10 Tips for Planning a Garage Sale
Source: 101 Things To Do With All Your Old Stuff
Greater Vancouver Regional District
Rather than discarding what you may no longer use or want, try selling
it at a garage sale. A garage sale can be a profitable and fun way to
make sure items are reused.
The following are some tried-and-true tips for a successful sale:
Make sure that the date will not conflict with holidays or special events
that compete for attendance. Weekends are more successful than weekdays.
Check with your friends, relatives, and neighbours to see if they would
like to join you or if they have anything for you to sell on their behalf.
More people means less work and more items means more shoppers. Sharing
on advertising costs increases your profit margin, too.
Appliances, furniture, toys, tools, dishes, and other such practical
household items are popular. Records are also good sellers. Clothing
does not usually have a high resale value, although kids' clothing is
the exception. Arrange kids' clothing by size, and label each item.
Clean everything. Make sure your items are working. If not, label them
as such. For specialty items, include important information on labels.
If you have items that you do not think would sell, have a FREE BOX.
You'd be surprised what people will take and find uses for. If you have
a truck, consider offering free delivery for big items within a certain
distance - customer service sells!
If you have a community paper that is delivered to every household in
your area, advertise in the classified section. Otherwise, advertise
in the newspaper read most often by people in your area. Include the
date, time (start early as most sales end by 1pm or 2pm), address and
list some of the more desirable and unique items. If you don't want
early birds, include that in your ad but expect them anyway. If you
are hosting the sale with others, split the advertising cost and remember
to advertise the number of households participating in the sale.
Special Note: Don't forget that you can list your garage sale
for FREE in secondhandsavvy.com's Garage
Sale Listings. You can specify the community and list your sale
well in advance, highlighting any key sellable items. You can also post
a picture of some of the items...the process is simple and it is free!
Use the blank side of coloured scrap paper for posters. Use large letters
and write clearly. Place posters on bulletin boards in grocery stores,
libraries, and other public places.
Make sure the signs you make are large, clear and, if possible, waterproof.
Use well made, creative signs because they will attract more buyers.
Some newspapers provide garage sale kits if you advertise with them,
which usually includes a few signs. You should have enough signs to
place at the intersection closest to your house, in front of your house
and on the main streets near your house. Always include the date, time,
and address on the signs.
Make signs for goods displayed at your sale. For example, "Housewares",
"Kids' Clothes", "Giftware", etc. Make a sign that reads "Reduced Prices".
You can post this halfway through your sale.
Have a contingency plan for wet weather. Consider putting up tarps or
holding your sale under cover.
If you are not sure how to price your items, visit a local thrift store
or garage sales. Don't price your items too low initially, because people
will bargain with you.
Put prices on everything using masking tape or removable stickers.
This saves you from inventing prices on the spot and eliminates the
need for everyone to ask you for prices. If many people are selling
their goods, use different coloured tags (or different coloured dots
on masking tape) and record sales by colour so you can correctly divide
the money at the end of the day. Have lots of change and small bills
on hand.
Invite friends or neighbours the night before for a preview sale. If
you have a street sale with your neighbours, have a BBQ afterward. At
your sale, sell donuts and coffee. This will encourage people to stay
longer, socialize, and have a better opportunity to look at your wares.
Expect early birds. Clear all paths and move any car(s) out of the driveway.
Set up some tables the night before and carry them out first thing in
the morning. Display your goods in an attractive way on tables, boxes,
or even the front lawn. For example, reuse coloured cardboard to display
jewellery, and then attach the cardboard to a bulletin board. Group
similar items together. If you are selling clothes, place them on hangers
to display on your fence or a coat rack. Have an electric outlet or
extension cord accessible if you are selling electronic items. This
enables potential buyers to test the items before they buy. Cover any
items you do not want to sell with old sheets or move them out of sight.
This helps prevent potential theft and stops people from trying to buy
your lawnmower or garden tools.
Offer laundry hampers as shopping baskets. This allows shoppers the
luxury of browsing without dropping their armful of goodies. Have extra
shopping bags and boxes available for shoppers who purchase numerous
items. Keep the money with you at all times. Use an apron with pockets
or have one person dedicated to handling cash. Remember to lock your
house.
Be flexible and accept reasonable offers. Consider throwing in related
token items, and post the "Reduced Prices" sign at lunchtime.
At the end of your sale, take down all signs and posters. If you have
useful items remaining, donate them to charity or try selling them at
a local flea market.
CLICK HERE for a
list of charities and what they might be looking for
Back to the top
|
