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Do you have some things at home that you need to get rid of? Are you in need of some extra cash? Are you ready to move, downsize, or just tidy up the house for the upcoming season?
If garage sale season is just around the corner for you, then now is the time to start making some plans.
Are you planning to make some extra cash this season, or just get rid of some unwanted junk?
Either way, here are some tips for a successful season this year.
When is garage sale season, and when is the best time to have one?
Garage sale season is typically in the spring when everyone is trying to get rid of all of their old winter gear, and stock up on summer styles. But, garage sale season also shows up again for a brief time in the early to mid-fall months as well.
This is the time when they are getting rid of summer styles and searching for cool fall looks.
So when is the best time to actually have a sale?
- Memorial Day Weekend
- Labor Day Weekend
- 4th of July Weekend
- Graduation Weekend (this varies by city, state, and region)
- Early Fall
- Mid-Late Spring
- or, When the weather is generally nice
This really all depends on where you live, but in most cases, planning your next garage sale around Memorial Day in the spring or Labor Day in the fall is one of the best times to have a successful garage sale.
Because many people travel to see family around these holidays, they often look for ways to spend their time. And, maybe even find trinkets or games to use for the holiday weekend.
So Memorial Day and Labor Day are great opportunities for you to make extra cash on your next sale.
But what is the best day of the week for other garage sale days?
Well, typically mornings around 7-11 a.m. from Thursday through Sunday are the best times. And especially for all those early birds who like to start shopping early, Saturday mornings are often one of the best times for a successful garage sale.
In the early spring, you will see garage sales selling a lot of clothes from winter and people who are working on their ‘summer bod’.
In the early fall, you’re more likely to see Halloween costumes and anything else collected from the summer months. You may see kitchen items and other seasonal items around the fall and winter holiday seasons.
Related: 10 ways to make money fast (some you haven’t thought of)
How to have a successful garage sale
Having a successful garage sale makes the process much more pleasant. From carrying boxes in and out of the house to pricing, and lastly to selling everything. It’s a lot of work! So the more successful it is, the better.
If you can have family members help you out, even better!
So what are some great garage sale tips to make the most income, sell the most items, and enjoy the whole process?
For starters, not having a garage sale, or yard sale on your own makes it much simpler and reduces the amount of work. If you are able to talk to some friends or family, you may be able to get together and have a multi-family garage sale.
Think about the last time you went shopping at a garage sale.
When you saw a single garage sale or yard sale sign, how likely were you to stop for that one compared to the other corner with several?
Now what about if you saw a whole bunch of garage sale signs or a sign with “multi-family garage sale”. How much more likely are you to stop for those sales?
You’re more likely to stop because you don’t have to drive around as much or look around as much. Now I don’t know about you, but I don’t exactly have a ton of energy when it comes to shopping at garage sales.
Neighborhood garage sales are a great way to increase your foot traffic.
I maybe have 3-4 hours tops to look around at garage sales before I start to get worn out with making decisions. Or run out of cash. And that’s on a really good day.
So when you consider the amount of work your potential customers will have to do to find your garage sale, think about how much easier it would be to have another yard sale nearby.
And having multi-family sales can also bring in a more well-rounded group of customers. Not just one specific demographic.
Now, you don’t have to host multiple family sales at your house, though you absolutely can. But, you may be able to chat with your neighbors and ask them if they’d be willing to have a garage sale or yard sale on the same weekend as you. That way you both bring in more customers.
Plus, you may even be able to help each other make more sales. If you have something your neighbor doesn’t, they can send a customer your way. And vice versa.
So having a successful garage sale doesn’t have to be complicated or require an eye for marketing displays.
If you are interested in learning how you can make enough money from garage sales to help pay off debt, read how Veronica was able to pay off over $100,000 in debt from garage sales and selling on E-bay.
Related: 23 Reliable Ways to Make $300 or More a Day
How to bring in more customers
There are many ways to help bring in more customers so you can have a successful garage sale.
From having a multi-family garage sale to using social media to boost your yard sale awareness. There are many methods to use, so all you have to do is choose what works best for you.
First of all, you want to start with increasing your foot traffic. As I previously mentioned, a multi-family garage sale is a great way to boost your traffic. Neighborhood garage sales also work great!
If you are simply trying to just get rid of a lot of things, it is a good idea to offer a “FREE” box of things as well. Just make sure this includes all the things you really could care less about earning income from.
Social Media
However, social media is another great tool to let others know you are there as well. There are Facebook groups dedicated specifically to garage sales, yard sales, estate sales, and more.
Check on Facebook to see if your local community has a group for this. If so, make sure to join. And when you’re ready to open your sale to the public, make sure to post this on the group. You can even post pictures of some of your items.
Posting pictures on social media is also a great way to show off popular items and bring in a whole group of customers who wouldn’t have otherwise found your sale.
So if you haven’t had much traffic in the past, consider using social media to increase your awareness.
You can post pictures of your household goods, clothing items, kid’s clothes, fine china, a dining room set, kid’s bicycles, and maybe even a stunning private collection of art!
Garage sale signs
Having a clearly visible, legible sign is also key to having a successful garage sale. In many cases, this is the only way someone knows you are having a sale.
So what are the best signs, and where do I put them?
There really is no specific answer to what the best signs are. But, what I can tell you is that as long as it stands out with bright colors, the words and letters are clear, dark, and easy to read, then you should be just fine.
I personally find the signs that have balloons or bright colors on their signs are the most eye-catching. But, sometimes these ones can be difficult to read because the words are too light-colored. So be mindful of this when you make your sign.
You can just find simple signs at Walmart or a Dollar Store and use these. And as long as the writing is written in Sharpie and bold enough to read from a distance, in a moving car, then your sign is good.
I also find that the sales that have the colorful flags attached to the garage sale sign, and at the house of the sale are also much more eye-catching and engaging as well. So I typically find myself venturing off to these sales first.
However, a simple poster board sign will work as well. Again, just make sure that the words, or arrows are easy enough to read and see from a moving vehicle.
Where do I place the signs to bring in more customers?
The best place to set up the signs is as close to your home as possible, but also at a busy intersection or street for better visibility. Usually, at the end of your block near the closest busy street is sufficient.
But, if you live further back in a neighborhood, find the nearest main street first and use arrows to guide customers to your sale.
One last thing about bringing in more customers.
Because garage sales are often done when the weather is a bit warm (sometimes ridiculously hot), having refreshments available encourages more people to come by and grab a drink.
While they are getting a refreshment, they are spending more time looking at your items and may end up buying more than just a drink.
If you enjoy baking, this is your chance to show off your favorite cookie recipe. Or you can simply sell cans of soda, bottles of water, or lemonade.
After spending hours in a hot car, or in the sun, everyone needs a little refreshment. So consider adding this to your list of ‘helpful garage sale tips’.
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Final garage sale tips
If you have a lot of unwanted items you are trying to get rid of, it can be hard to find someone to snag these extra things.
Even if many of your items are in perfect condition, there may be times when you just have no luck selling certain these.
So making sure that you do have some popular items in your sale, in addition to everything else can help to draw in more of a crowd.
When someone is looking at an item for a while and seem to be spending more time checking it out, but hasn’t picked it up yet, consider offering a lower price on it.
Sometimes a better deal is all the incentive a person needs to buy. And, it’s a great way to get rid of even more of your unwanted items. So throw in those great bargains!
Just make sure you know which items you are willing to haggle, negotiate, or stay firm on with your pricing. You don’t want to lose out on any extra cash either.
Speaking of extra cash, you will want to make sure you have extra small bills on hand to make change for all the 20s, 50s, and even 100s you may be getting.
If you are comfortable with it, you may also choose to accept Venmo payments as well. Since not everyone carries around tons of cash, offering to accept cards can increase your sales as well.
This is a great way for you to sell some of your larger items such as furniture, or nicer appliances. This also helps you to sell even more of your smaller items too.
Garage sale pricing
When it comes to pricing your items, you never want to price it at the retail, or original price. It’s just like a car. As soon as you drive it off the lot (or take it out of the store) it has already lost a lot of value.
So think about if you were at a garage sale and looking to buy something. How much would you pay for it? You’re looking for a bargain, but don’t want to overpay.
What would those price tags say?
Even if something is in perfect condition, never been used/worn/opened. It is still not worth the original price. So keep this in mind when you label your items. You don’t want to have a low price for something that is valuable though either. So finding that perfect balance is a great way to sell more.
If you want to make your work easier, you can have tables or boxes set up with a set price.
Example: everything on this table is $1, and everything in this box is $0.50.
Good luck with your next garage sale, and I hope these tips help you make a little extra cash!
Let me know which of these garage sale tips you like best, and what things you try to have a more successful garage sale.
