Instead of giving away unwanted items that have gathered dust around the house, many people turn to garage and yard sales to transform their clutter into some extra money. Yard sales may not be a ‘get rich quick’ scheme, but they present an environmentally friendly way to clean up a home. What’s more, they can be an ideal way to connect with neighbors and meet new people. Any money earned is an added bonus.
Statistics collecting resource Statistics Brain says that roughly 165,000 yard/garage sales take place in the United States each week. Nearly 700,000 people purchase something at those sales, leading to millions of dollars exchanging hands.
Yard sales may seem straightforward, but there are a few strategies to ensure such sales go boom rather than bust.
Choose the right date and time
Plan when to hold the sale by looking at the calendar and choosing an open weekend. Many people host their yard sales on Friday, Saturday or Sunday mornings, theorizing that this is when the most people will be free to browse their wares.
Begin early in the morning so that shoppers will not need to disrupt their schedules much to visit neighborhood sales. A 7 a.m. start time will attract the early birds and free up most of the day.
Advertise the sale
To reach the maximum number of shoppers, advertise your sale in various ways. Signage around the neighborhood announcing the sale is one method. Signs should be bold, simple and easily readable for passing motorists.
Place ads in local newspapers, online and on grocery store bulletin boards, and use social media to spread the word of the sale even further. Be sure to give ample notice of the sale so that shoppers can mark their calendars.
Make for easy browsing
Arrange goods for sale into categories and pay attention to presentation. You may generate more sales if items are easy to see and browsing is made easy. Put items you expect to draw the most attention near the end of the driveway to entice passers-by.
A neat and inviting appearance also may convey that you’ve taken care of your home and your belongings. Play some music and offer light refreshments to create a convivial atmosphere.
Price things reasonably
It’s tempting to overprice items, but a good rule of thumb is to mark things for one-half to one-third of the original value. Be open to negotiation, but try to haggle with a ‘buy one get one’ approach, rather than marking down the price considerably. After all, the goal is to get rid of as many items as possible, with financial gain a distant second.
