One of my most favorite things about summer are the yard sales! I just love going bargain hunting! And the only thing better than going to a yard sale is having a yard sale. Why? Because you can make more pocket money to spend at other yard sales! Oh, and you clear out all your junk while you're at it! So if you plan on having a yard sale, there are a few things you need to know. Keep on reading for 7 tips for having a yard sale!
The first step towards having a good yard sale is good advertisement. People won't come if they don't know it's there! Have your yard sale on the side of your house that faces the road if possible. Make big, colorful signs and place them at the end of your driveway, both ends of your street, and a few of the main intersections of your town. Be sure and write your address! You could even blow up a few balloons for added attention. Also, advertising in the paper is a great idea.
Remember this: No one wants to dig through a box of your dirty smelly clothes. Or step in dog poop or smell your overflowing trash by the back door. Make sure your yard is clean and the items you are selling are clean. I don't mean sparkling clean, just decently clean. I've been to a few yard sales that I can't say were exactly the cleanest places! Make sure that your yard sale is one people will tell their friends to come too!
A good yard sale will have a little bit of organization to it. I'm not talking about rows of color co-ordinated clothes and toys lined up by size. But please don't toss everything into a few huge boxes and throw them out on the lawn. Have a few tables set up that you can spread your things out on. If you don't have a portable clothes rack, then create a makeshift one with rope! Lay down blankets or tarps to put things like purses or shoes on.
Ok, this is where I tend to get a bit anal. When I go yardsaling, I'm buying used things. Now I understand that a lot of people take good care of their stuff. But if I want to pay $7 for a shirt, I can go to aeropostale in the mall and buy a brand new shirt for $7 bucks off the sale rack. Price your items accordingly! If you have something like a TV, a wedding dress, or an exercise bike, you can price these items a bit higher. But for regular clothes that have been worn before, dishes, DVDS, toys and other such things, keep your prices reasonable. Good yard sale prices range from 25 cents to a few dollars.
Yes, I'm serious! Offering freebies at your yard sale will draw a crowd. Have a box of items that you planned to throw out anyway and mark it "Free Items". Old magazines, t-shirts, small toys or other such items are great for this box. It's also a good idea to have bags for people to put their purchases in. Plastic grocery bags are fine. Keep a stash on hand with your calculator so you can have a speedy checkout!
After people have been out in the hot sun all day, they tend to get thirsty! Have a cooler full of drinks for 50 cents apiece available for your customers. Soda, water, juice and other non-alcoholic beverages are great choices. You can also have candy bars, crackers or chips available. If you like to cook, home-baked treats are always a hit especially early in the morning when people want breakfast!
My favorite time of the day to yard sale is later on in the afternoon. They say you get the best deals in the early morning, but I think you can get the best deals in the late afternoon! By then people are tired and ready to close up. As your last few customers ramble on through, offer everything at half price. After all, you just want to get rid of all your junk, right? You certainly don't want to pack it all up again! I even went to one yard sale where they were closing up, and they actually GAVE me everything that was left over! I got some great deals out of that one!
The best tip I can give you for having a yard sale, is use your discretion. Treat others the way you would want to be treated and try to have reasonable prices. The point of a yard sale is to get rid of your junk and make a little extra cash so go for it! D you think you'll be able to have a great yard sale after reading these tips?
Top image source: instoresnow.walmart.com