Planning Your Summer Yard Sale
What better way to declutter your home than a good old-fashioned yard sale? Garage sale season is a great time to rid your home of excess belongings, whether you’re moving or just need more space in your basement, while earning extra cash along the way. Planning for a neighborhood yard sale can seem overwhelming at first, which is why we’ve developed this guide for organizing and preparing to have a successful event.
Best Things To Sell at a Garage Sale
Knowing what items to sell at your next yard sale makes all the difference. In general, you want to sell items that offer value to the buyer instead of things that will move from the bottom of your junk drawer to theirs. As you begin decluttering your home to decide which items will go up for sale or reside in personal storage, see the below bestselling yard sale items for advice on what to slap a price tag on and what to toss out.
Gently Used Clothing
If jackets become outgrown, shoes no longer fit, or that hat you bought on vacation has never been touched, a yard sale is a fantastic opportunity to pass them along to someone who will get good use out of them. Neighborhood shoppers can find secondhand styles without going to a thrift store, saving themselves money while saving you space in your home.
Tools
Move any unused tools from the garage shelves to the front of your garage sale. Tools tend to be top sellers at garage sales, whether you have spare gardening supplies, outdated power tools, or vintage equipment you don’t have a use for. If you plan on selling electrically powered tools, have a power strip or outlet nearby so shoppers can test them out.
Furniture
Brand-new furniture can have hefty price tags, especially for college students and first-time homebuyers. Good-condition furniture will surely be snatched up at your sale, and fans of vintage pieces will also stop by. Even if your furniture is more worn, it could make a fantastic DIY project for hobbyists. Especially if you’re looking to downsize your home or move across the country, having fewer tables and couches to haul around will help you out.
Toys
Whether you know of neighborhood kids who enjoy frequenting garage sales with their friends or you have a child of your own on the way, toys are always hits. Things like action figures and Beanie Babies can even be collectibles, which may pique the interest of hobbyists. Be sure that any toy you sell is in good shape and is safe for younger children.
Books
Avid readers are always looking to stock their bookshelves, whether with old classics or modern tales they’ve yet to crack open. Set a low price for books and watch as literature enthusiasts clamor over them. Additionally, any books for babies or small children your kids have outgrown are excellent to set out for sale, giving them a new purpose for any growing or expecting families.
Vintage Dishes and Glassware
Shoppers may be looking for a more refined way to make a toast at their next dinner party. Vintage drink glasses, jars, vases, and plates can be incredibly popular at yard sales, giving your neighbors an affordable way to bring some unique décor and dishes into their homes.
What Not To Sell at a Garage Sale
From board games to outdoor gear, numerous other items can be smash hits at your next yard sale. However, there are a number of items you shouldn’t put on the table, either because they won’t sell well or are inappropriate for the circumstances. Below is a list of things to not sell at yard sales:
- Homemade crafts. Unfortunately, these are unlikely to sell unless you’re an Etsy fanatic or an exceptional artist.
- Broken toys and games. If you’re missing chess pieces or teddy bear limbs, these probably won’t be what buyers want.
- Tupperware. The odds are that any Tupperware you want to get rid of is missing its lid or has permanent stains, and shoppers won’t want that.
- Worn-out cookware. Rusty, scratched-up pots and pans are not only ugly and inefficient, but they’re unsafe.
- Used undergarments and hygiene products. These should never belong to anyone except for you. Otherwise, they go in the trash.
How To Price Yard Sale Items
To sell as much as possible at a garage sale, you must prioritize quantity over quality, prioritizing the number of items sold over the dollar value assigned to each belonging. People who shop at garage sales expect to purchase things significantly below their retail value. Therefore, your prices should be much lower than when you initially bought each item. Otherwise, your shoppers will move along to find another sale that better fits their wallet.
In general, you should follow the 50-30-10 rule, where the dollar value you write on the price tag is 50%, 30%, or 10% of the retail value of the original item, depending on its quality. New, unused, or brand-name items should be resold at 50% of what you originally paid for them, slightly used items at 30%, and used items at 10%.
Bartering
If you feel comfortable, haggling can be an easy way to get rid of your belongings quickly. If a shopper offers to purchase an item for a lower amount, try to meet them in the middle with a price that makes everyone happy. We suggest waiting to haggle until the end of your sale, as a customer may be perfectly willing to pay the posted price.
Planning for the Day of Your Sale
Hosting a yard sale takes more than throwing some items on folding tables in your driveway. To have a successful event, you’ll need a well-organized plan that prioritizes ease and awareness for your customers.
Best Time for a Garage Sale
Those who frequent garage sales tend to get out of bed bright and early to snag the best items, so you’ll want to get started as early as 7:00 a.m. And because days in the dead of summer can be unforgiving, holding your sale before the sun is high in the sky will leave you and your customers happier. As far as which weekend morning you should select, Saturday will be your best bet to grab the most potential customers, as Sunday mornings could be busy for any churchgoers. Additionally, consider hosting a two-day sale to catch the most people, whether a full weekend or two consecutive Saturdays.
Do You Need a Permit for a Yard Sale?
Depending on your city, you may or may not be required to obtain a permit to host a yard sale. Additionally, your county may have regulations on how many sales you can hold in a calendar year. Permits are usually free, but you may be fined for not getting one. Do your research to ensure you don’t need to apply for a permit, and get this done before setting a date for your sale.
Organizing Your Yard Sale
To help buyers easily navigate your sale, you must proactively organize your belongings by type, size, and cost. See below for some recommendations on how to arrange your items:
- Tidy up your garage. A messy space won’t be inviting to customers. Let your spring cleaning include your garage to help people feel comfortable stopping by.
- Make it a storefront. If a store or boutique is cluttered upon entry, it’s unlikely any customers would stop in. Style your sale like a store in how you display items, group clothing by size, and use plenty of labeling.
- Use price tags. Though you can try your best to keep items sorted by price, people will inevitably move things around. Putting on price tags can help ensure clear communication on costs.
- Hang up clothing. A yard sale clothes rack sorted by size will be the best way for customers to comb through your available apparel.
- Bulk price similar items. Selling a million stuffed animals? Set a standard price for all similar items to save yourself time, and clearly mark this price with signage.
- Have change on hand. Head to the bank to grab a variety of bills and quarter rolls so you can easily make change if needed. Also, create a method of organizing any cash and coinage you collect.
Promoting Your Yard Sale
What good is a well-organized sale if no one knows about it? Like any other transactional service, running a yard sale is a small business, and to get the word out, you’ll need to do some advertising. Here are some easy, creative yard sale ideas to make your garage the hottest spot on the block:
- Shout it out online. Online advertising is critical to a small business’s success in today’s digital age. Post photos and informative graphics promoting your yard sale on Facebook, Craigslist, Instagram, and Nextdoor, and check out sites like Yard Sale Search and Garage Sale Finder to get yourself on a database for sale attendees.
- Include photos in advertising. People want to know what they’re getting themselves into before driving over. Post pictures of your best items to get folks excited about coming to your sale.
- Design a snappy sign. When coming up with yard sale sign ideas, think outside the box. Key into colorful designs, pop culture references, and tongue-in-cheek jokes to make your sign memorable. You can even come up with a clever name for your sale! The goal is to grab people’s attention while directing them to your home.
- Make it inviting. Welcome neighbors and locals to your sale by playing music and offering refreshments at the sale, encouraging them to stop by for a good time!
Find a Place for Extra Belongings at Advantage Storage
Were you unable to clear your tables at your yard sale? Are there certain belongings you can’t bear to part with? Running out of room in your home doesn’t have to mean saying goodbye to cherished belongings and memories. Advantage Storage has affordable personal storage solutions, including climate-controlled storage for sensitive items and boat and RV storage to make more room in your garage.
Our storage units come in a variety of sizes with secure amenities to give you a personalized experience. To find your ideal storage space, contact us today and discover Advantage Storage at a location near you.