How to Have a Garage Sale

It’s that time of year again!!!

What time you ask, oh, just my favorite season of all…

GARAGE SALE season!!!!

Having a garage sale is a great way to recycle your old items, clear out your house and make money all at the same time.

Having a garage your own can be very stressful especially if you never had one before.  Here are some of my guidelines and helpful tips.  I have all of my pictures below!!!!

PRE-SALE

• Start organizing a couple of weeks in advance.  I keep a “garage sale” pile in my basement year round.  When I find something I don’t want, I bring it down there.  When it gets closer to the sale, I bring a box or laundry basket in each room and don’t come out until it is full.  I go through every closet and drawer in the house.  I ask my self, “Do I really NEED this and will I MISS this and when was the last time I actually used it?”  Most of the time, it is a easy decision, especially if you are really in the “get rid” of mood.
• Advertise!  I like to place an ad in the local classifieds on the weekend of the sale.  I also place a free ad on craigslist.com.  I place this ad a week in advance to let them know about the upcoming sale and one again the week of the sale.  In the ad, I like to advertise as many as items as possible.  You want to make your sale sound like “the sale” to go to.   Don’t forget to put your date,  times and address.
• Set up your garage.  I start about a week in advance.  I use card tables, tables and plywood on horses.  I set up three aisles of tables so they can walk in on one side of the garage to the back and out the other side.    I lay down table cloths or sheets over the tables to make them look nice.  It makes a big difference! We also included a hanging rod in our garage to hang the adult clothes. (pictures below)  Make sure that all of your “hot ticketed” items can be seen.
• Set the tables.  I organize my tables by categories: home decor, house wares, holiday, personal, baby clothes, kids clothes, adult clothes, shoes,  toys, books, electronics, furniture, baskets, linens, mics.   I like to have as many things up on tables as I can.  That way the buyers can see thing better but when there is not room, I like to lay out blankets on the grass or driveway.  Sometimes it is better to lay things out for better view rather than stuffed in a box.
• Price you items.  You can use stickers, tape or anything you want.  I use masking tape and a permanent marker.  I usually price things for about 10% of the new price.  Here is another guide that I got from http://www.garagesalesource.com.

  Various Media

  Books: $0.50 - $1.50
  Paperbacks: 10¢ - 50¢
  Videos: $1 - $3
  DVDs: $5 - $15
  Music CDs: $1 - $3
  Software CDs: $1 - $20
  LPs: 50¢ - $2

  Children's Clothing

  Shirts: 25¢ - $1
  Pants: $1 - $2
  Jackets: $1 - $3

  Clothes

  Jeans: $2 - $5 (In good condition)
  T-shirts: 50¢
  Shirts: $1 - $2
  Sweatshirts: $1
  Leggings: 50¢ - $2
  Sweaters: $3
  Dresses: $2 - $5
  Shoes: $2 - $5
  Jewelry: 50¢ to $2

  Toys and Games

  Table games: $1 - $3
  Action figures, dolls: 10¢ - $1.50
  Stuffed animals: $1 - $7
  Electronic and video games: $1 - $20

  Kitchen stuff

  Plate: $1 each, (add few bucks to a total if you have a full set)
  Pots and pans: $1 - $4
  Glasses, cups: 30¢ - $1
  Microwaves: 30% of the original price

  Electronics

  Color TV: $10 - $30
  Black and white TV: $5 - $15
  VCR: $10 - $25
  Radio: $0 - $3
• Get help.  I like  friends or family have a sale with me.  It makes my sale look bigger and it is more fun!  Plus, I need help with the kiddos.
• Ask neighbors.  It is better to have more than one home to get more attraction to the sale.

DAYS BEFORE SALE

• Collect all needed items.  You will need a money box or something to put the money in.  I use an apron, that way the money is “on” me at all times.  You will also need change.  I get about $50 in different bills and change. Plastic bags are also needed to put the buyer’ items.  Don’t forget a calculator, pen and notebook to keep track of you earnings.
• Get your signs together.  I make my own with old political signs, neon poster board and a permanent marker.  Signs are really important.  People need to know how to get to your house.  I always get compliments on my signs.  I live in a new area that is not on google maps yet, so I made 13 signs!  Yup, 13!  People love my signs and I use the same ones every year. 
• Clean your garage. Sweep your floor.   Make sure that there are no spiders or webs.  Make sure your garage in neat and clean looking.  People are garage saleing not walking into a dumpster.

DAY OF SALE

• Bring out all furniture.  I like to display all furniture and other big items on the driveway so it will grab the buyers attention and have a better chance of selling.  Display them nicely and make them look cute.  Also, bring out your blankets or other items out on the driveway.  Remember, you want to attract attention to your sale.
• Have a check out table.  You will need a space to add up the buyers finds and place them in a bag.
• Get ready to bargain.  People will try to talk you down.  Do what you feel you are comfortable with but don’t be rude to the buyers.
• Turn on some music.  I really like to play music at the sale.  It puts me and the buyers in a fun mood.
• Slash prices.  On the last day of my sale, I like to slash prices to get them selling.  It usually works!!

AFTER THE SALE

• Count your money.  That is the fun part!  I always like to give a portion of my earnings to a charity.
• Clean up your garage.  I donate everything that doesn’t sell to the Goodwill, Purple Heart or Salvation Army.  If a hundred people walked into my sale and no one wanted that leftover stuff, than I sure don’t want it back in my home.

Here are some pictures from my sale!

We got a whole house of free furniture from my Mother-in-Law and then I gave away a lot of items to my family.   This is what we had left plus my already HUGE pile that I kept in my basement.

Here is my kitchen getting ready and pricing for the sale.

I was organizing by category here.

I like to place the baby clothes in bins by size.  It is easier for the buyer to find the size that they are looking for.

 

Here is my garage in the process of getting ready.  WOW, what a mess!

Here was more inside pictures.

Here is the sale on the first day.

   

Yes, I was selling a brand new patio set and bar cart.  I didn’t need it and it was from my mil.

 

Look at all of those chairs and stools.

 

I used those for kids toys.

Here is the baby clothes bins.

 

We displayed some of our wall decor.

 

My sister came to help me.

 

Here is how we hung the clothes.

 

Here is our checkout table.

   

Those bar stool were brand new form Pier One.  Tags still on.

      

My sister-in-law also came to help and brought some of her stuff too.

 

There’s me with my apron.  Having a garage sale is hard work and I look sooo tired here.

 

My other sister came to watch my kids and this is what they did!

 

Here is my garage at the end of day two.  I sold almost everything!!!! WOO HOO!  The driveway was practically empty too!

There is me and my little bub!

 

I can’t forget to show you one of my signs. 

 

 

There,  I look happier here counting all that cash!!

 

WOW, that was a long post, I hope that you learned a couple of tips on how to have your own sale!

I feel great now that all that stuff is out of my house.  Now I can concentrate on decorating again so stay turned to how I change my rooms around.

Don’t forget….

For EARTH DAY, I am giving away a $30  GET CLEAN CERTIFICATE to my Shaklee Site, a FREE LIFETIME MEBERSHIP to receive 15% on all products (a $19.95 value and no minimums to maintain membership)  and FREE SHIPPING.

The giveaway ends on Tuesday, so go check it out!

Also, starting next Tuesday,  I will be hosting a Twice Owned Tuesday Party every week so I can see all of your second hand goodies!  I hope to see you all there.

Bonnie :)

I am linking this up to some of these parties.