Tips for a Successful Garage Sale

When we first moved in to our 3 bedroom house, it was just my husband and I.  Then we had E, and three years later A.  We have quickly outgrown our house.  We were this close to putting it on the market this Spring, but decided to squirrel away lots of savings and make the big move next Spring.  With that decision, I just couldn't handle the crowded closets anymore - so I decided to have a garage sale.

Growing up, my Mom would often do garage sales but I never had one of my own.  Going through the process by myself provided some useful information that I wanted to share with others thinking of doing the same thing.

1.  If you can, collaborate with your neighbors.  People like to park and walk to multiple sales.  Being able to advertise as a "Neighborhood Sale" drives people to your street.

2.  Ask your friends if they have anything they'd like to sell.  Having someone else there is helpful, and you can advertise as a "multi-family" sale.  Added bonus - spending the entire day with friends!  If you do this, you can easily keep a notebook to track how much each person has made, and settle at the end of the day.

3.  Advertise!  I posted on Garage Sale Finder, Yard Sales, Next Door and Craigs List.  Also, check Facebook for a local "for sale" group and post there.  On Facebook, because you are posting with your personal account, just use the nearest intersection instead of your address.  (Better to be safe, yes?) All of these options are free.

4.  Along with advertising, purchase sale signs at an office supply store.  These should be placed at the nearest busy intersection near your home.  We purchased these:

Set of 3, with pricing stickers

These do not come with stakes.  One sign with a stake was $9, so I opted for 3 signs and stickers for $8, and made my own "stakes":

So easy, and cheaper!

 5.  Be ready to negotiate, and know how low you'll go on your bigger items.  I'd say 75% of people asked for a lower price.

6.  Make sure you have change!  We started with $40, in 5's, singles, and quarters.  We kept the money box in the garage (all items were in the driveway), out of sight.

7.  Afterwards, pack up your car right away and drive to Goodwill (or your favorite donation location) so the stuff doesnt end up back in your house!

We had a great day - I made over $300 and got rid of so much.  The people watching was amazing - including the guy that bought two women's dresses... for himself.  Of course I am assuming this, but the fact that he only looked at women's clothing/shoes, then held these up to himself before buying them makes me believe they were for him.  I wish I could have heard his life story!

Do you have garage sales?  What are some other tricks?  I'm sort of hooked now!