(Photo By Flickr User Mark Nye)

 

“Well family, as the season & weather change, the garage sale season has once again arrived and there will be lots of shopping going on!”

According to chicagotribune.com and s-jr.com, there are the top 10 things you need to do to make the most money at your garage sale; if you are ready to be educated, let’s get schooled and get prepared for “Garage Sale 101!”

 

The top 10 things you need to do to make the most money at your garage sale are as follows:

Choose the right date-

Jamie Novak, New Jersey-based author of Keep This Toss That said,

“Yes,  the date must fit into your busy schedule, but it also must work well for everyone else. This means avoiding major holidays and choosing a date near the 1st or the 15th of the month, which lands on or around payday for most buyers.”

Andrew Schrage, co-owner of Money Crashers Personal Finance said,

“A weekend in the early or late summer, when it’s not as hot usually does best.”

Make it a group event-

Multifamily sales get about 50% more traffic, so before you do this alone, ask neighbors if they want to have a block sale.

If you can’t get a group together, then ask friends and family if they want you to sell their items at your sale.

Figure out the value of your items-

Lynda Hammond, author of The Garage Sale Gal’s Guide to Making Money off Your Stuff said, 

“If you have something that your grandmother gave you, then Google it and make sure it’s not a $100,000 item that you’re trying to sell for $10. You don’t want to see your items on “Antiques Roadshow.” “You can even get an opinion from an appraiser. When in doubt, have it checked out.”

Spend time on your expensive items-

Aaron LaPedis, author of The Garage Sale Millionaire said,

“If you have bigger, pricier items, then make sure they look good. Put air into the tires of the bicycle; dust and wipe down the table. But don’t put in a ton of time on items that are priced at just a few dollars. It’s not cost-efficient.”

Stage the items-

Transform your yard into a story with a little staging, Novak said.

For example, group a dress with a bag and a necklace that go together, along with a full-length mirror; place a picnic basket with a fishing pole, and make a sign that says, “Gone fishing.” You could also have a board game area with a popcorn bowl, some blankets and a sign that says, “Family game night.”

Novak also said, “Taking an extra moment to make these little groupings will really pay off; they’ll fly off the table.”.

Set up a children’s table-

The children’s table should be stocked with crayons and coloring paper for kids to keep busy while parents shop.. Fewer distractions will lead to more sales.

Stock measuring tape-

Keep measuring tape handy for customers to check the dimensions of your furniture.

You may even want to put little pencils and paper throughout the sale, so everyone can jot down the dimensions, along with notes about their favorites (remember to do this “Ikea-style”).

Get spare change-

Have this handy ahead of time, so you don’t miss out on a sale.

Advertise the event-

Use social media to get the word out about your sale.

Use Facebook and Twitter as well, letting as many people as possible know about your sale, and as soon as you’ve organized your items, post pictures.

Get your signage-

This will make or break a garage sale.

These need to be large (so don’t bother with any 8×10 signs); make sure to do these signs on either white foam board or on bright, bold cardboard. Reminder: Post out these signs within a few blocks of your sale at really great intersections, plus the exit of supermarkets and libraries, and go at least 3 miles out.

When you get closer to your house, use signs with arrows. Put the signs up the morning of your sale because the weather may ruin them if they’re up any earlier, or a competing garage sale host may take yours down.

Go back right before your sale begins to make sure your signs are still up.

This top 10 list that you have just read and got educated by, is a part of “Garage Sale 101!”

So if you got, get it, good! Don’t forget to pass this message around to everyone you meet, know, and see!

Happy Shopping!