Garage Sale Tips

Summer is a great time to pare down and clear out – and a garage sale can be the perfect way to do it – and make a little cash while you’re at it!!

TIP 1: ADVERTISING

The key to any good sale – advertising. Use your local newspapers, online sites and good old fashioned posters to get the word out. When you’re making your posters – make sure that they stand out. Use bright poster board and fat markers to give time, date, location and maybe a few key items that would catch someone’s eye. Also use your social media like face book and twitter to spread the word.

TIP 2: SETTING UP

When you’re setting up – make it inviting. Cover tables with tablecloths or white sheets. Think about how a store merchandises a sale – the more pleasing it looks the more likely you are to sell your items. Play some background music to put shoppers at ease.

TIP 3: CLEAN IT UP

Clean everything – try to remove stains from clothing, wash glassware, polish silver and dust knick knacks. The better it looks the more likely it is to sell. Rubbing alcohol will clean and take stains off of everything from dolls, to glassware & mirrors. Toothpaste will quickly polish silver and clean scrapes off of china.

TIP 4: GROUPING

Group like items together – a grouping of vases or pottery is more likely to catch someone’s eye than items scattered all over. Another easy way to group items – clear zip top bags. They can corral jewelry, game pieces, doll accessories or action figures. If you’re selling bedding sets, clothing sets or anything else that needs to be kept together, tie a ribbon around the set and then mark the item with size, pieces included and the price.

TIP 5: REPURPOSE

Feel out your customers – if you have some purses and jewelry that doesn’t seem to be selling on the adult table – put it with the kid’s stuff and mark it as dress up!

TIP 6: TESTING

If you have electric or battery powered items for sale, make sure that you have a place to test them out people want to know that things work so make it easy to make the sale.   

TIP 7: MONEY

Wear and apron or clothes with pockets and keep the money on your person at all times. It’s easy to get distracted from a cash box which could make it easy to swipe!