by Angel Sharum

Created on: August 13, 2009

Yard sales are a fun way to make some extra money, recycle unneeded items, and interact with other people. A successful yard sale draws plenty of customers and is a pleasant experience for all involved. To make your yard sale a success, certain things must be done.

Tip #1 for Making Your Yard Sale a Success

Put out enough signs to advertise your yard sale. For a yard sale to be a success, people have to be able to find it. Make sure to put signs on all major streets that lead to your home, and any side streets that are frequently used. *Always check city and county ordinances about laws before putting out signs.

Advertise in the local paper and put flyers up in establishments that allow promotion to draw more customers to your yard sale. It is very easy and inexpensive to make flyers from home on a computer, and a short ad in the paper should not be too expensive. You will recoup the money easily with a productive yard sale.

Tip #2 for Making Your Yard Sale a Success

Arrange items in logical fashion. People do love to browse yard sales, but it is still important to put like items together. Someone is more likely to buy more than one thing if all the components are put close to each other and they can see how well things go together. For instance, put all clothes in one section, all tools and toolboxes together, fishing poles with tackle boxes, etc. Also, put any dishes you have for sale with bathroom items such as shower curtains, along with furniture items, because a person looking for dishes or furniture may need more items to start out in their new home. Help them out by having all the stuff needed to put a house together in one place and you'll get more sales. Also, make sure items on tables are neat and orderly so they are easily accessible to customers.

Tip #3 for Making Your Yard Sale a Success

Be friendly but do not hover. Allow people to browse your yard sale without breathing down their necks. This is easily accomplished if you set tables up in an orderly fashion. Make sure all merchandise is viewable from one central location and help people from there unless someone asks for specific attention. Joking and kidding around are acceptable at yard sales. They are almost required, because yard sale goers are mostly down-to-earth everyday people out for a leisurely day. They don't want to deal with a sour puss or someone just out to make a quick buck. Be nice to your customers and they will return the favor and even tell others about your yard sale.

As you can see, making your yard sale a success isn't hard. It just requires common sense, organization, and a good attitude. Along with the above tips, remember to price your items correctly. Do not overprice for your area but make sure to ask enough. Be reasonable and you'll have no problem making a success of your next yard sale.

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