So you have some stuff. Okay, a lot of stuff. And you would like to make a couple of bucks. Great, have a yard sale. Whoa there partner, before you grab a card table and start hauling out your junk, take a few minutes to read this post to make the most of your sale. Take it from Lorrie, a veteran yard sale hostess, a successful sale takes planning, organization, and a little bit of hard work. So read on and have a happy yard sale!
1. Pick a weekend and publicize. When you are starting to think about a sale, the date is the most important part. Stay away from holiday weekends for the most part, as they usually mean people are not around (unless you live in a tourist-y area, then by all means, sale away!) Find out if your community has a village/town wide sale date, and jump in on that. I recommend a two day sale so that you can maximize the amount of people at the sale. Once you pick the date, let the people know. Make posters, hang signs, place an ad in the newspaper, tell friends, tell your friend's friends. Craigslist has a great section to place your yard sale ad, and many local areas have pages on Facebook as well. The more people who know the bigger the chance of profit.
2. Find a friend. What a great way to spend a weekend, hauling out stuff, making money, and sitting back with a friend as the customers roll in. Plus, by combining junk, you have that much more stuff to attract the people. People often "drive by" a sale and look first. One person sales can look small and sad (depending on the amount of stuff you own). A friend or two make the sale attractive to the "drive by-ers". Plus someone needs to be there to help you watch the sale when you are simultaneously haggling with a lady over yarn and doing a pee dance.
3. Plan ahead. One cannot predict the weather, so pop up tents are a necessity when planning a sale. They are great to provide shade on a hot day and to protect your stuff from the elements. You can never have enough tables. When you think you have begged, borrowed, or stolen enough, ask for at least one more! Have stuff to make signs, markers, tape, tags for marking, and scrap paper. You really should have things priced in advance. Nothing is more frustrating to me as going to a sale and not knowing what things cost. I also suggest that if there is more than one of you hosting the sale that you assign initials or colors so that items don't get mixed up when people come up to you to pay. Another thing to consider is the tax man. Check into the rules and laws in your area regarding charging/collecting a tax. In New York State you can't have a sale more than 3 days in a calendar year and you can't make over $600 without collecting sales tax. Look into it while you are still in the planning stages to save yourself a headache later.
4. Organize it and have good crap! I believe this is the most important tip. So often things are thrown haphazardly on a table with no rhyme or reason. I can understand clothing getting messy, but it should be sorted by size and gender ahead of time. I like digging for deals and going hunting as much as the next person, but I will leave an unorganized sale. This is also helpful for your own sanity, grouping all the kitchen stuff together makes it easy to make sales and direct someone to the area if that is what they are looking for. Having good stuff is also important. Items should be clean, free of holes, and in working condition. If there is something wrong with it, that should be stated on a sign so buyers know what they are getting. Sure it's a yard sale and buyer beware, but providing good quality items makes for happy customers (important if you ever want to have another sale in the future).
5. Price realistically and have a check out area. eBay is a fabulous tool to use as a pricing guide if you have antiques, but be realistic. If you think you can get $500 for you old record collection then sell it on eBay, you are unlikely to get that at your yard sale. The object is to get rid of stuff, not just have it on display for the day! So, try and be fair with your prices and be prepared for people to ask for bargains. It is a good idea to have an area that people must go to in order to check out. You don't need a cash register, but a cash box or tackle box to keep money in is a good idea. An apron can work if you are walking around. Theft can sometimes happen unfortunately, and having a check out area may help. (This is also where friends and extra sets of eyes help). Be sure to write down the items and the cost (especially when having the sale with a friend). That way you can tally up the total at the end of the day.
6. Get change, bags and boxes. You can never have enough change. Ones and fives are handy and if you are dealing with 25 cent items, make sure you have coins. Also make sure you have a calculator if you are bad at math like me. :) We save bags for a few weeks from trips to the grocery and other stores. Having bags is especially helpful if you plan on doing a clothing bag sale. To save time on pricing each clothing item, hand a person a bag and tell them to fill it for $3 or what have you. Boxes are handy for bulky items or dishes and such. Also, having tissue or newspaper on hand for breakables is a great touch. People tend to spend more when you provide things for them and they can really fill a bag.
7. Be prepared for a long day. I am not going to sugarcoat it, sometimes running a yard sales sucks. It is a lot of work, it's hot, sweaty, people ask for reduced prices and paw through your stuff, and you are tired from setting up early. Knowing this up front will help you through it. Keep yourself hydrated and make sure you have snacks. You may have a little down time, especially midafternoon, so bring a book, crossword, or other amusement. This is where friends are fun! They can deal with the unruly badgering lady who wants yarn for 10 cents and not 25, they can help lift the heavy stuff, and they can watch your stuff while you pee. Friends make a yard sale day go much faster!
8. Decide on an "exit" plan. What are you going to do at the end of the sale? You don't want to put all that stuff back in your house now that you have cleaned and organized! Don't hang on to the leftovers. Contact a local charity and see if they do pickups or have hours to drop off donations. Some people put boxes outside for free at the end of a sale as well. Whatever you do, plan ahead so stuff doesn't sit in the garage until the next sale!
and lastly~
9. Have fun! It can be fun meeting people and haggling for deals. It's exciting to watch stuff leave and count the money in your pocket! So smile, give the old lady a break on the yarn, and when it is all said and done, take your friend out for ice cream with the profits!
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Friday, August 7, 2015
Garage Sale Junkie: How to Shop a Sale
This past weekend marked the annual Village Wide Garage Sales here in the little town of Lowville, NY. We have participated each year in the sales by having a huge parking lot sale. We put out a ton of items that we have stowed in the back, and we sold them at low prices. Lorrie's big idea this year was box lots. She put together at least 20 boxes of collectibles, dishes, antiques, whatever. For one price the lucky buyer got a whole box of goodies. It was a new thing for us, pretty successful, and also helped us to clear out a lot of inventory from the back, leaving us with lots of room in the back! Don't worry, we took turns manning the sale so that we could take a peek at all the other cool sales that were going on as well...
The sale got me thinking about yard sales in general, and how much we love them, but how sometimes to the novice they can sometimes be a bit daunting. I mean you walk up to a stranger's house where all their stuff is on the lawn and you paw through it, then offer a price (or pay what they ask if you aren't into dickering) and leave with a used lamp, suit, or who knows what.
So here are just a few tips to help you on your next garage sale adventure!
1. Plan your attack. Use the newspaper in your area and look for the sale ads that sound appealing. Check Facebook for a garage sale site in your area (not the ones that you can buy from, but the ones with just yard sale listings). Know where you would like to go and what you "need". I love the community wide sales because there is more bang for your buck (buck being time in this case). You can hit many sales in the same area and even compare prices at each one. Also, we all know where the "fancy" part of town is. Check when this area is having a sale, people here have very nice things, and usually low prices. In our area we have Fort Drum, which is full of military families. Usually they are moving or being deployed, so there are great deals to be found on furniture and much more in this area, usually at very low prices as they are motivated to get rid of it.
2. Look for the bag sales. If it is clothing you want, a bag sale is the best option. We had clothing both days of the sale, and sold more the second day because we offered this type of sale. A whole bag of clothes for anywhere from $2 to $5.... yes please!
3. Go early? Buy late? I have mixed feelings about what the correct answer is on this one. Many people say in their sale ads that they do not allow early birds into their sale. It is a bit frustrating to be finishing a cup of coffee and see cars park outside or people pawing through your stuff when it isn't all set up yet. Early can work in your favor to get the first choice at items. Perhaps you did your homework, there was something specific you wanted, so you can be the first to get there and get it. Be aware though, you will most likely be paying exactly what the seller wants for it without much dicker room. Early in the day means there are many more people they could sell it to, so they are less likely to move on the price. Late arrivals can find deals galore. But, that could mean that the items have been pretty picked over all day longs, so the deals may not be that great. I prefer to be a late garage sale person to pick up cool items to DIY and get good prices.
4. Bundling/Dickering. Sometimes a deal can be made if you are buying more than one item. I hardly ever go to a sale and leave with one item, so this is usually not a problem! When you have multiple items, it is acceptable to ask for a little deal, maybe a dollar or two off. Which brings us to the next point, dickering. I am a firm believer in dickering at a yard sale. Most of the time the items are the homeowners own items. They don't want to cart that stuff back into the house, or they would have left it in there to begin with. So they are motivated to sell it at a reduced price as well. But, I do ask you to be realistic and not insulting. If an item is marked $10, for example, a reasonable counter is $8 or maybe $7. Asking for $3 is probably going to get you some mean looks and a no budge attitude. Be pleasant, smile, and make small talk, and then make your offer.
5. Have supplies. If you are making the day of it at a community yard sale, it is good to have some necessities with you. You may consider some of the following: wipes, hand sanitizer, bags, newspapers, pen/paper, bubble wrap. Also, bring snacks and water to keep you fed and hydrated! You may even want a wagon. That way you can park your car in one area, and hit multiple sales without making multiple trips back and forth.
6. Have fun. It can be a lot of fun seeking out cool finds and getting good deals. You never know what the next sale may have and you just might find the thing you always wanted! Enjoy talking to new people and maybe seeing some new places. Garage sales can be lots of fun!
Have any suggestions or questions? Have a hint to help a fellow garage sale junkie? Please comment below and let us know your thoughts! You can always visit us in person Tuesday through Friday 10am until 6pm and Saturdays 10am until 3pm.We are located at 7504 South State Street in Lowville, NY. Or email us at our entwinedtreasures.com site.
The sale got me thinking about yard sales in general, and how much we love them, but how sometimes to the novice they can sometimes be a bit daunting. I mean you walk up to a stranger's house where all their stuff is on the lawn and you paw through it, then offer a price (or pay what they ask if you aren't into dickering) and leave with a used lamp, suit, or who knows what.
So here are just a few tips to help you on your next garage sale adventure!
1. Plan your attack. Use the newspaper in your area and look for the sale ads that sound appealing. Check Facebook for a garage sale site in your area (not the ones that you can buy from, but the ones with just yard sale listings). Know where you would like to go and what you "need". I love the community wide sales because there is more bang for your buck (buck being time in this case). You can hit many sales in the same area and even compare prices at each one. Also, we all know where the "fancy" part of town is. Check when this area is having a sale, people here have very nice things, and usually low prices. In our area we have Fort Drum, which is full of military families. Usually they are moving or being deployed, so there are great deals to be found on furniture and much more in this area, usually at very low prices as they are motivated to get rid of it.
2. Look for the bag sales. If it is clothing you want, a bag sale is the best option. We had clothing both days of the sale, and sold more the second day because we offered this type of sale. A whole bag of clothes for anywhere from $2 to $5.... yes please!
3. Go early? Buy late? I have mixed feelings about what the correct answer is on this one. Many people say in their sale ads that they do not allow early birds into their sale. It is a bit frustrating to be finishing a cup of coffee and see cars park outside or people pawing through your stuff when it isn't all set up yet. Early can work in your favor to get the first choice at items. Perhaps you did your homework, there was something specific you wanted, so you can be the first to get there and get it. Be aware though, you will most likely be paying exactly what the seller wants for it without much dicker room. Early in the day means there are many more people they could sell it to, so they are less likely to move on the price. Late arrivals can find deals galore. But, that could mean that the items have been pretty picked over all day longs, so the deals may not be that great. I prefer to be a late garage sale person to pick up cool items to DIY and get good prices.
4. Bundling/Dickering. Sometimes a deal can be made if you are buying more than one item. I hardly ever go to a sale and leave with one item, so this is usually not a problem! When you have multiple items, it is acceptable to ask for a little deal, maybe a dollar or two off. Which brings us to the next point, dickering. I am a firm believer in dickering at a yard sale. Most of the time the items are the homeowners own items. They don't want to cart that stuff back into the house, or they would have left it in there to begin with. So they are motivated to sell it at a reduced price as well. But, I do ask you to be realistic and not insulting. If an item is marked $10, for example, a reasonable counter is $8 or maybe $7. Asking for $3 is probably going to get you some mean looks and a no budge attitude. Be pleasant, smile, and make small talk, and then make your offer.
5. Have supplies. If you are making the day of it at a community yard sale, it is good to have some necessities with you. You may consider some of the following: wipes, hand sanitizer, bags, newspapers, pen/paper, bubble wrap. Also, bring snacks and water to keep you fed and hydrated! You may even want a wagon. That way you can park your car in one area, and hit multiple sales without making multiple trips back and forth.
6. Have fun. It can be a lot of fun seeking out cool finds and getting good deals. You never know what the next sale may have and you just might find the thing you always wanted! Enjoy talking to new people and maybe seeing some new places. Garage sales can be lots of fun!
Have any suggestions or questions? Have a hint to help a fellow garage sale junkie? Please comment below and let us know your thoughts! You can always visit us in person Tuesday through Friday 10am until 6pm and Saturdays 10am until 3pm.We are located at 7504 South State Street in Lowville, NY. Or email us at our entwinedtreasures.com site.
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