A yard sale is an excellent way to get items you no longer need out of your possession and into the hands of someone who wants or needs them. It’s also a great way to clear some space in your home and make a little extra money. A successful yard sale is one where most of the items you’re selling are gone at the end of the day. There are several steps you can take to make your yard sale successful.
Planning
As a general rule, you’ll have more success with a yard sale when you do some preparation prior to the sale. A top priority when planning a yard sale is to check the local rules and guidelines regarding rules, regulations and permits. Yard sale rules can vary from state to state and city to city.
Organization
Being organized prior to the day of the sale can relieve a lot of stress. You can save yourself some time if you pack yard sale items up in categories. By doing that, you can set them out more quickly on the day of the sale. Grouping similar items together makes it easier for buyers to shop. Pricing items as you put them in boxes or in the storage area you’re using for sale items is another way to save time.
Advertise
Advertising is the key to drawing customers. Advertise in as many places as you can. Put an ad in the local paper. Post signs in approved areas. Have family and friends spread the word. It helps to indicate why you’re having the sale. Shoppers are attracted to sales that they think will have numerous items and diverse items. A moving sale attracts lots of shoppers. Including eye-catching words such as “down-sizing, spring-cleaning, moving sale or estate sale” give shoppers an idea of what they can expect to find at the sale.
Pricing
It can be frustrating to yard sale shoppers if items aren’t priced. They don’t want to have to find you and ask the price of an item or wait while you’re with other shoppers to get a price on something. Having prices clearly visible can increase your sales. In some situations, you might want to simply post signs that indicate the price of books, clothing, movies or other groups of items that you’re willing to sell for the same price.
Flexibility
If you’re having a yard sale to reduce your accumulation of stuff prior to moving, it’s best to be flexible with prices. Even if you’ve hired an affordable moving company to move your stuff, you don’t want to move things you can’t use or don’t need. Make it easy on yourself and your budget by being negotiable with yard sale prices. After all, the main purpose is to get rid of the items, not to make a ton of money.
Yard sales are a popular way to relieve yourself of the burden of storing or moving items you don’t need. Whether you’re remodeling, moving or simply clearing clutter, a yard sale can be a good starting point. Greeting people with a smile and cheerful attitude when they arrive at your sale can increase the chances of them buying some of your items.
