How to Throw a Killer Garage Sale

Garage sales are making a comeback. Forget the stereotype of little old ladies selling dusty silverware and musty coats. These days, garage sales are a fun source of extra cash for you, one-of-a-kind treasures for your customers and environmental brownie points for everyone.

Hosting a successful sale takes a little bit of planning but it (literally) pays off. Here are a few things to keep in mind as you get ready for Garage Sale Day:

Gather the Goods

You can stockpile things to sell year-round. Whenever you find something around the house or under the Christmas tree that you don't need/want/use (or can't re-gift), toss it in your Garage Sale Box. That way it's ready and waiting for your next sale.

Advertising Advice

• The world has gone digital and sale listings are following suit. You can still advertise in the local paper (especially if you want the attention of old-school customers), but your best bet is craigslist.org for your area.
• Begin running your ad a few days before the sale to catch customers who plan their route ahead of time. Keep it up through the actual date of the sale for last-minute shoppers.
• In your listing, include the date, time and place, and a brief description of your wares ("Selling a houseful of furniture including XYZ, plus plenty of smaller, good quality items like ABC. Priced to sell.")

Stellar Signage

• Buy some brightly colored poster board and pens to make signs for major crossroads. Regular 8.5 by 11 paper will work for neighborhood telephone poles and coffee shop bulletin boards.
• Don't get too wordy! Your bigger signs need to be read from a passing car, so you won't be able to list everything you're selling. Stick to "sale/date/time/address."
• If you don't want to be bothered while you're setting up, be sure to include "No Early Birds, Please!" (You'll still get them, especially if you live in die-hard "garage saler" neighborhoods, but at least you'll dissuade a few early customers.)

Table Tally

• Borrow (or even buy at other sales!) some card tables. Most people are lazy-they may like the thrill of the hunt, but they don't like bending over to find it. Make it easy for them by keeping things off the ground.

Pricing Preparation

• The best preparation you can do is to price things ahead of time. This will allow you to think through your pricing calmly without 12 people badgering you. Sale day may be hectic, especially in the morning. You don't want to be making up prices on the fly.
• Put prices on everything, neatly and clearly. (Use removable stickers. You can buy price stickers or just cut up old index cards.) For tablecloths/clothes/blankets/etc., write the price on an index card and attach it to the item with a safety pin (a smaller tag can get lost when people refold things).
• When pricing, think about how badly you want to get rid of the item. If you don't want to lug it back into the house, make sure it's priced to sell. But if it's worth more, consider pricing it a little high-that way, your customer can make you a lower offer, you can politely haggle, and you'll still end up with what you think the item is worth. (And they'll think they've gotten a bargain.)
• For smaller items, price in multiples of 25 cents. The same goes for big items-no $17 or $56 price tags. Unless you're Rain Man or really like using calculators, you'll go crazy adding up the figures-make it easy on yourself.
• Have a clearly marked "Free Box" for items that aren't worth much but are too good to throw away (at least until the sale's over). A Free Box will make people stay awhile (or feel guilty for taking the free stuff so they'll buy something!).

Helping Hands

• If you can, get your friends and family involved. Having several people setting up helps it go faster.
• Ask your neighbors, friends, family and co-workers to join you. The bigger the sale, the more customers you'll attract, and the fatter your wallet will be at the end of the day. Plus, a multi-family sale is a great way to meet your neighbors and turn a garage sale into a block party.

Presentation Panache

• Keep small things at the front of the table and big things at the back. Make sure everything is relatively clean. Set up any tables, beds and dressers-don't just lean them in a corner. Rig up a bar or use a tree to hang clothes neatly. You'll sell more if everything is nicely arranged.
• Throughout the sale, periodically neaten your wares. Excited garage salers can wreak havoc on your presentation. You'll need to rearrange when they've gone.

Money Matters

Get about $50-$75 worth of change and small bills ahead of time. A money belt is a great way to keep your cash safe and handy. Be prepared: people will buy a 25 cent item with a $20 bill and a $50 item with singles.

To Have on Hand

• It's a good idea to provide your customers with an extension cord for testing that blender/TV/record player. You may have an honest face, but your customer will be much more likely to seal the deal if they know everything is in working condition.
• Have some grocery bags and old newspaper handy for wrapping breakables. Sometimes customers will load up if they know there's a way to get it all home.

So there you have it: all you need to know to host a great garage sale. Oh, and one last thing: after the sale, retrieve all your signs and donate your leftovers to charity. You want your "garage sale karma" in good shape for the next killer sale you throw!

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