Garage sales serve as personal cleanses, and can be rather cathartic at heart. A successful garage sale is wished for by all that tote their no longer useful valuables out to the lawn in hopes of enticing passersby to part with their hard earned cash. When you need to rid your home of some belongings, take the following tips seriously in order to have a successful garage sale.
Having a successful garage sale depends on myriad factors. A garage sale requires more than merely a yard full of nostalgic items no longer of use in your household. Tips for having a successful garage sale include pre-sale factors as well as the day of factors. If you wish to have a truly successful garage sale, one in which all (or most) items are purchased, you need to pay attention to all of the different potential problems and minor catastrophes that arise.
When the house, shed, and garage become too cluttered, it is time to rid yourself of some accumulated items. Having a garage sale is a great way to clean up your immediate surroundings, and to regain some control over your space. A garage sale can also net you some pocket money, while forcing you to doff some seldom used clothing, knick-knacks, or appliances. A successful garage sale is not as simple as hauling out your so-called junk and slapping down some price tags. A garage sale needs to be properly planned in order to be successful.
Garage sale success depends on many factors. The tips and strategies for an effective and successful garage sale include; having a wide variety of merchandise for sale, dependable advertising, accommodating weather, heady organization and clever pricing. A successful garage sale is not solely defined by making a lot of money, rather by selling all of your stuff. You do not want to have to tote anything back into your house, garage, or shed. A truly successful garage sale has you sold out of items early in the morning, freeing up your remaining portion of day.
Quality or rare items are a must for the success of your garage sale. The items that you are selling at your garage sale is very important to its success. Not only should you have a wide variety of items for sale, from children's toys and clothing to furniture and tools, but it should be timely as well. You do not want to be selling winter coats in early spring or during a sweltering heat wave in July. Clearly think through your items, as some may need to be kept until another garage sale down the road a few months.
Ideally, you want to appeal to as many people as possible so as to maximize your customers. All of your stuff should be in good repair, and should be clean and presentable. If something that you are selling is electric or battery operated, have them set up so that a potential customer can see for themselves that the item works.
Another tip for having a successful garage sale is to make sure your pricing is at a par with other garage sales. This can be achieved by attending several garage sales and taking note of the pricing schemes for similar items. The pricing of your items should be reasonable, but should also allow some wiggle room for the finicky people that desperately seek for a deal. Your prices should be written clearly, and fastened to the item if possible.
All people working your sale should be aware of the prices, and what price is acceptable in terms of selling to someone that is finagling to beat the band. If you price it to break even, people will not buy your stuff. Place reasonable prices on items, and bulk some things together in order to move the items. For example, if you are selling infant onesies, put them together in bulk for a decent price in hopes of selling the items quickly. Depending on your sale items, and the space that you are working with, you could even set up your yard so that items in certain locations are all one price, and this could enable you to save money and time on the pricing portion of the garage sale.
Still yet another tip for having a successful garage sale is to be prepared to make change all day, for all sorts of transactions. The day or two prior to the garage sale, go to the bank and get lots of change, both in coin and bills. Many people make quick stops at bank machines when they stumble upon a garage sale, and therefore might be looking to spend very little, and only have $20.00 bills. Have excessive change on hand, as you can always return this to the bank the following day. Running out of change could leave you accepting far too little for an item, or watching a person saunter off to spend their money at someone else's garage sale, thus rendering yours unsuccessful.
Advertising is a key tip for having a successful garage sale. Advertising in the newspaper can be a tad pricey, so avoid this if at all possible. Depending on your location, you may get sufficient drive by traffic without advertising. Try and advertise in your local weekly news that is free to all homes. This will reach a large number of people. Advertise on sites such Kijiji or Craigslist that are specific to a region. Social networking sites such as Facebook can give you a large audience to mention your garage sale to, and these friends may stop by to check out your supply. You could also send out a quick email to all of your contacts, as this may drum up some extra business.
When you advertise, your word choice is of extreme importance. Make sure to catch the eye of those reading the ad so that they make a point of circling your ad as one that they will attend. Use key words such as kids, large selection, something for everyone, great deals, and so forth. Mention your plans in case of intermittent weather, so that people know if you can move into a garage or shed for your sale. Have a start time that is earlier than most, so that you may get people right away that have yet to spend their money elsewhere.
Marketing your garage sale is of prime importance. People need to know that there is a sale, and the exact time and location. Street signs are vital to the success of most garage sales. People that are driving around in search of garage sales need signs that accurately direct them to your house. Place your signs in advance of any side streets or major intersection turns. Have them placed at a good height, and on brightly coloured poster boards. The signs should be written in thick black marker, with excellent penmanship.
Talk to other people on your street and see if anybody else is willing to have a garage sale on the same day. Street sales are usually very lucrative. The success of a street sale is also in the shared expense of the advertising. Street sales are fun, and can bring people together. Also, your neighbour may be able to direct a customer to your sale for a particular item that they do not have.
Getting up early and setting everything up is essential. You do not want people to drive by your house before you have things set up. Sprawl all of your items around the yard so that people can see all of your wares. Play music, and be lively. Be proactive with your customers and remain positive. Try out a sales pitch or two, and see if you can't peddle your wares more effectively in this manner.
Successful garage sales typically follow these guidelines. Make certain to not make any simple mistakes that will leave you lugging all of your belongings back into your house and finding places to put the things you hoped to rid yourself of in the first place. If you have a successful garage sale, you will be more apt to continue this practice, and many garage sale aficionados will recognize your sale and return time and again.