So, you’ve got a bunch of stuff you want to sell, but how can you go about it? The first thing that might pop to your mind is a garage sale. Do people do them any more? Yes, they do, and they are actually more successful and easy to organise than they used to be.
It’s all about being prepared and making sure you promote it properly. It won’t take much extra effort but you could get a lot more people browsing!
Here’s the best tips we’ve found for organising your next garage sale and making a profit.
This isn’t always easy as you may have a shed full of stuff but only some of it is OK for resale. Try to sell things in decent condition, and be honest about the things that aren’t. You could have a junk pile that some handy people may want to rifle through, but don’t put it too close to the entry.
1. Pick a date and time
Make sure that the date will not conflict with holidays or other events – it’s a no brainer that it will need to be on a weekend.
Saturday is usually the best day since many people spend Sunday relaxing and spending time with the family. The sale should start in the morning around 7-8am and run for 4-5 hours. Some people may even be at your house before the sale time!
2. Advertise
This is the key part, and is a lot easier than you may remember garage sales being years ago. You can advertise both online and in newspapers. In your ad, be sure to include your full address, time the sale starts, the date (don’t write “today”) and any important items such as art works, books, a big clock, a nice couch etc.
Note: Check with your local council or homeowner’s association to see if there are restrictions on Garage Sale signs. They may only let you advertise outside your house.
3. Pricing
A good rule of thumb for garage sale pricing is to keep most things under $5, and have smaller items that sell for $1 or $2. This may seem like a small amount of money, but by the end of the sale, it can add up to quite a bit! In general, nothing should be more than $50.
4. Set up for the sale
6. Set up a testing area
If you’re selling electronics, set up a testing area. All you need to do is run an extension cord from the house, place all the electronics together, and let people test them out on their own.
7. Be prepared to haggle and accept all types of payments
8. Handle the admin like a pro
9. At the end of the garage sale
When the time comes to end your garage sale and the people are dwindling, offer all remaining items for $2. If there’s anything left over you don’t want, donate it. Or attempt to sell it on Gumtree.