You've cleaned out your basement, attic, garage and children's bedrooms. So what do you do now? It's the perfect time to organize a yard sale. Turn those unwanted treasures into a few extra dollars in your pocket. Here are some tips to help you plan your yard sale.
1. Setting a date
Don't be too anxious and set a date for too early in the spring. The weather is too unpredictable and it could end up being a very cool day. Cold weather will result in a poor turn out. Set a date for the summer months when even the mornings are warm.
A Saturday at the beginning of the month is prime time to hold a yard sale. Most people have received their paycheck and the pensioners have just received their monthly checks. Everybody's pockets are full and they're ready to spend.
Don't plan your sale on a holiday weekend. Many people go out of town or are attending parties and celebrations. Your yard sale should start no later than 8:00 a.m. Bargain hunters like to get an early start on the day.
2. Location
The location of your yard sale plays a big factor in it's success. If you live in a remote location, on a dead end street or a place with no parking for customers, you won't see a high volume of shoppers. Seek an alternate location. I live on a dead end street so I hold my yard sales at my uncle's house, on a main street. This is a great location as even people who didn't see the advertisements spot my sale as they are driving by.
Also ask neighbors if they would like to hold a yard sale on the same day. Multi-family yard sales do exceptionally well. The prospect of browsing at several sales with one stop is very appealing to prospective buyers. This will also lower your advertising costs as they can be shared by all families taking part.
3. Advertise
Advertising is crucial to ensuring a good turn out. Many local newspapers allow you to advertise your sale for little or no cost. The larger newspapers may be a little more expensive, but it may be worth it to get more exposure. Have your ad appear in the paper a few days before your yard sale. Most people, such as myself, scour the ads and make a list of the sales they plan to visit on the weekend.
Post ads anywhere you can find a community bulletin board such as the grocery store, banks, laundromats, corner stores or shopping malls. Post large signs on poles around your neighborhood. Include the date and time and have an arrow show the right direction.
In all of your advertising make mention of any items that may be a big draw. Items such as antiques, collectibles, baby clothes and accessories or large household items can bring the buyers in and are worth making note of. You never know what someone is in the market for.
4. Backup plan
You should always have a plan B in case the weather isn't cooperating. A rainy day can definitely put a damper on your sale. Do you have room in the garage to set up your sale? Some canopies could be set up for shelter from the elements. Maybe you would just prefer to set a rain date. These plans should be included in your advertising as well. If it's a definite go for that day, state rain or shine in your ads. If a rain date has been arranged make sure it is clearly visible in your ads.
5. Organizing
Go through your treasures and make sure they are clean and in working order. Set items out with some sort of order. Place household items together, sporting goods, baby items, clothing, etc. If you are selling clothing hang it up on a wardrobe or line hung between two trees. People will be more inclined to have a look if clothes are hung up rather than having to sort through boxes. The clothes should also be sorted according to size to save the shoppers the hassle of having to check all the tags. Plenty of tables should be available for displaying small or fragile items. Larger items can be set on the grass or leaned up against a fence. Be sure to leave enough room for people to easily get around.
6. Pricing
Tables can be set up with all items selling for the same price. For example a table can be designated the dollar table. Make one sign stating that everything on the table is one dollar each. Larger items can be priced individually. You can buy stickers with prices marked on them or masking tape and a marker will do just fine. Be reasonable in your pricing.
Asking too much for something will result in everyone totally bypassing it. Remember you didn't want it in the first place, that's why it's out at your yard sale. If it's that precious that you can't let it go for a fraction of it's worth, you should probably hang on to it. Pricing it too high will ensure you still own it at the end of the day.
If you're not sure what to ask for an item mark it with a sign that says make an offer. See what someone is willing to offer you for it. Be prepared to negotiate your prices. If your prices are cast in stone you can bet you'll lose a lot of sales.
7. The day of the sale
Wake up early to get a good start on the day. Have everything set out and ready at least fifteen minutes before your sale is set to start. There will always be early birds that show up. It is also annoying to arrive at a yard sale when things are still in the process of being brought out. Who wants to wait around to see what there is? It is also a sign of poor planning.
Be sure to have plenty of small bills and change on hand. Odds are good that your first customer of the day will hand you a twenty that you need to make change for. A roll of quarters, ten ones, ten twos and a couple of tens should be enough to get you started.
Make sure to have plenty of bags and boxes for customers to put their purchases in. You should also have newspaper on hand to wrap any fragile items. Set up ring toss or other games for kids to play while their parents browse. People will stay and shop longer if their children are amused and quiet.
Have a cooler full of cold drinks for sale, especially if it's an extremely hot day. Engage in conversation with people as they arrive. People will stay and browse longer with some friendly conversation as opposed to just being stared at. You know what they say, you catch more bees with honey than with vinegar.
Now you've got the tips, get that basement and those closets cleaned out and plan your own yard sale. You're unwanted items could add up to a pretty nice profit. After all, one man's trash is another man's treasure.