The weather is slowly getting warmer across much
of the country and many people are starting to think about having a garage sale.
Reasons for a garage sale include making extra cash, downsizing in preparation
for a move, or simply clearing away unwanted items and household clutter.
Below are eight tips to prepare for an upcoming
garage sale:
Develop a Plan- Decide when, where, and how often to hold a
sale. For example, the “where” can be on a covered porch, in a garage, or
outside on a lawn or driveway. The “how often” can be one time only or twice a
month for three months.
Join Your Community- Find out if your local community has a garage
sale for its residents and decide if you want to be part of a larger event or
hold your own private sale. For example, my community has an annual garage
sale, called “junk in the trunk,” in a big parking lot.
Select a Date- Avoid summer holiday weekends (e.g., Memorial Day, 4th
of July, and Labor Day) when potential customers are often busy entertaining
guests or traveling. Also, identify back-up dates in the event of bad weather.
Advertise Your Sale- Pick a method that works for you. Options
include putting an ad in a local newspaper, social media posts, a flyer on a
local supermarket bulletin board, flyers distributed to neighbors, and messages
on a neighborhood e-mail list.
Price Items in Advance- Put a price on every item or group items
together that have the same price (e.g., $1 table, $3 table, $5 table). Keep
prices in 25 cent increments for ease of making change and get a roll of
quarters and small denomination bills in advance to serve as a “bank.”
Set Up a “Store”- Station yourself at the place where people
enter and exit the garage sale and keep your cash box there. This way, you can
keep an eye on your merchandise and conveniently check out shoppers. Have a
tape measure handy to measure the dimensions of items and an extension cord to
test electrical items such as small
appliances.
Track Your Sales- Use a list or envelopes to keep track of how
much money you are making. If more than one household is involved in the sale,
keep separate records for each seller and do not comingle money earned from
each other’s merchandise.
Plan for Leftover Items- Decide what to with items that don’t sell. Some
people may decide to hold another garage sale or two while others may decide to
donate unsold items to a non-profit agency thrift shop, sell them at a
consignment shop, or gift them to family members or friends.
One person’s trash is often another person’s
treasure. Best wishes for a successful sale.
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