If you have read my previous post on how to effectively advertise garage sales than your halfway there in making it effective.
After reading this you should be ready to go. The goal of your sale should be to unload a lot of the items that you no longer want or need, raise money, and to have fun while making this an enjoyable experience
What to Sell?
First off you must decide what to sell and what not to sell. In other words if it’s in the house or garage and you haven’t used it in a year and don’t think you will use it anytime soon than it is probably a good idea for you to get rid of it. Some items if they are absolutely useless to you give it away at the end of the day if you have to or if there is a local donation shelter/ goodwill nearby drop off the leftovers and take the tax write-off.
Pricing
Once you have deciphered what will be going on the lawn for sale you must set a price that will be flexible as most visitors will want to haggle and bargain with you. If you have to do some research on an item to find a fair value asking price it will probably be worth it as everybody knows the story of the man who bought a famous painting at a sale because the owner didn’t know any better and the end result was a serious of headaches and legal battles.
Just remember price sells and certain items sell better than others designer products, furniture, household items, and electronics are always big sellers.
Layout
Having a proper layout so that people passing by can effectively see your items in an uncluttered matter certainly helps. Letting people who may drive by notice a few big ticket items will help draw them in.
Change
Proper change is one of the biggest problems that I have run into at local yard sales/garage sales, there is nothing more frustrating to certain people than being shortchanged a couple bucks because nobody has proper change and than having a buyer flake out or offer you a lower price. It will most certainly help to go to the bank and get all the singles and change for your sale.
When
Certain days of the month are better for having a sale as most people get paid bi weekly so around the 15th of the month may be a good time to throw a sale. However, if you live in a town with a large amount of military personnel than the 1st of the month would be better suited as that’s when the government pays them. Be sure to investigate the situation for your town and the most successful garage sales tend to happen on Saturdays and Sundays because this is when most individuals have off of work and usually they go to multiple sales in search for that authentic Picasso for the price of a replica. Seasons are important if you live in Wisconsin the winter time probably will hinder your sale being outdoors but you can be innovative and heat up the garage or participate in a large indoor sale. On the issue of time the earlier the better, start around 7:00 A.M. to 8:00 A.M. and go till you have had enough, all the traffic has stopped, your stuff is all gone, or your ready to get rid of everything left that hasn’t sold.
Tips
Make sure all of your items are as clean as can be because nobody is going to buy your old clothes if they still have stains on them when all you may need to do is wash them before hand and with furniture, jewelry, and vases give them a thorough cleaning to have them appear shiny and pleasing.
To make the event more enjoyable for visitors and to bring in some extra cash sell food and drinks.
Multi-family sales tend to do better than single family because you have more items for sale and more people to help you advertise and spread the word.
Bags, tables, and other supplies are necessities when setting up the sale and will make it easier for your visitors.

So good luck and enjoy your sale just remember the most important piece of advice: Have fun.

# posted by GST @ 12:25 PM