Garage sales offer a great way to declutter your home, so why not grab a box and go through every room. Pick up anything you don’t want or haven’t used in months and throw it in. Don’t forget your wardrobes, attics, cellar, and garages, as these are usually treasure troves for garage sale finds. Don’t underestimate the value of what you find either, people are interested in buying all sorts of things from old CDs to unwanted bottles of perfume. After all, the worst case scenario is that something doesn’t sell. Tip: Have any old power strips, cell phone chargers, or USB cables you’re not using? Throw them in a separate shoe box to sell at the garage sale. It doesn’t matter if you’re not sure what that charger even worked for; someone may buy it.
The night before Pricing - It’s best if you price your items individually rather than just group them into boxes with one price sign. As the garage sale progresses, people will get the boxes mixed up and you’ll have a hard time keeping it organised. To price items, you could simply use a roll of masking tape and a Sharpie, which is a lot cheaper than going out and buying fancy price tags. Tip: Don’t increase your prices on the assumption that everyone likes to haggle. While many people do enjoy a good verbal match, some will just walk away if they think items are priced too high.
On the day Give yourself at least an hour before the garage sale starts to set everything out and put up the signs that will be emailed to you before the day. Make sure you have your change in a safe place, and find a comfortable, shaded area to sit. Tip: If your garage sale is hard to spot from the street, place a yard sale sign in front of your house so people know where to stop.
Be Prepared When preparing for your sale, think about what people might need or want. Do you have a lot of accessories for sale? Have a mirror available so people can see how they look. Selling electronics or small appliances? Have batteries or an extension cord handy so they can see that it works.
Be tidy Borrow or rent tables so people don’t have to bend over or crouch down to inspect items on the ground. Group like items together, kitchen items in one area, men’s clothes in one place, kids’ clothes in another. That’ll help people to easily see what you have on offer. Put big-ticket, bright and colourful items closest to the street to draw people in. Throughout the day, tidy up to keep things neat and orderly.
Be prepared with change. There’s nothing worse than making a sale and then realising you haven’t got the right change, so have to take less for an item. Be prepared with some bags of pound coins and some notes, because it’s inevitable someone will want to pay for a 50p item with a £20 note.
Be prepared with bags. Buyers often aren’t prepared themselves, so be prepared with carrier bags. And if you’re selling anything breakable, bubble wrap and tissue paper will also be handy.
Be prepared to haggle. It’s not just buyers that need to be determined to haggle. If you think something you’re selling is worth a lot more than the buyer is willing to pay, stand your ground and don’t budge. If they want it that badly, they will be back, and will eventually pay the price you want.
Be prepared to sell anything. What may be junk to you may be a gem to someone else. So even if you think no one will want to buy a rusty old saucepan, jigsaw with three pieces missing, teddy bear with half its stuffing pulled out, it’s always worth taking everything you’re willing to part with. Whatever you don’t sell can then just be saved for the next car boot, charity-shopped or taken to your nearest recycling centre.
Be Comfortable. It could be a long day, so be sure to make yourself comfortable. Wear comfortable clothing, shoes, a hat and sunscreen etc. and make sure that you have easy access to your kettle! Make It a Party. Supermarkets play music for a reason: It entices people to stay longer and spend more. Crank up the tunes, put out some cookies and lemonade, and make people feel welcome. Also, consider keeping a fridge full of ice-cold water, soft drinks and teas for sale — or get the kids involved and hold a beverage sale within the garage sale.