With the long weekend upon us, are you planning a garage sale? If so, you need to read these Garage Sale Tips before you start planning. And, if you missed it, check out Part 1 on the blog.
Here is Part 2 - Garage Sale Tips.
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Get Ready. Give yourself at least an hour before the garage sale starts to set everything out and put up signs. Make sure you have your change in a safe place, and find a comfortable, shaded area to sit. Pro Tip: If your garage sale is hard to spot from the street, place a yard sale sign in front of your house so people know where to stop.
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Work the Crowd. In an ideal world, a garage sale would work like Target. People would come in, grab what they wanted, pay, and leave. Unfortunately, people see garage sales as a sort of interactive shopping experience. They’re going to ask questions, they’re going to haggle, and they’re going to pick up everything, especially if it’s breakable. You’ll do better if you don’t act pushy. Just stay seated, shout out a friendly hello when people walk up, and let the customers come to you.
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Keep in mind that you don’t have to haggle right away. Don’t let your couch go for five dollars with the first customer. Odds are that someone else will come along willing to pay your asking price. Start haggling like crazy using effective negotiation strategies on the last day, or in the afternoons after the morning rush. Pro Tip: Position your chair so that you can easily spot people walking up and make sure you greet everyone. Saying a quick hello makes shoppers more comfortable about standing in your driveway.
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Deal with Leftovers. You’re going to have leftover stuff. You can just put it all on the curb with a free sign, but that won’t get you any more money. Instead, consider taking the leftovers to a Goodwill store and save on your taxes. Make an itemized list of everything you have with its original value. Once you drop it at a donation center, ask for a receipt. File this away to use for a tax deduction for charitable donations on your income taxes. Pro Tip: If you have large items left over, like a couch or a TV set, consider selling them on Craigslist, Facebook Bidding Wars or Kijiji if you didn’t try there already.
Final Word
Garage sales are a lot of work, especially if you’re not used to holding them. You’ll probably spend several hours organizing and pricing items, writing ads, and getting your supplies. But after it’s over, you’ll hopefully have a wad of cash instead of piles of stuff you don’t want, which makes it all worthwhile.
Have you ever thrown a garage sale? What are some of the methods that have worked best for you?
Good luck with your up coming garage sale!
Lisa
Tips adapted from: https://www.moneycrashers.com/successful-garage-sale-tips/
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