How to Have a Yard Sale
Rummage Sale, Garage Sale, Yard Sale. Whatever you want to call it, it’s just another word for being able to get rid of the things you no longer want and need. Want to make the most of your rummage sale? Here’s a guide!
Making Plans
When deciding on the plans for your sale first you need to pick a day. May and June are the most popular months to have a sale. You’ll also need to decide if you want your sale to be Saturday only or Friday and Saturday. (Personally I never go to a sale that was Friday and Saturday because I can only get out on Saturdays and if the sale was already started the day before, the good items probably aren’t there anymore.) Also think about your hours. Many people like to head to rummage sales very early in the morning so I would recommend being open at least by 7.
Cleaning Out
Hopefully by the time you decide to have a sale, you already have things cleaned out, boxed up and ready. If not you will have to make a clean sweep through the house finding what you will have for sale. Start in one room and work your way all through the house collecting boxes of items.
Setting Up
Ask to borrow friends and families folding tables and set up as many as you can. The better product displays you have the better your items will sell. If your customers have to dig through boxes to find items they will buy less or maybe not even buy at all.
Pricing
Price your items with garage sale pricing in mind. Don’t over-value your products because you think they are super nice or you are attached to them. Price them to sell. The idea here is to get these things out of your house that you no longer need or have room for, not to show them off and then put them back. When I first get to a rummage sale a quick glace over the prices will tell me if this sale is worth stopping at or if I’m just going to pass by. Also make sure that ALL your products are marked. My biggest pet peeve when it comes to rummage sales is a sale that doesn’t have anything marked and you just have to ask for prices. I almost always pass those by.
Near the end of the day if you still have products left…it’s time to mark them down. In your advertisement you could say that after noon all items are $1, or maybe fill a bag for $3. Anything to get your items out the door.
Advertising Your Sale
Advertise, advertise, advertise. Tell your friends and family. Advertise in the paper and on local fee classifieds sites. Make sure you have large, easy to read signs that point the way to your sale. If people are going to buy from you, they want to know what you have and where you are!
Online Yard Sales
If a traditional rummage sale isn’t an option for you (no garage, live in an apartment, too far from town, ect) you might want to consider selling online. Search for Facebook groups in your area that are titled, Free Classifieds, or Online Garage Sale, or similar. Create an album and take snapshots of all the items you want to sell. Have people come pick up the items or create a drop area and meet everyone on a certain day. I’ve been really into this style of selling lately and it works out well for me to create a day and drop point to meet everyone since I don’t live in town. The extra bonus to selling this way is that you don’t have to wait for nice weather, you can sell any time of year!
Looking for tips on shopping at a rummage sale?
What tips do you have for how to have a yard sale?
Carmen Hays says
March 23, 2012 at 9:12 amYES, I am so excited too 🙂 🙂
Teri St Pierre says
March 23, 2012 at 9:24 amI am so hoping to get out and about this year to rummage. Might stick with Hill City and Custer at first and our neck of the woods. Wish I could have one but we just don’t get the traffic – too far out!
Jennifer Brandt says
March 23, 2012 at 9:27 amlike to go to them but not host one
Diane Hite Weidenbenner says
March 23, 2012 at 9:33 amCannot wait!
Anne Chiarelli says
March 23, 2012 at 9:41 amI do, to a point. Lots of people rave about the Pierre Street sale but I find it exasperating and often overpriced. I don’t get to go very often anymore because my schedule is all wrong for it.
Little House on the Prairie Living says
March 23, 2012 at 9:50 amI’ve never heard of the Pierre Street sale. My favorite is the neighborhood sale in Wonderland Homes.
Helen Marie Turner Ford says
March 23, 2012 at 11:49 amOh yes, I love garage sales.
Heather :) :) :) says
March 23, 2012 at 2:56 pmThanks for the great tips. I actually have a lot of things that I want to sell…and I can’t decide between trying to sell on eBay/Craigslist and/ or doing a yard sale. I want a smartphone, which means having to sign a 2 year contract…and my goal is to save up enough money to cover the cost of the phone, plus insurance etc for that entire two years. That’s a doable goal…and so all I have to do is figure out how I’m going to sell my items. The secondary goal is to declutter 🙂 🙂 🙂 Love and hugs from the ocean shores of California, Heather 🙂
Beth H says
May 11, 2012 at 12:05 amI found something today that I thought was great it’s called yardsellr.com. Online garage sales. Most of the stuff is new, but there are things that are old too.
Cindy says
November 12, 2012 at 7:52 pmI live in South Eastern Ontario, Canada, and we have a multitude of community-based 24/7 Yardsale sites on Facebook! They’re great because you can buy and/or sell items locally any time of the day or night, 365 days of the year! 🙂 The only thing that isn’t so great is that other people want to buy the same item as you, and only one wins LOL! Word of warning though! The sites can be addicting if you’re not careful! 😛
Hipockets says
September 27, 2013 at 10:49 pmWhen I do my spring cleaning,I put all discards in a bag or box,when done,I price them and take to my Garage’ Yard sale time,everything is priced and ready to go’ Lots of people go to the 2nd day of a sale. I’ve found that some are repeat customers from the day before,as I always continue to put out new stuff.
I always have new or like new items and sell them for $20-$25.Some cost up to $400 or more’ Just want the clutter gone’ Garage sales are the best way to get rid of stuff and make some extra vacation money,or in our hard times, a few
bucks to survive’