Every year, there are almost nine million garage sales in the U.S. About 700,000 people purchase something at a yard sale each week. When you hold a garage sale, you can expect to net several hundred dollars or even over $1,000.
Making money shouldn’t be your only objective. A garage sale is the best way to get rid of a ton of clutter, junk, and household stuff all at once. Selling quickly should be your goal.
The largest and most successful garage sale my family and I ever put on was shortly after my mother passed away. She had left a lifetime of stuff that needed to be sold. It was a huge work load.
It ended up being an emotional experience. Sorting through her things led to waves of memories. It was also a big challenge. We experienced a torrential downpouring of rain on the second day. It brought out all of my neighbors. They offered a helping hand and some comfort through the process. It ended up being a successful yard sale after all. It was a true learning experience on the ins and outs of garage sale hosting.
As you begin planning for a yard sale while you do your spring cleaning, here are some important garage sale tips I learned that will help your garage sale be as successful as possible.
Most areas do not put restrictions on yard sales, but our neighborhood association may restrict the number of yard sales we can put on each year at our house. There may be further limitations on the number of days a yard sale can run. Typically it's limited to three consecutive days. Contact your local permit office to find out if you have to obtain a permit or abide by any restrictions.
In addition, some HOAs may restrict a yard sale. They could disallow them completely or require them to be held on specific days. Your HOA community rules will detail any restrictions that might apply. Some HOAs promote a neighborhood garage sale.
For the most success, your yard sale should run at least two days. Typically they should be on a Friday and Saturday. In some areas, Thursdays and Sundays are also popular. Holding your garage sale on the first weekend of the month captures some of those people who get paychecks at the start of the month.
Beth Miles, a professional garage sale manager, advices,
“Never have them on holiday weekends. Check your local area for conflicts, for big community events. You don’t want to compete.”
Garage sales run from late spring to early fall. High season is summer. On hot days, provide lots of shade for people. Start your yard sale early in the day to take advantage of the cooler temperatures. Watch the forecast for rain as well. Stormy weather reduces the number of people who come to your sale. If your neighborhood holds a community-wide sale, take advantage of those days. They bring in more shoppers and offer shared marketing opportunities. Fall shoppers may be looking for deals on old Halloween costumes, for example
The best way to gather items to sell is to go room by room and go through clutter. Empty out your closets to find any tucked away items. Don’t forget old cardboard boxes and storage containers in your storage shed. Going room by room lets you sort your stuff as you go. Use boxes to gather your items for your sale. Then, when you set them out at your sale, keep the same categories together.
Clean your items before setting them out. Many people will pass on wares with dust and grime.
Miles says,
“Definitely have a clean, organized sale. Organization sells. If you just plop it out there on tables, it doesn’t sell. Make a nice presentation.”
Garage sale shoppers know to look for signs throughout a neighborhood. Don’t pass on this tried-and-true method for advertising. Post signs at several intersections with your address clearly noted. Lynda Hammond, owner of GarageSaleGal.com, says,
“Make colorful signs that can’t be missed. If I come to a corner and I have a choice between a pretty neon pink sign that’s neat and easy to read and another sign that’s haphazardly made with paint and pieces of cardboard boxes, guess which one I’m going to? Yes, the sale with the pretty sign.”
You can also advertise by posting the details of your garage sale in your local newspaper and on neighborhood groups like Nextdoor or Facebook neighbors’ groups and on Craigslist. There are apps you can download like Yard Sale Treasure Map to get the word out about your garage sale. You'll be sure to get a good crowd of customers to your garage sale.
Another way to get people to your yard sale is to get everyone's email address. Just print out a sheet where people can enter their name and email address. Save them for your next yard sale and send them a message to give them a heads up.
Give yourself enough time to price stuff before the start of your garage sale. You will be too distracted while people are there otherwise. While it may seem daunting, you’ll have less work during the sale if you can price everything beforehand. Without doing this, you’ll have to answer questions over and over during your garage sale. For more unique things, put price tags on each individual thing. Use pre-printed garage sale price stickers to save time or simply write the price on stickers or masking tape and affix to your stuff. The larger the sticker, the easier it is for people to spot.
If you have a category of many items, don’t price each one individually. Instead, put up a sign in front of the stuff with a price per item. For example, you can price all hardback books at $3, all paperbacks at $2, and all children’s books at $1. For clothing items, sell adult clothing for $3, all children’s clothes at $2, baby clothes at $2, and hats and accessories at $1. Toys and games can easily be priced at $3 for large toys, $2 for small toys and games, and a dollar or 50 cents for puzzles. Prices should look like thrift store pricing.
As you price things, you should first research any special items to see if they are truly valuable. Look up items on eBay using a “completed item” search. If you have something valuable, sell it in a different way than a garage sale. UseBay or an antique dealer.
If you have no idea how to price your common items, plan on visiting a yard sale the weekend before your own sale to see how other people do it. You will get a good feel for the going price of household items.
Don’t price your items at your absolute lowest. Many people will expect to haggle prices downward. Ne realistic. Many shoppers are willing to make a purchase if they think they are getting a deal.
Pricing items, even those in like-new condition, close to their retail price won’t get them sold. While you want to get the most you can for your items, pricing them too high means they won’t sell at all.
If you have them available or can borrow them, get lots of tables. You can spread out items so your shoppers can see them rather than having people sort through boxes of items. Leave enough room around tables and larger items to let customers walk through. If you don’t have enough tables, lay out blankets or sheets on your grass to display stuff.
Group items into categories and display them neatly. Have chairs for you, your helpers, and people who might need a short break. Provide shade by using your indoor garage space or setting easy-up canopies in your driveway or yard. If you have any fragile items fragile needed to be kept away from children like glass vases or knives, set them in a protected area.
Cash is king at garage sales. Be sure to get a good variety of money and change from your bank before your sale. Get lots of small bills and rolls of coins.
You can easily accept electronic payments including Venmo, Cash App, PayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay, and Zelle. This is also a great method to track your profits. You don't have to count it out like cash.
If you want to avoid any fees, ask your shoppers to fund their transaction from their balance or bank account. If you want to accept credit card payments through mobile payment options, you will be paying a small fee for the convenience.
Not every item will be sold at your sale.
There are several options for discarding your unsold items. You can donate unsold goods. Drop them off at a donation center or arrange for a pick-up. If you want your items picked up, set the pick up for the Monday after your sale. If you set it up ahead of time, you’ll get those items moved out as soon as possible.
You can try to squeeze more money out of your items by selling them online. Options for online sales include eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Nextdoor, Craigslist, and Letgo.
Finally, if you are ready to simply discard your unsold items, renting a small roll off dumpster is a great option. You can have it delivered right onto your property. Then, toss all your unwanted items. A quick pick-up lets you complete your home decluttering job in no time.
Have your prep work done before it's too late. You will encounter some early birds who will expect your sale to start on time. Someone could get there before it even starts!
Take advantage of these motivated people by opening up as soon as you can. Have everything already set out in your garage or on your front lawn.
You should have some plastic grocery bags in case a buyer purchases several items. Have some tissue paper or bubble wrap available for fragile items. Hand sanitizer, a cash box, and a calculator are necessities.
Take the time to chat with your visitors. You may discover some of their needs and direct them to what they’re looking for. The longer your customers linger, the more they’ll look and buy. Ava Seavey, author of “Ava’s Guide to Garage Sale Gold” explains,
“People want deals. They’re very interested in getting quality things for less, and the face-to-face, person-to-person shopping experience can be more satisfying in a lot of ways.”
Haggling is a crucial component of getting things sold and getting cash in your hand. Offer a discount for multiple items. Be willing to come down in price and consider every offer people give. Be ready to slash prices on everything at the end of the day to get things moved out. You are in control!
Rainy weather, running out of change, a buyer asking to use the bathroom in your house, or kids breaking items can cause some yard sale chaos. Having a friend or family member with you during the day will free you to handle any unexpected things that come up.
A garage sale is a lot of work. Plan for breakfast and lunch and drink water throughout the day, especially if it is hot outdoors. A simple dinner or take out will make the end of the day easier as well. This may be the most important garage sale tip. A lot of people forget to eat because they're so busy at the sale.
Lock the doors and windows of your home during your garage sale. Also, plan on having a family or friend with you so you are not alone during your garage sale. Keep your cash on you or in a secure location. Take money into your home as it accumulates. Cover up any items in your garage that you don’t want to sell.
If you have sale items you want to get rid of, but don’t think they will easily sell, consider offering them for free to customers. You’ll benefit from disposing of these items quickly and easily even though you're not making money.
Throw some clothes in the free pile. Make sure you have signs that says free to let people know. The corner in your garage makes a great place your free stuff.
Have some toys in there to entertain the kids. They love children's books.
If you are selling anything that requires electricity, your buyers and customers are going to want to know if everything works. Run an extension cord out to your yard sale area to allow buyers the opportunity to test out these types of items.
A garage sale produces a lot of waste. Make sure you go back and collect the signs you placed out in your community. Remove all of the items from your front yard and pick up any trash. Your neighbors will thank you for this considerate step. Also consider having a dumpster rental outside of your house to throw everything away.
At the end of the day, you’ll surely be tired, but you’ll also have a nice stash of cash. All the work is worth it.
But yard sales are not just a way to make some extra money. They represent the chance to declutter your living environment, offer great deals to members of your community, and keep a lot of items and clothes out of our landfills. As Ava Seavey, yard sale expert, explains,
“You’re actually doing something good for the world if you put in the time and effort to do it right.”
I hope you have a successful garage sale!
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