppers know a good sale by the ad that is placed. Be specific about the larger or expensive pieces. Use brand names and the value of the items if possible. Don't under estimate the value of toys and clothes. Sometimes they'll bring more sales than everything else combined.
If you prefer to market the cheap and more time consuming way, make flyers and post them at local businesses, at work, at church, or anywhere that legally allows the posting of flyers. Pull together all of your email addresses and send a group email to let your friends and family know about the sale. Sometimes family or friends have had an eye on something in your house that they will happily trade cash for. Just make sure none of the gifts they've given you through the years is on display with a for sale sign on it when they get to the sale.
You'll make more money if you have most of the items labeled with a price. That way you're less inclined to come up with a price on the fly, which will undoubtedly be lower because your customer will be standing right in front of you with a look like… If your price is too high I'm leaving. People like to feel like they've found a bargain so make sure your price labels leave room for negotiation.
Before your sale day, make sure all of your items are clean. This may be the most important advice for a lucrative sale. It's hard to negotiate a higher price when the item is dirty and grungy. A little soap and water could double your return.
Schedule at least two days for the sale and start early. Serious shoppers arrive early and they have other sales to go to so be ready for them. You can start your sale as early as you like but be ready for business by at least 8:00 a.m. Get out early to put out your directional signs and to set up your tables. Put the most colorful stuff on display toward the front of your yard. Hang clothes on hangers for easy access.
Always sell bottled water. Buy a case for five or six dollars and sell each bottle for a buck. You're already on your way to making a profit.
On the first day, pace yourself by holding close to your price; giving up a couple of dollars is okay but don't worry, you still have another day to sell. On the second day lower your prices slightly in the morning and take them to half price in the early afternoon. If there are items that haven't sold, and you'd prefer to keep them rather than sell them too cheaply, they should be removed from the sales floor at this time.
An hour before the end of your yard sale, try to sell as much as you can even if it means giving most of it away. At the end of the sale, gather everything that's left and take it to Goodwill or another charitable organization. Good luck and happy selling!
