by Zoe Mack

Created on: May 21, 2008

Garage sales (or yard sales, if you haven't got a garage) are the perfect way to get rid of some of your clutter and make some money at the same time. However, before you dump the contents of your attic into the driveway and pull up a lawn chair, there are a few things you need to know to make sure your sale is a success.

1. Pick a date.
Most garage sales happen on Saturday, and many continue on Sunday. Weekdays are not good days for garage sales, but some do start on Friday, hoping to snag some of the after-work crowd.

Some towns hold a town-wide sale on a specific date. Multiple sales will draw more customers than a single sale, so if your town does this, take advantage! If not, find out if neighbors are interested in having a street or block-wide garage sale day.

While it may be tempting to hold your garage sale on a holiday weekend, such as Memorial Day or July Fourth, remember that many people are busy with family and friends, and you may get a lower turnout.

2. Consider a multi-family sale.
Bigger sales will draw more customers. Maybe you have friends or family that would like to get rid of some of their stuff, but don't want to hold a garage sale. Maybe someone lives in an out of the way location, or just doesn't have enough stuff for a yard sale on their own. Combining several families into one sale can be beneficial to everyone. To keep profits separate, assign each family a color for their price tags, and keep a running list of what everyone has sold throughout the sale.

3. Price your items.
If you regularly visit garage sales, you should have an idea of how to price your items. If not, remember that the main purpose of a garage sale is to get rid of your clutter. If you price that little glass candy dish over 75 cents, it isn't going to sell. There should be a good number of items priced below a dollar: odd glasses, candle holders, partially used skeins of yarn, etc. If you have a larger ticket item, like a piano, a nice leather sofa, or a fancy mountain bike, you can certainly add it to the sale, but most people are looking for bargains, and it might not sell. (For larger items like pianos, simply put a sign out advertising the piano and price, and that it can be seen on request.)

DO NOT get lazy and decide you can't be bothered with all those little price stickers. A garage sale where nothing is priced is frustrating for the customer. When you force the customer to ask how much each item is, you create an uncomfortable situation for your poor customers.

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