A yard sale is the perfect way to get rid of stuff you don't want and make a little money at the same time, but it's all about when and how you have the sale. We've got tons of yard sale tips to help you maximize your success, including the best time to have a yard sale, how to advertise, and what to say to shoppers to make that sale.
Time Your Yard Sale Right
Give some thought to the time of year you have a yard sale. One of our favorite garage sale tips is to have the sale in the late spring. You'll get better weather than early spring, and people will be out and about. Summer works, too, though, so don't stress if you need to push it a few months.
Hold Your Garage Sale on a Weekend
Hold your garage sale on the weekend since that's when you'll get the most shoppers. Plan to have the sale on a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday since it can take three days to give people enough time to buy all your wares.
Plan to be open from the early morning (starting at 7:00 am or 8:00 am) until around 5:00 pm. You might cut the day short on Sunday if you find you've sold most of the things you want to.
Still have lots of stuff to sell at the end of the weekend? Keep things set up and just host the following weekend, too. It's a good idea to plan ahead in your schedule to leave the following weekend open in case you need to do this.
Include Other Families in Your Sale
Even when you know how to have a garage sales successfully, it can be quite a lot of work. Save time and energy by sharing the chore with neighbors or friends. Start by meeting a few months before the sale to plan where you'll have it and how you'll track everything, and then set it all up together. We promise you'll be glad you did.
Know What People Buy at Garage Sales
Although you can slap a sticker on anything you want, only some things sell really well at garage sales. One of our favorite garage sale tips is focusing your efforts on these items to help you make the most of your time and give you a more successful sale.
These are some of the things you're most likely to sell at your yard sale:
- Kitchen gadgets and dishes
- Antiques
- Hand and power tools
- Children's clothing
- Baby gear
- Toys
- Vintage clothes
Related: 10 Things Not to Sell at a Garage Sale (& What to Do Instead)
It's really important that the stuff you sell at your garage sale is in good condition. It doesn't have to look brand new, but if it's broken or not working in some way, you probably want to skip it.
Present Your Items Attractively
Knowing how to have a garage sale that makes a profit comes down to presenting your items in the best possible way. Don't stack a bunch of stuff on tables and hope for the best. Instead, clean everything well (dust doesn't sell) and group like items together to make it easy for shoppers to navigate your sale.
We like adding a table at the front with some of the coolest items on it. You can rotate these out as they sell, but it will help draw people into the sale.
Price Everything Clearly (& Set the Right Prices)
Once you know what you're selling and how you'll display, it's important to get your pricing strategy right. Think of this as communication. Shoppers need to know what things cost or where to start if they're planning to haggle. We like using simple stickers with even dollar amounts to minimize the math needed.
Related: 6 Helpful Tips to Price Garage Sale & Yard Sale Items
Have Lots of Cash Ready for Making Change
People usually shop with cash at garage sales, but that doesn't mean they're going to have exact change. One of the most important garage sale tips to keep in mind is having plenty of cash on hand. Think small bills and even coins, since you may be changing a lot of $20 bills.
You can make more sales if you also accept payments from a mobile cash app. It's worth getting this set up ahead of time and getting familiar with it.
Pick a Color for Your Garage Sale Signs
If you're making yard sale signs, choose one color for all the signs (like bright yellow or pink). That way, you can place them along common routes for getting to your house, making it easy for people to follow the signs to your sale.
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Advertise Your Sale Online and in Print
At least a week before the sale, start putting advertisements out there. You'll want to use the local paper (people still read it, and the online ads also get read). Don't forget other sites, too, such as Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and neighborhood groups.
If you belong to a church or community organization, also advertise in their newsletter or post flyers on bulletin boards.
Grab a Partner and Plan to Work All Sale
A garage sale means a busy weekend for you — there's just no other way to do it. Plan to work the entire sale, getting up between customers to keep your tables looking good and rotating the coolest stuff to the front.
You'll also want a partner for this. You need someone to help customers if you're already talking to someone. You also need to be able to leave for a few to use the restroom, get a soda, or grab some lunch.
Learn How to Have a Garage Sale Before Sale Day
You're already doing exactly what you need to do to have a great garage sale: you're researching yard sale tips and getting to know the process. Having the knowledge can help you make your sale way more successful, and that means more profits for you.
