Garage & Yard Sale Planning Tips & Tricks

The season is almost upon us ... but the time to plan is NOW.  Even though we have a little under 3 weeks until Spring officially arrives, there are de-cluttering exercises, sorting, cleaning, and donating projects that need to be done in order to properly prepare.  Here are a few tips & tricks to get you on your way and PLEASE submit your own tip or trick in the comments, regardless of how trviail you think it might be.

Set a date.  Do this well in advance.  Don't choose a holiday weekend.  Pray for good weather.  Know when the large employers in your area pay their employees and another thing is to consider Social Security check paydates.  Try to set your date as soon after as possible.

Decide what to sell.  In addition to the things you've collected in your initial purge, right before the yard sale, supply everyone in your family with a box or two that they can fill with additional items that they are ready to sell.

Collect sale items.  Sort and box similar items.  This will save time later when you are setting up.  Store everything neatly in the garage (or basement, perhaps).

Tell your neighbors.  Let your neighbors know about the sale - encourage them to have a sale on the same day.  The more sellers, the more people you'll attract to the sale.  Perhaps several of you could split the cost of the ad, saving your on upfront expenses.  It's also helpful to know where others' sales are in order to direct interested customers.  No one can direct them to you if they don't know it's happening!

Tell the world.  Yard sales are all about advertising.  Put large colorful signs on al major roads.  keep all signs the sme color with clear directions, the address, and the time.  Use humor to draw crowds.  Take out ads in local papers and put notices in local supermarkets or other places there are community notice boards.  Try listing the yard sale online (or HERE or HERE) or in free community newspapers as well.  Email friends and family and ask them to do the same for you.

Attach price tags.  Clearly price everything with masking tape and bright markers.  Affix the price on the top of the item, not the bottom.  Price tags should be relative in size to the item (use a full-sheet for a tag on a sofa vs. a sticker on a vase).  As a rule, price things at a quarter to a third of what they would cost brand-new, but look at things objectively.  If you run short on time, signs can be good substitutes to individual prices on books, clothing, etc. as long as the sign cannot be misconstrued (like "All Books 25¢).  You could even use small colored stickers to denote items for which you'll accept whatever bargaining is necessary --- that makes it easier for helpers and family members to get the sale done.

Enlist helpers.  Assign your helpers specific tasks like managing the crowd, answering questions, making sales, taking payments, and providing laughter and fun.  Kids can hand out free lemonade or punch to keep people browsing longer in hot weather.  Silly kids can dress up in funny garb and provide some entertainment, too.  :)  I know my kids drew in a handful a few years ago when they decorated brown bags and wore them on their heads (with eye holes, too, of course) while they danced.  People HAD to slow down to find out what was going on!  You can even have a helper drive around the neighborhood to let other yard sale hosts know about your sale so you can direct customers to eachother.

Be prepared.  Have an extension cord handy so people can check electric items.  Have shopping bags or boxes handy to help people collect and carry goods away.  If the sale is in your yard, make sure the grass has been cut recently, but not too recently.  Fill in any ruts that might cause someone to trip or fall.  Lastly, make a sweep and confirm that no poop-scooping needs to be done ... even if you don't have a dog!

Display is important!  Display your more interesting items or best deals ($10 vacuum) at the end of the driveway to lure customers in.  Make sure there are interesting items for men and women alike (lawn mowers and tools get the men at the wheel to stop and visit with their wives).  Put like things together.  Use tables to make viewing items easier.  Borrow clothing racks.  Have a great layout of goods so that people can easily see everything.  Another great tip is putting toys from sets within ziploc'd plastic baggies.  You could even make grab bags like this and then staple the top so there's no swapping between sets. 

Get some sleep.  On the night before the sale, put a sign in front of your house that reads 'ABSOLUTELY NO EARLY BIRDS' or else you'll have people knocking on your door before the sun is up. No matter how much you want to get done last-minute the night before, resign to get adequate sleep so you're at your best the next day.  If you'll have helpers, you'll probably get a few extra things done during set-up that might've robbed you of precious sleep the night before.

Manage the money.  Have a ot of small change handy - use a fanny pack to keep the money safe and in one place.  When selling clothes - make sure you've checked all the pockets!!!  Also, add items up yourself, don't just take a customer's word for the total due.  Some use this as a ploy to sneak by with a hidden high-priced item.  Don't accept checks unless it's from someone you know and trust.  Consider posting a sign that says "All Sales Final" to avoid hassles the next day.

Bargain.  The idea of the sale is to get rid of everything.  Bargain like crazy - offer to add items for an extra 50¢.  Five books for the price of three, four shirts for the price of two - you get the idea.  An hour before you are due to finish, slash prices to clear the merchandise!  Add a sign at the street to highlight the price reduction, too!

Get rid of everything. Arrange for a charity to pick up what is left.  Don't take anything back into the house!  If there are items you can put on consignment at a local consignment store, then set them aside, but schedule a time to drop them off within the next week OTHERWISE donate them to charity.

ABOVE ALL keep your sense of humor and make the day enjoyable for all.  Encourage people to haggle and make a game of it.  You'll sell more stuff and have more fun.

Do YOU have any other valuable tips???  We'd LOVE to hear them! 

Want to learn more tips and tricks from a pro?  Visit the YardSaleQueen's website HERE.  Geared for both sellers ans shoppers alike, there's sure to be something for everyone!

To get articles related to de-cluttering, organizing, and keeping your sanity, visit and.or join Declutter & Organize F.A.S.T. here on Gather.  We learn from and follow the principles given in Peter Walsh's book "It's All Too Much".