With the weather cooling off a bit, we had a sudden influx of garage sale ads in this week's paper. Considering having a garage sale sometime soon? It's a great way to earn a little extra money for Christmas shopping (Or shoe shopping. You know. Whichever.), and also an excellent excuse to finally get rid of... er, accidentally sell... that shirt of your spouse's that you really, really hate. We stole a few tips from garagesalesource.com to give you some ideas for your next sale.
1. Even though many people choose to hold garage sales in the spring, fall is another excellent option! Besides the cooler weather and extra revenue for Christmas that we mentioned above, you'll also have less competition than you might in the spring, which equals more money for you.
2. Advertise! Getting the word out beyond a sign at the end of your street can be very beneficial, since many enthusiasts scan local papers each week to plot a weekend attack on every garage sale in their area. Plus, if you run an ad in the Shopper, we throw in signs for free, anyway.
3. Keep the sale short. Although it may seem as though you will make more if you sit outside all day, anyone who has ever held a garage sale will tell you that you'll get the most traffic in the morning and early afternoon. Plus, restricting the sale to a finite block of time will instill a sense of urgency in the buyer, and create the impression of lots of activity, as well.
4. Consider giving some of the proceeds to a charity - say 10 or 20%. Not only will you be doing a good deed, but the extra amount you earn by attracting buyers to a good cause might just make up what you lost in the donation.
5. Stay positive about your sale items. You may not want this stuff anymore, but, well, you know what they say about one person's trash.
6. Don't overprice - while you may be expecting buyers to try and talk you down, many will simply walk away from a price they think is too high.
7. Pool your resources with neighbors to have a multi-family or even neighborhood-wide sale - sales draw a bigger crowd when they're advertised like this, because buyers know that more homes equals more stuff. It's not a bad way to get to know your neighbors, either.
8. Invite a few of your friends to help with the sale - not only will this make it easier and more enjoyable for you, it creates the impression of a crowd, which makes potential shoppers think that you might have some good stuff!
9. Keep records of which items you sold, and for how much. This will eliminate confusion, especially if you're selling items from multiple sources.
10. Don't attempt to sell something if you think it might be very valuable, but aren't sure. For example, if you have an antique that you think may be worth something, get it appraised before you price it for the sale, and avoid catching a severe case of sellers' remorse.
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