I don’t know about you, but I have mixed feelings about garage sales.
On the one hand, they require a crazy amount of prep time, not to mention the hours spent hanging out in the garage during the actual sale. On the other hand, if you have a ton of items that tend to sell well at garage sales (i.e., kids’ clothing and toys, tools, etc.,) they can be a good option for cashing in after your spring declutter efforts.
My #1 piece of advice regarding garage sales is to be certain that the time and effort you will expend will be worth it in terms of the cash you anticipate bringing in.
With that being said, here are a few quick tips for running a successful sale.
Tip #1: Prominently Display your “Hot Ticket Items”
If you have a high demand item for sale (such as a larger kid’s toy), place the item in your driveway in a location that is easily viewable from the street. This will drive more foot traffic into your garage. Even if the shoppers don’t end up purchasing the hot ticket item, they will likely find something else to purchase at your sale.
Tip #2: Merchandise Your Items
Follow the lead of store merchandisers and make your display of items as attractive as possible. You also want to make the shopping experience enjoyable and easy by displaying items on tables (instead of placed on the driveway) and grouping like items together, just like the stores do. It doesn’t hurt to have some music playing in the background as well.
Tip #3: Price Everything
Prepping for your garage sale not only includes corralling all of the items that you want to sell out to the garage and setting up attractive displays. It also involves assessing the value of each item and putting a price tag on it. As part of the process, you may need to conduct a little research for higher ticket items to determine their value. I suggest taking a look at what similar items are selling for on Craigslist and Ebay to use as a guide in your pricing (which should be a bit lower in a garage sale).
Shoppers like to see price tags. It gives them a place to begin the haggle process. Be sure to factor in a bit of “haggle room” when you price your items.
Tip #4: Include Some Freebies In Your Sale
Who doesn’t love getting something for free? Including some giveaway items in your sale is a “win-win” for both you and your customers. It can be an easy way of removing “no value” items from your home that you may otherwise need to expend energy disposing of properly (e.g., half-used cans of paint, department store clothes hangers), while providing value to someone else who has a need for these items.
Tip #5: Document Items to Be Hauled off for Donation
When it’s time to pack up those items that did not sell, take photographs of the items while they are displayed on your tables before packing them up in boxes and loading them in the car for the donation site. Use the photos for reference later on to create an itemized donation receipt for tax purposes.
Click here to read more about what to do with all those unsold items.
Are you hosting an upcoming sale? Share some of your favorite tips for a successful garage sale by commenting below.
Interested in learning more about Natalie Gallagher or Refined Rooms? Visit www.RefinedRoomsLLC.com.
