by Molly Horton

Created on: September 03, 2009   Last Updated: September 04, 2009

Planning and holding a garage sale to make some cash, while eliminating some of your trash. takes some planning and preparing. With a few easy tips, you can have a very successful sale.

Call Your Friends

You want your sale to be full of great items that buyers will want to spend their hard earned money on. The best way to ensure that is to have a joint sale. This is, of course, easiest to do with neighbors or friends that live close by. That will eliminate the need to haul items very far to the house where the sale will be held. Either way, choose a house where the location is easy for customers to find and with plenty of parking. Sit down with your co garage sale friends and make a plan. The more items to sell, the more money that will be made.

Signs

You must advertise and advertise well. Make signs and buy signs and put them up in various places. Make them colorful and cheerful because you want them to be eye catching. Make sure to include the address of the sale, not just an arrow pointing in the general direction. Also, the start and end time is a good idea to include. Think of placing these signs near busier roadways that are closest to the location of the sale, as well as around the local neighborhood. Even signs placed at the sale site is a good idea. While cars parked up and down the street is a good indication people have found the sale, you never know what other people in your neighborhood will have going on that same day so a sign clearly marking the garage sale location will never hurt.

Sale Time

True garage sale goers are early birds. Whatever time you advertise for the start of your sale, people very well may show up even before that. Beat them to the punch. If you would like to start your sale at 8am, advertise that it starts at 9am. This way you are not forced to fend people off when you are finishing up last minute preparations. Another thing to consider is starting early and ending early. An ideal end time is anywhere from 1 to 3pm. People may plan to return at the close of your sale to see what last minute deals they can get. Don't get stuck wheeling and dealing into dinner time.

Sale Items

Garage sale items can be just about anything. You probably wouldn't think so, but clothing, especially children's clothing, sells very well at garage sales. Make sure clothing pieces are in good condition and at a low price, and they should fly off your shelves. Any type of furniture is a hot item. I recommend placing it front and center so buyers can easily see it as they drive by. Appliances of any kind, as long as they work, are great sale items. People may want proof that they work, so be able to show them. If they do not work, clearly mark them as not functional but they may be used for parts.

Yard and You Work

Make sure your house and yard are looking good and well kept. This is much more inviting to potential buyers. It gives the impression that you care for your property so you must care for your possessions. Mow your lawn and prune your shrubs. It does make a difference. The same goes for you and your workers. I am not saying to dress up, but look neat and clean for your sale day. It's all about the impression you give off.

Now go off and have a great sale!

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