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!
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