There’s no doubt the garage sale has become a fixed part of our culture. Every Saturday people like clockwork, people come out in droves to browse and purchase bargain merchandise from their friends and neighbors. It’s become a national pasttime!
Why not take part in this national trend and make money at the same time? By hosting your own garage sale, you can not only make money but you can also declutter and remove from your home useless items you no longer have room for.
By following some simple guidelines, you can potentially triple the amount of money you make at your next garage sale:
1.Instead of hosting a solitary garage sale, recruit other members of your neighborhood to participate also. A neighborhood sale, in general, will bring in much larger crowds of buyers than will a single garage sale. You can also share the cost of advertising the sale in the newspaper which is a big bonus.
2. If your home is difficult to access, consider holding your sale in a more conspicuous location. Some businesses will allow you to use a corner of their parking lot to display your ware for a small fee. If you pick a high traffic location, this can be a gold mine!
3. Conduct an extensive advertising campaign. This should include a cleverly worded ad placed in the garage sale category of the newspaper as well as flyers distributed to bulletin boards in your area. Place garage sale signs at high traffic corners with your address clearly displayed. Try to avoid the amateurish looking signs you generally see advertising garage sales. Usually these signs are handwritten and have addresses that are difficult to read. This is not a good way to attract buyers!
4. Make sure items are neatly displayed with prices clearly displayed. Clothes are best hung up neatly on racks, not hastily laid out on a blanket on the ground. Group siimilar items together to encourage multiple purchases and make shopping easier.
5. Have some high demand items prominently displayed so they can be seen from the road. These might be items such a bicycle, electronic equipment, exercise equipment. This will encourage people driving by to stop.
6. Attach balloons to your signs and to your mailbox to attract attention and make it easier for buyeres to find you.
7. Have some lively music in the background to create a festive atmosphere. People will stay around long if you provide them with a pleasant shopping environment.
8. If you don’t have a large number of items to sell, sell some of your friends and neighbors items on consignment. Buyers are more likely to stop at your sale if they believe you have a large
9. Consider selling refreshments such as lemonade and baked goods. This will increase your sales as well as give people a reason to stick around.
10. Around the last hour of the sale, have a 50% off sale to clear out your remaining merchandise. Let people know you’ll be closing shortly and if they want the discount they need to act now!
11. Donate the leftover items to charity. Not only are you doing a good deed, you’re also allowed a tax write off.
Most of all, have fun hosting your next garage sale! After it’s over, use some of the money you’ve made to celebrate at a nice restaurant!