Don’t Overcomplicate $200: Easiest Yard Sale Tips!
Yesterday I didn’t want to do it. But I did.
For about a month my friend Jenny and I had been talking about holding a yard sale. In fact, we set the date and then the “stuff” started piling up in my garage …
When I tried to get out of the sale (Good Will sounded much easier), Jenny talked me back in to it. I think I have too many bad memories of making yard sales more difficult than they should be, from past years’ experience.
I don’t even price my items any more, until the morning of. Who cares if people are showing up while you’re putting stickers on the items?
My goal is to get the stuff out there, to move it on and out of my life.
DO THIS
1. Set the date (one month early)
2. Have the sale with a friend (way more fun)
3. Hang as many clothes that you can (especially dress, coats, jackets)
4. Buy pre-made stickers from the Dollar Store (cheap and quick)
5. Price the items after you have everything out (don’t stress on everything having to be perfect)
6. Don’t forget the pets (entertaining and never a dull moment)
7. Be friendly and have fun (be willing to engage with your buyers)
DON’T DO THIS
1. Turn people away if they come early (you don’t want to lose out on a sale)
2. Leave stuff in boxes for people to rummage through (stuff needs to be visible)
3. Forget to advertise (Craig’s list, local paper (only $3), signs out)
4. Overprice your items (you’ll lose biz)
5. Say no to offers (goal is to get rid of everything)
6. Want to hang on to things (remember it’s just stuff)
7. Go past noon (not worth going another 5 hours for $5)
We closed up by noon. The car was loaded with the “leftovers” and off to Good Will I went. We were $200 happier and what was my favorite part of the day?
Spending a solid 5-hour chunk of time with my friend. (Thanks for the fun, Jenny! And to Myrna who also joined up with us!)
Are you planning a yard sale this year?
(This post is linked to Rhoda’s at Southern Hospitality post: Yardsales this Week!)
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Started my purge this week. Giving myself a week to clean it all out. Will set a date. Thanks for the ideas. Now I need some clothes racks…any ideas?
ML
http://www.marylouisehagler.com
Facebook: Mary Louise Hagler
Southern Gardening & Hospitality
All great ideas. The last time I did a big sale I was moving from a house to a townhome and got rid of all of the garden equipment. The I moved from the townhome back to a house. Uh Oh.
But the one tip I think people have to remember? The offers. Expect them and be realistic. You know…bird in hand sort of thing. If someone made me a reasonable offer, I took it…waiting for a better one might just mean not selling the item at all. I ‘negotiated’ a couple of times but in the long run…my stuff was gone and I had $800. Whoo hoo.
Now I’m so careful about what I buy; if I don’t see it as something I love in ten years; that I couldn’t live without. Nope…well, maybe except for photo styling pieces; I can see that being a revolving door!