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Do's, Don'ts and Precautions

When planning a yard or garage sale, think of your sale as a small business venture. Organize your sale as much as possible, set up an attractive, easy-to-see display of your wares, and provide good customer service. A smile and a helpful but not pushy approach should increase your sales and show a profit at the end of the day. Presentation of your items is also important. Are your items clean? Do they look appealing?

People go to yard sales with the hopes of finding something fun or practical and at a good price - moms looking for bargains on children's clothes or toys, people looking for furnishings for their home or apartment, antique dealers and ebayers looking for low-priced items for resale, and people who just like to "poke", hoping to find a treasure.

People expect real bargains when they go to yard sales, not prices they would pay in a store or at an antique shop. If they don't find low prices, they will either haggle you for a lower price, or just leave. Keep in mind that you are selling second-hand items, which significantly depreciates the value, even if the item has never been used.

Preparing for your sale:

Advertise. Unless you live on a main road or high traffic area, you will usually do better if you advertise. Provide street address, time, date, mention a few of your best items, include "rain or shine" if that's the case. Unless you want phone calls, don't give a phone number. Include "No Early Birds" in your ad if you don't want aggressive buyers at your door days before the sale, hoping to get the goodies before everyone else does. Usually you get just a few lines for a newspaper ad, so make each word count. You might also want to post an ad on Craigslist.

Put up many easy-to-read, brightly colored tag sale signs near your street. Include address, date and pointed arrows. Be careful where you put the signs as some towns don't allow signs on telephone poles. After the sale, remove your signs. It's bad yard sale etiquette to leave your signs up.

If you are actually holding your sale in a garage, you don't have to worry about the possibility of rain. If your sale is being held out in the yard, you may want to mention a rain date in your ad. Have some plastic tablecloths or tarps ready to throw over your stuff in case there's a chance of showers.

Have about $20-$30 dollars in small bills and some loose change handy. You want to be able to make change if a buyer gives you a $20 bill for a $1.00 item.

Price all your

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