Rummage Sale Tips

13 tips for a super yard sale

This post comes from Brandon Ballenger at partner site Money Talks News .

 

If spring is for cleaning, summer is for selling off all the junk you've accumulated. And the simplest way to do it? An American classic: the yard sale.

 

Yard sales are known by many names, including garage sales, attic sales, porch sales, barn sales, junk sales, tag sales, moving sales, and the ever-popular rummage sale. They've been around for as long as people have been collecting clutter. If you're so inclined, check out the history at this Wikipedia page .

 

But if you're more interested in making money, what you need are a few tips to make your next sale more successful.

Don't make the mistake of thinking that a yard sale is nothing more than throwing your stuff out on the lawn and collecting cash. As with all events that involve currency changing hands, marketing and merchandising make a difference.

Bing: Worst yard sale mistakes

As Jim mentioned, keeping it simple and organized is essential. More tips to make sure you end the day with more fives and tens and fewer odds and ends:

Check the rules. The last thing you want to do is drag all your stuff onto the lawn only to have a neighbor complain or someone from city code enforcement drop by. It's rare for a permit or license to be required, but it's possible. There are even neighborhoods where it's not allowed at all. (According to Wikipedia , Beverly Hills residents have to do their yard saling in the -- ahem -- back yard. Just one more reason not to live there.) Don't go it alone. There are a few things in life best done alone, but yard saling isn't one of them. The more people you involve and the more stuff you offer, the better the sale will be and the less you'll have to do. Go door to door and get the whole block involved. Check the weather and pick your spot. The yard is better than the garage. There's more light and space, people can see the wares clearly from the street, and the whole thing looks more festive and inviting. But check the weather. You don't want your stuff rained on, and inside or out, you'll have fewer shoppers if it's raining. Weekends are obviously best, and plan on starting early. You'll have bargain seekers there at the crack of dawn.   Advertise well. Homemade signs are fine.

Rummage Sale Tips? - Babies - Ages & Stages - Parenthood.com ...

Totally un-baby related... unless I tell you that the money is going toward a new wardrobe for Adam!!

Next week, Adam's girlfriend is having a Rummage Sale at her house and I've been DYING to get rid of some of this _____ for a long time! Thing is - neither one of us have ever held a rummage sale, or even been to one. No idea how to price things, how to advertise for it. Apparently, it's a community rummage sale, so every one in her area is invited to participate and turn their driveways into mini markets. One challenge I see: Her subdivision is kind of like a spiral, and she's in the center. Do you think people will actually drive around and around to get to all the homes? What are the odds we'll have traffic?

I'm going to put this sale on craiglist, and the local news station has a Rummage Sale Tracker so you can find sales in the areas you want. Makes it easy to locate.

If you've held one in the past, where did you put up signs? Any tips? Never been to a yard sale?! Ack!! I can't imagine! LOL 90% of Lexi's newborn and 3-6m wardrobe was from yard sales.

I've done a few in the past...just like Candi said, put out signs at the nearest major intersections...and if it's a community wide yard sale, you'll get traffic. People go crazy for those things! The hardcore shoppers will make sure they don't miss a thing!

Biggest thing, make sure your prices are reasonable. If I go to a yard sale and everything is overpriced, I'll leave empty handed because I don't like to haggle. Some people are very good at it and will haggle no matter what, so you want a middle of the road price that you won't mind dropping but if people pay straight up, it's not too much either. Example: fairly new baby outfit. It's $10 new and $6 in the consignment shop, I'd price $5. Then if it goes for $4, I'm not upset but it's cheap enough without dropping the price, to not scare off customers. It's a balancing act and with yard sales, people want to know they're getting a deal!

Have fun!!! Boooo yaaaaa! I made $85 on Thursday and $45 today! Today was SLOW so we shut it down early. Adam's gf took Candi's advice and sold water (good thing, b/c it was 87F 30C yesterday!!) Poor kids, they were hot. When I got home, I gave him a slightly cooler than luke-warm bath. He needed it, he was hot. I also gave him some water/pear juice in his sippy cup.

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