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Yard Sales
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Okay…my husband and I are planning for our first yardsale at the end of May. Neither of us have ever had a yard sale before, so I wanted to see if I could get any pointers from those who have had yard sales-what have you found makes it profitable for you, and from yard sale attenders-what do you like/dislike in a yard sale, and what draws you to certain ones?
thanks!!
I’ve never had much luck having yard sales, but here’s what I like to see when I go to them-ORGANIZATION! I refuse to look at clothes that are in piles. Fold them or hang them. If you can do this by size and gender, that’s even better. It would be nice if books were arranged so that all the spines could be seen and arranged by picture book, chapter books, etc. If you’re selling bedding or other linens, label the sets with the size. Make sure all the toys still work, have all their pieces, etc.
We do a sale every spring. I love meeting the people who come and an excuse to spend two days with my girlfriends! I agree with the above post and one word of warning, we have always had stuff stolen. I realize it is stuff we are trying to get rid of, but just watch your things, especially your cash box. And if you are in your garage, cover things with a sheet or tarp that you don’t want to sell. That way too, people who may be scouting places to steal from later won’t know what you have worth taking (like valuable tools, bikes, etc) My husband is a health and safety man by trade so we are always keeping an eye out for things that are out of the ordinary. Not to discourage you, but keep your eyes open! I hope you do so well you cover your entire school budget for the year and then some!
We just had a very successful garage sale. I think my biggest piece of advice is to advertise the sale in your local paper. It’s well worth the cost. Put the types of things you are going to have in the sale, because it will draw people looking for specific things. For exmaple, I had craft and scrapbooking stuff at ours and we had several people come to just look at that stuff and I sold all of it. Also, people come looking for electronics and furniture so if you have those make sure to advertise it.
I also think having items up off the ground helps. I notice that the things on the ground get ignored often unless it’s a large item. So, we borrow tables from our church each time we have a garage sale.
I’m always surprised at what sells and what doesn’t. I think yard sales are fun though a little stressful, but well worth the profit in the long run. Good luck!
Don’t forget you can also advertise for FREE on craig’s list. You can even post pictures of some of the larger things. I think furniture and kids things are a big draw, if you can get a neighbor or two to join you so you can advertise it as a neighborhood sale then people can feel like there’s more opportunity for them to get what they are looking for.
I have done many yardsales and like to go to yardsales too. Here is some of my advice:
Put some signs up that have big bold arrows on them to show which way to turn.
Price everything…might be stickers on items or just a sign that says all clothes 1 dollar each, etc
Don’t price too high and don’t be unwilling to negotiate.
I personally don’t mind going through piles of clothes on a blanket and if you have many hispanics like we do, they don’t mind either and they usually buy tons of clothes at yardsales.
If you say the sales starts at 6am, people WILL show up earlier and knock on your door to take a look at things. If you don’t want this to happen, just add “No early birds” right after your time listed to start.
Have some grocery bags on hand for your shoppers to use if they need to.
Have lots of change…people love to give you a 20 dollar bill to buy a fifty cent item.
Towards the end you might try to get rid of things by, for example, fill up this paper bag with as many clothes as you want for 5 dollars….or toys, books, etc.
It’s great to have a blanket layed out on the grass, away from the road, with kids toys on it so little ones can play while mom and dad look around…the toys being for sale too, of course. :o)
Hope that helps. Have fun! :o)
OK – I come from a family of yard sale-ers, so I thought I’d add my .02! It’s in our blood!
Everything the others have said is great!
I’ll add that in my experience things sell better if they are priced.
We usually have a box of 50 cent clothing or maybe $1, but then there will be some more expensive brand clothing that you’ll want to put a price on and have hanging up if possible. (I’m always the one at check out, and I know which is which in case the price tag disappears…
For larger and more expensive items we use Craigslist now because you get people who are actually looking for that exact thing! I’d list the larger things now, and then if they don’t sell by then, you can put them in the sale.
You might consider placing your ad in the paper on both Friday and Sat. Some people map out their route ahead of time.
Do get plenty of change…I wear a little shoulder bag that has lots of little pockets in it – it has all of the change in it. (I wear it crossed over my chest and one shoulder so I’m not tempted to set it down – hope that makes sense) Then I take the larger bills in the house every now and then. I just get nervous with a cash box because there can be sooo many people there, and someone may distract you with a question….you know…. But the bag stays with me all the time so I’m free to leave the table – it’s also easy to leave w/ dh if I have to go in the house for a min.
Start saving your plastic bags now…
Make it fun! Give everyone who stops by a big “hello” and engage them in conversation – they’ll be more likely to buy from you. Send someone out for doughnuts if you can. Let the kids have a lemonade stand (depending on age and whether they would need help).
Be willing to negotiate – even if it’s just a little… If there’s something that you really are not sure about selling though – it’s OK to price it high, if you’d rather keep it than give it away…
Consider pricing everything at half price after 12, and then you could let people pack as much as they can into a box for $5 for whatever is left at maybe 1:30 or 2.
That’s all I can think of for now…good luck and have fun!
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