A recent USA Weekend article discussed the alchemy needed for a successful garage sale. These tips, combined with some advice from Eileen Roth’s Organizing For Dummies, will help you make your garage sale a true success. Whether you are going solo, or teaming up with your neighbors for a neighborhood garage sale, by following some simple tips, you can take yard sales to the next level!

Grouping Together

Getting together with your neighbors can be an effective way to hold a garage sale. Not only will the large size attract more people, it will also enable you to split up the different tasks; one family can file for the necessary permit, one family can run an advertisement in the local paper, etc.

Gather Your Goods

Go from room to room to find things that you no longer use or need, but are just too good to throw out. A good rule of thumb is the two-year rule: if you haven’t used, or even open it, in the last two years, then it is probably time to let it go. Once you have collected the items, store them together in groups, such as clothes, books, jewelry, etc. Try to do this at least two days in advance to give yourself plenty of time to find those hidden treasures!

Prepare, Prepare, Prepare

A successful garage sale is usually determined in advance by how well you prepare:

• Collect paper and plastic grocery bags to give your customers something to carry their purchases in.
• Collect boxes to help display your goods, and to act as makeshift bookcases.
• Go to the bank and buy two rolls each of quarters, dimes and nickels, and at least 20 $1 bills.

Get the Word Out

To get the really serious browsers to your garage sale, make sure you run an advertisement in the local paper, listing, in as much detail as possible, all your main items.

Proper Pricing

Keep in mind that your garage sale is a one-time sale. A perfect garage sale results in you having nothing left over. Therefore, aim low when pricing in order to take full advantage of impulse buyers and bargain-hunters – your main targets. A good rule of thumb is to charge 10 cents for every dollar the item would cost if it were new.

One sure-fire way to keep customers lingering longer is to offer them a complimentary beverage. This is also the perfect opportunity to get your children involved and earning some pocket money themselves – they can sell lemonade and some fresh-from-the-oven cookies!

A garage sale can be a practical and fun way of making space for all that new stuff you are bound to want soon. By following these fairly simple tips, you can make it a successful event that may even become a yearly affair!

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