Well, it’s springtime again, and that means it’s time to start planning that yard sale you’ve been wanting to hold in order to clean out your closets. If you’ve tried your hand at yard sales before with little or no luck, here are a few tips that could help make your next one a huge success:
1 – Have your yard sale on Friday or Saturday (or both). Yes, you will be competing with all the other yard sales going on in your neighborhood, but the fact of the matter is very few people will stop at a yard sale on any other day of the week. Why? Who knows, but it’s a fact.
2 – Have everything out and be ready for business shortly after dawn. Most yard salers are early birds, and once they buy a few items they tend to head on back home with the booty.
3 – Make sure all clothing items are clean and neatly folded. Better yet, place the shirts on hangers and hang them up for easy shopping if at all possible.
4 – Price your items reasonably and in line with what everyone else is charging. You don’t want yours to be the most expensive yard sale on the block, but you don’t want it to be the cheapest either.
5 – Items such as television sets, radios, and other items that “work” should be working, not just sitting on a table. Your customers will be much more likely to buy if they can see that the merchandise is in good working order.
6 – Make sure there are no flat tires on bicycles, riding mowers and other items with wheels. It’s hard to sell something that has a flat on it.
7 – Box up small items such as kitchen utensils, miscellaneous hardware, hand tools and such and sell them as a lot. Believe it or not, you’re almost guaranteed to make more money than you would if you tried to sell them all seperately.
Remember, a successful yard sale doesn’t happen by chance. A little preparation and common sense can mean the difference between a wasted day and a successful one.
About the author: June Welchel is a self-described yard sale fanatic. She is also an expert at holding them and being successful at it.
Credits: Photo courtesy of Jason Taellious.