Garage sales are a great way to earn extra cash. However, if you want to be successful at this you should prepare and have everything ready for the big day.
Years ago, I organized a garage sale and it was successful! We made around $800 on that day, which is not bad for selling things that were not being used at home.
I used to go shop at garage sales a lot but now with a little toddler around the house, it gets a bit complicated to go hunt for great sales on weekends.
You can use the extra cash for a lot of things such as paying off debt, setting it aside in a savings account, saving for that special purchase, or anything you would like.
Garage sales are perfect for earning extra cash. If you thinking about organizing a garage sale very soon then, these tips are going to help you have a successful sale.
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10 Tips To Have A Money Maker Garage Sale
1. Collect Your Items
Garage sales are great for decluttering your house from things that you don’t want or have not been used for months or even years! Go room by room around your house and grab everything that you think must go. Besides closets and bedrooms don’t forget your attic and the garage; these places are usually full of things and most of the time shoppers would find them as a great value!
2. Advertise Your Sale
There are different places where you can advertise your garage sales such as Craigslist, Yard Sales Net, Yard Sale Search, Garage Sale Hunter, local newspapers, and even Facebook! Besides using online sites to advertise your sale try to put your announcement in the printed newspaper.
Also, make your own garage sale signs by utilizing colorful signs and placing them at strategic points such as road intersections or the entry of your neighborhood. This grabs the attention of potential shoppers. Don’t forget to put a sign in front of your house so buyers can see exactly where the sale is being held.
3. The More The Better
If you don’t have too many things to sell then, try to join forces with friends or other families around your neighborhood. In order to keep everything organized and differentiate who sells what, assign a colored price label to each family. This way at the end of the sale everyone will know how much they made…it is a straightforward method.
4. Price Your Items
Try to put a price on all items that are aimed to sell. It is preferable to do this with anticipation. Try to be realistic and price each item to sell so they can go to another home.
Don’t expect to get what you originally paid for that product, remember that the items you are selling were used and they are for sale “as is”.
Probably, you may get tempted to increase the price for some items, but keep in mind that people will usually walk away if they think that the price of the item is too high. Also, try to use colorful price labels so the price can be found easily on that item. I’ve used these useful labels, they were easy to locate on any item
5. Clean Your Stuff
Sometimes people that hold garage sales have their stuff really dirty or otherwise covered in dust… this is a no-no. Think like a shopper, nobody wants to buy stuff that is dirty or dusty and put it in their cars. So, try to put a little effort into cleaning your stuff before the sale.
6. Organize and Display Your Items
The night before the garage sale arrange your tables for display and try to put clothes on hangers. Also, group things by category so potential shoppers can find things more easily. It is recommended that you do all this the night before because believe it or not you will not have time to do it in the morning.
There are always “early birds” that will come before the time you are supposed to get the door opened and believe me, it can get overwhelming seeing how many people may show up early.
7. Keep Change And Your Phone Ready
You can easily lose some sales if you don’t have the appropriate amount of change. Try to have enough change in quarters, ones, fives, and tens. Also, there are some applications like Square that let you take credit cards for a minimum fee.
This is a great advantage to have on your phone. If for example, you are selling big items such as sofas, tables, etc and the buyer doesn’t have enough money on hand but wants to buy the item then, you can let him/her know that you also take credit cards! It will be more than likely that he or she will buy that particular item.
8. Be Ready to Negotiate Prices
Potential shoppers will always try to find the best bargain for their money. Even though you think that the “price is right” you should be ready to negotiate below that price. Usually, the rule of thumb is to price items a little higher but without turning shoppers off.
For instance, if you price an item for $12 or $15 your bottom line price could be $10 and so on. Keep in mind that potential buyers love to find great deals, so haggling is just part of the garage sale process.
9. Greet People
Being friendly doesn’t hurt anyone. Greet shoppers as they come so they can feel more comfortable and get a nice experience while shopping at your house. Greeting shoppers and being helpful when needed is a plus.
10. Find New Home For Leftovers
If at the end of the day you have some leftovers, make a plan for them. You can try to give away the things that no one bought. Also, you can donate them to a charitable organization.
You not only will help others when donating your items but it will also work in favor of your taxes. Just remember to make a list of all the items you are donating and when dropping off your boxes at the charitable organization claim your receipt.
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You can implement these tips on your next garage sale. With careful planning and organization, you can get a successful garage sale.
You will not only get rid of unwanted things around your house but you will also end up with a good amount of extra cash on hand!
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