Garage Sale Tips?

So my wife and I decided that this winter we are going to go through boxes and start getting rid of stuff we haven't used or looked at in a few years. We still have packed boxes that we haven't unpacked since we moved here 3 years ago and have stuff her family dumped on us when they moved.

We decided that instead of throwing stuff out, we'd try to sell it. We did a Garage Sale a few years back and it was a joint family thing and ended up being a E36 M3 show, so this time we're doing it just ourselves.

One thing I am doing is labeling it as a Yard Sale, because when we had it labeled as a Garage Sale, we had everything on the driveway and there were the few idiots that couldn't tell that we purposely had the Garage blocked off and still asked about the stuff in the Garage (even though I purposely covered up most of the stuff with tarps and blankets) and one guy got super E36 M3ty with my wife over it.

Any tips to make this a little more organized? We'll most likely do this around Memorial Day when our town has their "Garage Sale Days".

Keep the garage closed.

Take it all to goodwill. The few things that are actually worth anything put on Craigslist or eBay.

What kind of stuff do you have?

In reply to mtn:

We usually give clothes to Goodwill, but we have a lot of random stuff, too much to really label (mainly because we haven't taken inventory) and we really have nothing worth a lot of money, so there's nothing worth dealing with eBay. We already know we are going to throw a lot of stuff away before this happens, but if someone else wants something that isn't worth throwing out, why not sell it?

My wife was pretty successful with her yard sale prior to them joining me in Texas a couple years ago. She said she'll be on shortly to share her tips. I think she made over $600 in two days.

For a successful garage sale:

• Make sure you have prices on everything - I have found more people are willing to negotiate a deal if a price is on an item than not.

• For higher quality items - put the price a bit higher because if you have your yard sale for two days, you'll be able to negotiate price that is still decent.

• Furniture and baby/kid items go quickly - if you have these items put them in ad as they draw a larger crowd.

• Best times for yard sales are Friday and Saturdays in the morning. I had mine both days from 7am - 3pm. Sundays are good but usually the crowds aren't as large due to church. Also, putting early risers on ad brings some people out earlier than 7am but you'll find this as an advantage.

• If selling large items, be willing to deliver and hold said item but make sure they pay item in advance. If can't deliver, be willing to hold item for up to 24 hours.

• Lastly, post your yard sale on FaceBook, Craigslist or any other social media sites. FaceBook has yard sales sites for your area that are free to join. I actually sold some of my items prior to yard sale using this feature.

• Helpful tip: check your area to see if their are organization or private individuals on CraigsList, etc. that offer pick up of all unwanted items. This will help you either make a bit more money or at the very least you won't have to put it away or take to Goodwill, etc.

In reply to Nick (Bo) Comstock:

Cool I will definitely take those into consideration.

Try and sell everything you can. Don't hold items back thinking that something won't sell. Things you don't expect to sell can go quickly, while other things sit. Put it all out and let people go through it. If it doesn't sell by the time you're done then donate it.

It's better to make some money on an item than no money so don't let pride get in the way of closing a sale. That being said, if you feel an item is worth more than people are offering, you can always try to sell it individually for something closer to your asking price on Craigslist or Facebook.

Advertise the sale ahead of time anywhere that you can and post pics of big ticket items. Local Facebook groups, Craigslist, bulletin boards, etc are all good ways to let people know. Make sure you have large, brightly colored signs out on the days of your sale to make it easy for people to spot and let passers by see that a sale is taking place.

Be up early. Garage sale regulars are early birds. If you open at 9, you've missed the hardcore group of potential customers.

We find that it's easier to group things by price that price every item individually. So one table may be full of $1 items, while another has $5 stuff. That way you make one sign for each price instead of a hundred price tags.

Price everything. It's annoying to have to ask.

Lot of good advice here. Wife and her sisters do one every year at our house since we live on the main street in the city. Last one I got $300 for a 20 year old snowblower that I had retired a couple years ago.

One additional item: Make a BIG sign to put out at the street. Helps catch all those that didn't see your ads.

Tools attract crowds. Even if they are broken. A rack full of kids clothes will keep the ladies occupied, but 10 buckets full of random tools will insure the ladies stay all morning, 'cause their husbands can't walk away from those buckets.

Don't loose a buyer. If you have someone intersted in an item, sell it to them, no matter what you have to do. You've got a driveway full of weird E36 M3. This buyer is the ONLY one you will find for that red white and blue Buddha that giggles when you run his belly.

OK, I'm kidding a little, but seriously, don't hold stuff waiting for a better price/ buyer. There isn't one. Dump it now.

Selling any LEGO? I'm interested.

And don't get mad when those headers you sold for $30 are on CL the next day for $100 with a lie about their application

SVreX wrote: Don't loose a buyer. If you have someone intersted in an item, sell it to them, no matter what you have to do. You've got a driveway full of weird E36 M3. This buyer is the ONLY one you will find for that red white and blue Buddha that giggles when you run his belly. OK, I'm kidding a little, but seriously, don't hold stuff waiting for a better price/ buyer. There isn't one. Dump it now.

This is true of all sales, just sell it already.

The last time I had a garage sale:

First 1/3 of the day: "$1 a piece"

Second 1/3 of the day: $1 a bag"

Last 1/3 of the day: $1 all you can carry, and I'll help you carry."

I did pretty well with, "Make an offer. No reasonable offer refused. Ridiculous offers will be seriously considered."

I did one and it was a massive success. Not sure if I had a good recipe or if it was just luck.

First, everything I had at the sale I actually wanted to sell. I didn't have anything that I priced high because I kinda still wanted it. Second, I approached it as ditching stuff I didn't want and getting some cash in return. I didn't have money goals.

I advertised the crap out of it. Lots of yard salers are of the older demographic, so put it in the papers. Good signage on your streets. I love going to yard sales and I can't stand when someone takes a sharpie to cardboard. Make a real bloody sign, dammit.

I advertised it starting at 8am. When I got up at 6am, there were already 6 people on my lawn. Toward the end of the sale (3pm maybe) I started taking all the leftovers, combining them in boxes and giving them to people for $5 or $3. Hate to say it this way, but then the junk that wouldn't otherwise sell is now their problem and I don't have to throw it away. You want that aquarium pump in the $5 box? Good, it comes with a free wooden spoon, three t-shirts, and a hair dryer.

It ended up being a $1000 day. We got rid of everything; $700 for the regular sale stuff, and $300 for a 45 gallon aquarium setup. Buh-bye.

What SvRex said about the tools is so true, btw. I'd even go so far as to go to estate sales or Harbor Freight and BUY tools to sell at your sale, just cause it will attract more people and keep them around longer. Then return to harbor freight, or keep.

Heck, you could probably even get more for them at the sale than you paid at HF.

Datsun310Guy wrote: Price everything. It's annoying to have to ask.

People will still ask you how much.

I've always heard the first weekend of any month is the best weekend.

It's all been said, but Price everything. If it does not have a price, it likely wont sell. It's that simple. Most Sales happen very early. Looky loos wander by later and buy virtually nothing.

I was piggy backing at a friends yard sale and did really well (mostly before 8 am), while I watched my friend turn down $6 offers on items marked $10. Ok it's not my stuff.
The thing I did not know is that they planned to take all the remains to Goodwill at the end of the day, and they did. They easily turned away $400 in profit because they thought the offers were too low.

mtn wrote: Keep the garage closed. Take it all to goodwill. The few things that are actually worth anything put on Craigslist or eBay. What kind of stuff do you have?

Best advise ever, if you actually have something worth money sell it on CL or ebay. Otherwise donate it and write it off on your taxes.