Yard sale advice

I've never had a yard sale and want to have one in the fall. Need to start getting organized. I will be selling furniture, clothing, kids toys and other misc stuff.

Please share any advice for a successful yard sale! How do I know how to price things?

Yard sale advice

Are you having it for 1 day or 2?

I've done MANY yard sales.

-Advertise (craigslist, facebook group, newspaper)
-Put up signs (we usually put them up first thing that morning)
-Pull out everything you want to sell beforehand and price it
-Have change (dollars and quarters)
-Check ebay prices on anything worthwhile. Everything else, price to sell. Do you really want to lug it back into your garage/attic/basement?
-Be negotiable (people will always low ball)
-If it's going to be hot, have shade for yourself and I like to have small bottles of cold water for those who stop by
-Plenty of tables. i like when people can really see what you are selling instead of having to rummage through boxes
-Plastic bag (people tend to buy more smaller things if you can offer them a bag)
-For 2 day sales, I lower the prices of anything left over on day 2
-Not too many people yard sale after 3-4 pm. And think about the start time carefully. I usually make my sales from 9-3 (prime time).

Good luck! I love doing yard sales. Great way to get rid of things you don't want / need and get them to a good home, plus make a little money.

Yard sale advice

Price everything! If I go to a yard sale and there is no price stickers on anything, and I have to ask how much something is, I just leave! There is nothing more annoying that that!

Hang clothes up

Yard sale advice

I'm not sure I can do it for 2 days lol Maybe I should have it 1 day for my
first one. What do you do if it rains? Also do you purposely price items a little higher knowing no one wants to pay asking price and will want to negotiate?

Yard sale advice

I would just do one day, two days is too much work. I would also do a Saturday as opposed to Sunday, since people go to church on Sunday.

If it rains, I wouldn't have it.

I priced things dirt cheap. Shoes for a buck, clothes like .50. And people STILL tried to haggle. One lady came and told me to give her a price for EVERYTHING I had, and she would pick it up later. I thought she was insane. So I kept continuing on with my sale, then she came back after I had packed everything up, and told me she wanted to buy the rest. Then she said she would be back to fill up her shopping cart with the rest (it was a lot of stuff!!!). She said she sends the stuff to other countries to those in need. There was no way this was fitting in her shopping cart, so we ended up driving it all to her house (she lives right around the corner). It was beyond weird... BUT, this is the best part. About a year later, she was on the news, and her house was being condemned by the town because she was WAY over occupancy limits. She had people living in closets, in divided rooms in the basement, and in the SHED in her backyard!!! You wouldn't have known it from seeing the outside of her house..it was nice. But, she still lives there (minus all the people), and that is why I won't have a yard sale again! haha!

Message edited 8/1/2017 9:33:13 PM.

Re: Yard sale advice

Start early, end early. EVERY time we have had a garage sale the hardcore garage sale shoppers are out early, 8-2 or 9-3 is the perfect time. By late afternoon, everyone is off doing other things and it gets REALLY quiet. I never bothered doing 2 days, 1 was always enough.

Have REALLY good signage. Direct people into your neighborhood with signs, use brightly colored markers, and write very legibly. Also, be kind and take your signs down once the garage sale is over.

You don't have to make your things dirt cheap but price them reasonably and expect that people will haggle. Also, have everything priced before you put it out.

Use tables and racks to display your items. The nicer you make everything look the more people will be interested. I know for myself, I have no interest in weeding through someone's junk that's all jumbled in a box. It is unappealing. Use bright plastic tablecloths and lay things out so you can see them well........it will make people want to buy more.

Have plenty of change on hand. I usually go to the bank and get a bunch of singles, fives, and change.

Often overlooked but be friendly. The more welcoming and chatty you are the more people will look around and buy.

Have some plastic bags on hand so people can pack up what they buy.

Make deals for like items. Sometimes people want a few similar things like a bunch of toys or a few handbags. Instead of nit picking and adding up every individual tagged price just give them "one price for all" and knock off a few bucks. People like to feel like they are getting a deal.

Yard sale advice

Thank you for all the advice and sharing your stories! It really is so helpful - I am easily overwhelmed! I have so much to get rid of and would like to make a few bucks on it at least. I have big pieces of furniture - like coffee table, end tables, chair and ottoman etc. Do people buy furniture at yard sales or is that better saved for facebook sales?

Re: Yard sale advice

People definitely buy furniture at yard sales. You may get more $ if you do a FB sale than a yard sale. But it couldn't hurt to try to sell at the yard sale and then do a FB listing after if something doesn't sell. Are you able to bring some of the pieces out or will people need to go inside?

I usually put the big, nice looking stuff out closer to the front of the yard so when people do a "drive by" they will see them and want to stop.

Yard sale advice

IMO sell any big ticket items like furniture on those garage sale type apps on your phone.

also I think yard sales are a waste of your time. People will expect to pay nothing for stuff. So don;t expect to make much money and the work you put in isn't worth it. After I had one last fall I decided never again.

Re: Yard sale advice

Re: Yard sale advice

Sometimes I wonder though if the tax deduction from donating it to say a Savers where they give you a receipt for taxes would be worth more than what you make at a garage sale if you factor in all the work to prep it and give up a whole weekend
It's the time vs money thing in my eyes

Re: Yard sale advice

Re: Yard sale advice