Host a Slam-Dunk Garage Sale

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Host a Slam-Dunk Garage Sale

by lucy riles posted Wednesday, August 4, 2010

filed under: family

Lucy Riles: These days, everyone could benefit from a little extra cash in their pockets ... so get to work and clean house! Here are some tips.
garage sale

More Space to PlaySimplify your life by clearing out clutter in your home. This will score you some extra space for the kids to play and for you to host your next dinner party. Free yourself from those tacky margarita glasses, Hawaiian shirts and the exercise bike from the early '90s that you will never use again. As they say, one person's junk is another person's treasure!

Yard Sale To-Do List
Go through closets, garage bins, cabinets ... every nook and cranny you can, and gather unwanted yet sellable items of all shapes and sizes.

Label Three Trash Bags or Boxes "Trash," "Keep" and "Sell"

Pretty self-explanatory. If you are someone who has a hard time parting with your stuff, have your spouse or a friend there for moral support to ask you each time: "Have you really worn or used this in the past few years?" If the answer is no, get it out of your house!

Price the Items You'll Be Selling

You can either use individual labels or buy those color-dot stickers and indicate that anything with a red dot costs a dollar, anything with a blue dot is fifty cents, etc. People who shop at yard sales love a good deal, so pair up items (i.e., a pair of shoes and a purse = $10). You could even have tables labeled "$5 to $10," "$1 to $5" and "Under $1."

Publicize Your Sale

Hang signs early that morning to attract passersby, and/or put an ad in your local newspaper or PennySaver. Be sure to list big-ticket items (fridge, baby furniture, sofas)! Just remember to take down your signs once the sale has ended.

Style Your Sale

Presentation is key -- shoppers are more drawn to an organized layout than complete chaos. Organize your items by price or category (clothes, kitchen, kids). The better the presentation, the more likely it is that your shoppers will buy!

Offer Fun Extras

While you're at it, why not hold a bake sale and/or have a lemonade stand at the same time? Who says you can only sell stuff at your sale? Bake some fresh treats for your shoppers to enjoy while they sort through comic mags and your old VHS collection. Package a homemade Rice Krispies Treat/brownie/cookie combo for $1. If your kids want to play a part, have them set up a lemonade stand that your shoppers cannot resist!

Deal with Unsold Items
"What happens if half of my items are not sold?" you ask? Here's the answer: Donate, donate, donate! Do NOT bring those items back into your home. Take them down to your local homeless shelter, Salvation Army or Goodwill ... those people need them a lot more than you do! Make sure to ask for a receipt, and itemize what you donated so you can write it off come tax season. Everyone wins in this situation!