You have a house full of items big and small that you don’t really use anymore, and you’ve decided it’s time to rid yourself of them all. Holding a garage sale is a great way to have your unwanted items taken away while netting you a tidy profit in the process. But how do you make sure your garage sale is successful? Read on for a few tips.
Location, location, location
Your home is the ideal location for holding a garage sale because, obviously, that way you don’t have to move your items very far. You can simply arrange all of your items in your garage or front yard, and people will come to you. But how do you neatly arrange your items and provide an easy method for your customers to take their purchases home? Consider picking up a range of sturdy boxes from a reliable storage company like Fort Knox.
Advertise
There’s no point holding a garage sale if no one comes. You can tell people about your upcoming garage sale in lots of ways, including taking out a newspaper ad, doing an old-fashioned letter box drop or placing a homemade sign in a public place (be sure to check with your local council to avoid a fine). In the digital world of today, a message on social media is even more beneficial: Facebook and Twitter will allow you to pay to promote a post so that you get better exposure.
Create a display
Have you ever been into a store that wasn’t very well laid out? It wasn’t a pleasant experience, was it? You couldn’t find anything, it was difficult to move around the aisles and it was hard to know the price of anything. Your garage sale needs to avoid these same pitfalls. Get yourself some trestle tables (or some large, sturdy storage boxes you can cover with a table cloth— click here for some examples) and lay your sale items out neatly and clearly. Divide each type of item, like jewellery or toys, into their own areas. Make sure that everything is labelled and priced. Create signage to help buyers find your house and direct them to your items. Make it clear that you are open for business.
Work the crowd
Have you ever been unable to find a salesperson in a store when you needed one? Don’t let that happen at your garage sale! It’s your stuff, so you know it better than
anyone! Make sure you’re nearby and available should anyone have questions or if they wish to haggle on the price. It also makes the sale seem warm and welcoming if you’re there to say “hi” and chat with customers and passers-by. Put some music on, drag the barbeque out and make sausage sandwiches to turn an extra buck or two.
These tips will help you to make your garage sale a success. If you have a plan, advertise and interact with customers on the day, your garage sale is sure to make a profit. Good luck!
Thank you for the tips. I am planning a garage sale soon
I love visiting garage sales! But honestly it’s been a while since I’ve hosted one but from what I remember advertising is everything. No one is going to come to to your sale if they don’t know it’s there so big bold signs by major roads and advertising online should do the trick.
I know all about having garage sales and also have visited many of them! We have a garage sale at least twice a year! Also another bit of info, if your garage sale is for more than one day, have it be 25% or 50% off for the 2nd day.