by Bryan Ridenour

Created on: April 16, 2010   Last Updated: June 09, 2010

“April showers bring May flowers” so the old adage says.  But April also prompts people to hit the streets scouring for signs posted “Garage Sale Today.”  For garage sale enthhusiasts, finding a well organized sale can mean the difference between selling your items and bargain hunters thumbing their noses at your piles of unwanted stuff.  There are some key strategies to facilitating a successful garage sale.

Choose a suitable weekend

Most garage sales are held on Fridays and Saturdays.  If you live in a city where city-wide sales take place annually, join the masses.  People from your town, and neighboring communities, swarm in to find great deals.  Greater numbers of people into the community may yield greater opportunities to empty your garages and fill your wallets.  If your community has no such event, rally your neighborhood or subdivision to host such a weekend.

Sort through your stuff

Once the weekend is penned on the calendar, it’s time to gather up items for your sale.  Popular items shoppers seek to buy are: designer clothing, children’s educational games/products, toys, and items of collector interest.  This list is not exhaustive.  Realize that some of your shoppers might be buying to re-sell on an online auction site.  Skim Ebay or Craigslist to check on the popularity of your “discards.”

Once your merchandise selections stand in piles awaiting the big sale, examine the items carefully.  Clean and rip-free clothing sells more readily than garments sporting stains and tears.  Experiment with items requiring batteries or a power supply, ensuring they are in proper working order.  Plain and simple, attractive and working products find new homes more readily.

Advertise your sale

Look for ways to promote your event for free.  Many faithful garage sale shoppers turn to online sites like Craigslist and Garagesalesource.com for their bargain hunting destinations.  Post your sale on such sites.  Many grocery and discount stores offer bulletin boards designated for community events and items to be sold by owner.  Hang a brightly colored piece of paper advertising your sale there.  Lastly, if your town or local radio station hosts a website, see if it has a community calendar where garage sales can be listed for free.

Before dawn on the day of your sale, put up bright yellow or orange signs marked clearly

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