Planning a Yard Sale?
Here are a few tips I find to be helpful:
The first steps are Gather, Clean, Price, Advertise.
- Talk to your neighbors and have sales on the same day. Multiple sales in one area attract more people.
-Advertise: facebook, craigslist, www.yardsalesearch.com, newspapers, bulletins, etc. and don't forget signs! (date, time, location, arrows - large, bold, neat printing so people driving by can read it).
-Expect early birds. If you don't want them, say so in your advertising.
- Remember to get lots of change. Don't accept checks, unless you know the person.
-Have some plastic/paper grocery bags for your customers to use.
-Price items to sell, and remember people often try to talk you down in price.
-Clean your items up and display them neatly. Keep things looking neat, not a jumbled mess.
- Make sure the area is safe for your customers (dips, holes in the yard or driveway, items that could be tripped on, etc. If you have a dog, you might not want to have it too close to the sale, some people are afraid of dogs, and you don't want the dog jumping on customers.)
-Remember to check pockets of item you are selling-- especially coats and purses. Flip through your books to check for receipts, pictures, or whatever else you may have used as a bookmark. (I once found an old credit card in a book I bought at a yard sale).
- Place bigger sale items out front, visible from the road. If someone driving by sees there is good stuff and not just "junk" they'll be more likely to stop.
-Keep smaller, valuable things close to you.
-Use an apron with pockets to keep your money on you. If you use a money box, don't walk away from it.
-Don't have items at the sale that you don't want to sell.
- Don't hover over your customers, be available for questions and pay attention, but don't follow them around or comment on everything they pick up.
- Remember to take snacks, drinks, sunscreen, your phone, etc. out with you.
-Tag all of your items, it may take forever, but people are more likely to buy when there is a price. They don't want to ask you about everything they look at.
-Consider having a sale at your sale (when things might be slowing down, have a half price table or even make a sign that says all items now half off -- if you really want to clear your stuff out).
-Make sure you take your signs down afterwards.
Good luck!
Have any other tips, advice, or yard sale experiences you want to share? -- Let us know!
