Yard sales are a great way to make a little side cash on the clutter lying around your house. What you no longer need or use others may think is a treasure. It’s a great way to limit the clutter in your house while helping others get a great deal on items they need. If you put your earnings in your savings account you can let that money grow!
Here are some simple ways to ensure you have a successful sale and put some money in your pocket.
Keep it Organized
Just because it’s a yard sale doesn’t mean people want to sift through everything thrown in a pile. Treat it like it’s a store – clean and organize everything. Make everything look as usable as possible, including blowing up inflatables, ensuring bike tires are pumped up, and all wires and batteries are attached to electronics.
Lay everything out in similar categories. For example, if you’re selling different sized clothes or clothes for different genders, put them in separate piles, but near one another. The same is true of all other similar items.
Join Forces with Other Neighbors
Make your yard sale a group effort. When there are several sales in the same area, you’re more likely to get the traffic you want. If you get others to join, pick a good location, whether you each use your driveways or you come together in one large parking lot.
Together come up with a date that works for everyone and consider setting it up for 2 – 3 days. Many people don’t realize that Thursdays are popular yard sale days. The ‘true yard sale shoppers’ come out on Thursdays in the hopes of finding great items. Run your sale Thursday – Saturday for the most exposure.
Have Clear Signage
Let people know where the yard sale is by directing them with signs. Even if you advertise online or in the paper, people will still get lost. Put signs on the streets closest to you to let people know they’re getting close and which way to go.
Directional signs are also a great way to get people who weren’t planning on making yard sales a part of their day to stop by. You may make more sales by advertising in multiple ways.
Price Everything
It’s a little time consuming, but put a price tag on every item you sell. It makes your life a lot easier. If you get busy, you won’t be able to think clearly. When someone asks you a price for an item, you may blurt out a price much lower than you wanted to accept.
Tagging everything tells buyers how much you want for an item. Buyers will still negotiate and that’s fine, but at least you have a starting point and can decide in the spur of the moment if you want to accept a lower price.
Have Change Available
Since you’ll likely only accept cash at your yard sale, make sure you have plenty of change. Keep your money in a secure pouch or cash drawer, but make sure there are plenty of $5s and $1 bills as well as coins.
Open on Time (or even Early)
Serious yard sale goers hit sales right at their opening time. Don’t be surprised when you open your garage door and a few experts are waiting outside your house. If you open late, you’ll upset them because they likely have a plan/route in mind. You may even make a few more sales if you open a few minutes earlier than you advertised.
Check your City’s Requirements
Some cities require a permit before you host a yard sale. You may need to complete an application or get permits to put signage in your yard or around the area. If you live in an area governed by an HOA, they may have separate rules too.
Check all requirements to avoid unnecessary fines taking away from the profits of your garage sale.
Have Fun and Make Money at your Yard Sale
Having a yard sale can be a lot of fun especially when you’re making money. Keep your sale as organized as possible and advertise it well for the best results. Joining forces with neighbors may bring more attention to it too.
If you join forces, make sure you know what each neighbor has (at least the big stuff). This way you can refer buyers to one another’s sales when you don’t have what they’re looking for but you know someone else does.