Garage Sale Instructions

Tips to Have a have a
well planned, and
successful garage sale.

Garage Sale
Tips

 garage sale sign

Garage Sale Pricing
And Tips

 A garage sale can bring
in a good amount of
solid cash.
You can turn unwanted
and unneeded items into
cash and in the bargain
you get to de-clutter
your home.

There is a lot of
preparation and a good
amount of organizing to
have a successful garage
sale, the benefits are
worth it and you get
out what you put into it.

There is a satisfaction
at the end of the day
that makes it all worth
while.

Preparation
for a Garage Sale

 Find a place in the garage,
basement, or a room
where you can place
items for a future garage
sale.

The night before the sale
move all the items closer
to where you will have
your sale,

In the early morning you
can quickly move all the
items into place.
People searching for
bargains, will arrive
early.

Garage Sale
Sign

 The garage sale sign can
make the difference
whether someone will
come to your sale and
stop and shop, or just
drive by.

You can buy ready made
garage sale signs, or you
can make your own.
A home made large
colorful sign works even
better than store-bought
signs, people like creativity
and this reflects on what
you may have for them
at your sale.

Bland signs, often translate
into bland products.

Buying and placing colorful
balloons out in front of
your yard works very well
to draw in customers.

Direction arrow signs
placed at different roadway
intersections work best.
Not all people are familiar
with street addresses.

Large letters signs that
can be read at a distance
work best.
Test your sign, place it
at a distance of 50 feet,
walk past it and see if
you can read it.

People driving through
intersections only have
time for a glimpse, so
your sign has to say it
all in few words.

Use stiff cardboard to
keep it from sagging
and bending and
flapping.

Advertising
Your Garage Sale

 Keep you advertising costs
down, use as much free
advertising as you can
possibly get.

Any money put into
advertising comes out
of your profits from
the garage sale.

Use free web sites such
as at work, Craig's List,
and Kijiji, which will get
the attention of internet
users.

Early in the morning of
the sale, place your
colorful home made signs
on telephone poles at
busy street corners.

Make sure the signs
provide clear instructions
that direct people to
your place.

The lettering has to be
very large, clear enough
for drivers to read the
sign, without stopping.

Large arrows work best
for directing.

Talk to friends and make
up signs that they can
post at work.

Remember to remove
the signs, and any nails
from the poles at the
end of the day.

Item
you are Selling

 All items for sale must
be clean and in presentable
condition.

If an electric item does
not work, state this on
the item, someone may
still want to buy it for
parts.

Have an electrical extension
cord handy so the customer
can test electrical devices.

Anything that may seem
like junk to you, can be
seen as a treasure to
someone else, keep this
in mind when pricing.

Pricing Items in
Your Garage Sale

 If you are not sure how
to price an item go with
one tenth of the original
price.
Price higher on items
more sought after.

Antiques and jewelry go
for higher prices, as high
as the market can bear.

Keep in mind that most
of these items are things
you want to get rid of,
so price very low.

Remember at the end
of the day, anything not
sold, you have to carry
back into the house.

Price all your books at
25 to 50 cents each,
whether magazine,
hard or soft cover.

There will be some
exceptions.

Books must be laid out
on something like a tarp,
so one can see the cover
of each book, without
picking it up.

If possible place same
authors in the same spot,
you may end up selling a
bunch of the same author
in the one sale.

Place a small bench or
chair where people can
sit and look over the
books that they are
interested in.

Use masking tape and
a felt marker to price
items.
Price all items in even
numbers to make giving
change easy.

Price nothing under 25
cents.

Do all the pricing the night
before the sale.

Furniture is more in demand
and can be priced high.

Always price items a little
higher than what you want
to get, you can bargain with
the customer and drop the
price a little, and still get the
value you wanted, out of the
item.

If you are not sure you
really want to sell an
item, price very high.
If you sell it, fine, if not,
that's okay too.

Have a small box that
you can keep in a safe
location to make change.
Have an assortment of
bills and coins.

Keep plastic grocery bags
and boxes for your garage
sale.

Customers will use these
to take away the items
they have bought.

Adult Clothes do not sell
well in a garage sale.
They need special storage
to keep them in good
shape, and take up too
much room at your
garage sale.

Children clothes and toys
sell very well.

It is advisable to take all
clothes in the very best
of condition to a
consignment store, you
will get your best value
there.

Take all other unwanted
clothes that you have
not worn in the last 2-5
years, but may still be
of use to a Salvation Army,
Value Village, or thrift
store.

Someone else will find
use for these clothes.

Encourage others in the
neighborhood to have a
garage sale the same
day, buyers love a
neighborhood garage
sale.

If you are by yourself
and your neighbor is
also, you may want to
cover for each other
during a snack, or
bathroom break.

Have your sale on the
first weekend of the
month, this is just after
payday for most people.

The night before the sale
have your table and garage
sale items moved closest
to the outside as possible,
you must get setup and all
your items out as quickly
as possible.

There is always someone
who will turn up earlier
than you want them too
and you can't be in two
places at the same time.

State on your sign the
time the sale starts, and
then start a hour before
that time setting up.

Provide yourself with
a chair, something to eat
and drink, once the sale
starts, you will only
have a moment here
and there to eat and drink.

Only accept cash, unless
you know the person.

Place a free box by the
curb and place anything
in it that you think has
no sale value, but may
still be of use to
someone.
This promotes a happy
feeling for the shopper.

If they are looking at
the free box, they may
also buy a priced item.


Have a felt pen with you
throughout the day, products
that are not selling may
need to have their prices
lowered.

Be alert, watchful,
available, and helpful.

Enjoy the sale.

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Garage Sale, Tips for
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