9 Yard Sale Tips for a Successful Yard Sale
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It's that time of year again. The weather is warming up, which means it's yard sale season! Whether you're a seasoned pro or novice to the game, it's tough to find your rhythm when hosting a successful yard sale. Here are some yard sale tips so that your next one is successful.
Having a successful yard sale is easy to do if you plan everything right. Be ready for almost anything and organize things properly.
If you are living a chronic illness, finances are always a concern. We all accumulate things we no longer want or need. A great way to get rid of them and to make some money is with a yard sale. If you cannot do all the work yourself because of your chronic illness, ask family or friends to help. You can offer them a portion of the proceeds or allow them to sell a few of their own belongings at your yard sale in return for the help.
Having a yard sale if you have good, gently used items for sale will help you bring in extra cash. It will not help you earn a profit on your items. But, if you are not using the items anyway, you may as well sell them.
One of the best yard sale tips is to be organized with your sale. This could mean price tags on your items, or yard sale signs to properly advertise your yard sale.
9 Yard Sale Tips for a Successful Yard Sale
Everyone wants to have a successful yard sale when they decide to have one. Yard sales are a lot of work, they take time to plan and organize. These 7 yard sale tips will help to make your next yard sale a success.
- Time It Right – Before the weather is too hot is the best time to host a yard sale. However, you can do them any time of the year if you have items to sell and the weather is pretty that day. The best time is early morning from 7 am to noon, Friday, Saturday, and even Sunday mornings – with Saturday being your best day.
- Price Everything Right – Do not go in expecting to make a profit off your items. Even well-loved items are going to have to be priced to get rid of them, not to earn a profit. If it hurts to let it go for 60 to 90 percent of the value (depending on the item), you might do bestselling it in another manner.
- Display It Right–Think about how things are displayed in stores, grouped together in like arrangements. Do that for your sale too. You can even set up tables where anything on that table goes for a buck if you want to. Make it easy. Another yard sale tips I've learned is to price things. You can print out this yard sale price tags.
- Create a Free Pile – There are always things you will find in your attic, garage, or hidden in a cooler that is not worth much and that probably will not sell. But offer it for free at your sale, and people may cart it off for you.
- Get Plenty of Sleep – The night before your sale you will want to get plenty of sleep so that you can be alert, bright, and happy in the morning. Dealing with customers is not always easy. Some people who come to garage sales often are super-pushy, so you need to be ready for anything.
- Protect Yourself from The Sun – Wear a hat, glasses, and sunscreen during your sale. You are going to be outside for several hours unless you can tolerate being in your garage (which will be super-hot most of the time).
- Get Some Change – You are going to have to give change. Someone is going to buy something for a quarter with a 20-dollar bill. It always happens. Be ready for it. Get more ones and more quarters over other denominations.
- Advertise – You are going to want to advertise with your paper, at least their online version, plus different platforms available online to advertise (it is mostly free). Start at least a week in advance using some pictures of your items, plus a listing of the types or categories of items you will be selling. You can also print out yard sale signs to promote your yard sale around the neighborhood.
- Be Ready to Haggle – Get your mindset on the price you are willing to let things go for. You do not have to say yes if you do not want to. People will offer you very lowball offers because this is what garage and yard sales are about. Do not be offended but have a low price in mind that you will go for.
Ten Used Items That Sell Well at Yard Sales
One of the best yard sale tips is to have items that sell well. These things are what people are looking for when they go to a yard sale. Of course, they do want a bargain price – they are looking for 50 to 90 percent off the original price.
- Equipment and Tools
Keep in mind that things like woodworking tools, yard tools and more need to be in good condition and sold for a song. If you are not willing to get rid of your tools inexpensively, then you may want to try selling them in another manner. However, even a broken but fixable lawn mower will sell.
- Kids’ Outdoor Toys
Swing sets, tables, and more that are for playing outdoors and are still in good condition tend to sell well at yard sales. People like getting things cheaply for their kids to keep them busy during good weather.
- Outdoor Furniture
If you have outdoor furniture such as a table and chairs, picnic table and the like, these things sell well at garage sales. Clean it up and make it look attractive.
- Wood Furniture
If you have some older wood furniture that can be refurbished, this is extremely popular to sell at garage sales. Due to the popularity of refurbishing and reusing things, as well as all the ideas you can find online these days, it is super-hot.
- Costume Jewelry
If you have costume jewelry that is in good repair, then you can sell it at garage sales. This is because people like to not only wear costume jewelry, but they also like to use it in crafts. They like to get this very inexpensively, though, so do not expect to make a profit.
- Kids’ Clothing
This is such a good way to get rid of gently used clothing items for kids. Keep in mind that when you donate these things to thrift stores (even ones run by a charity), often the prices are marked up so much that a lot of less fortunate people cannot afford them. You can sell them a lot more cheaply yourself, worth more than the write-off you get on your taxes.
- Name Brand Clothing
For all types of clothing, name brand, gently used clothing will sell well. Make sure you display it nicely so that people can look at it. If you can set up a dressing area in your garage with a divider to protect modesty, you may sell even more.
- Like-New Items
Any type of items that are like-new will sell well at a garage sale, because people are looking for a good bargain. When something looks new, and you are selling it for a low price (think 90 percent off MSRP) they will buy it.
- Home Décor Items
Did you change your décor, and you have things that still look great just taking up garage and attic space? Your garage sale is an excellent place to sell the décor items. Set them up together in matching displays and offer group pricing for buyers to take it all.
- Books
If the books are not outdated (such as technology-related books), then books do sell well at garage sales if you do not try to sell them for more than a buck. People still like paper books and they are getting harder to come by used due to the advent of electronic books and readers.
- Cold Drinks and Snacks
Do not make lemonade; you may have issues with the health department. But you can buy soda cans and bottles of water. Sell them for a buck each to the tired and hungry. Sometimes light, packaged snacks (like meat sticks, cookies, and crackers) sell well too.
- Retro Toys
Do you have older wooden toys, train sets, in the package Barbies, and more from the 80s or earlier? If so, you may have a goldmine that you do not want to sell at just a garage sale. However, if you want to let them go fast, they will sell at a garage sale.
- Antiques
If you have bona fide antiques that need fixing up, your garage sale is the place to let them go. You are not going to be able to sell them at a super-high price, but if they are just taking up space and have no emotional meaning to you, why not let them go?
Selling your stuff at a yard sale can be cathartic. It can also help you gather some extra money for savings, trips, and more. Plus, your home will be a lot cleaner when you get rid of stuff that is just collecting dust and taking up space.
11 Things That Don't Sell Well at Yard Sales
Here are some yard sale tips: Certain items are highly unlikely to sell at your yard sale and are better off being given away for free or disposed of afterward. While someone might be interested in free items, it's unlikely anyone will pay for the following items.
- Outdated electronics:
Items like old VCRs, tube TVs often struggle to find buyers at yard sales due to advancements in technology and the availability of newer, more efficient alternatives.
- Worn-Out or damaged furniture:
Furniture that shows signs of heavy wear and tear or damage typically doesn't attract much interest from yard sale shoppers. This includes items with broken legs, chipped surfaces, or significant stains.
- Incomplete or mismatched dishware and utensils:
Sets of dishware or utensils that are missing pieces or have mismatched patterns tend to sit unsold at yard sales as buyers prefer complete sets for practical and aesthetic reasons.
- Shoes in poor condition:
People generally look for pairs of shoes in good condition at yard sales. Shoes with noticeable wear and tear often go overlooked by buyers.
- Used mattresses and bedding:
Due to hygiene concerns and the risk of bed bugs or other pests, used mattresses and bedding items like pillows or comforters typically struggle to sell at yard sales.
- Obsolete media formats:
Formats like VHS tapes, cassette tapes, or CDs have largely been replaced by digital alternatives, leading to limited demand for these items at yard sales.
- Half-used or expired toiletries and cosmetics:
Health and safety concerns make it difficult to sell partially used or expired toiletries and cosmetics at yard sales, as buyers prioritize products that are new and unopened.
- Broken or malfunctioning appliances:
Appliances that are not in working condition or require significant repairs often fail to attract buyers at yard sales, as most shoppers prefer items they can use immediately without additional investment.
- Personalized items with no broad appeal:
Items like monogrammed products or personalized gifts may hold sentimental value for the owner but may not resonate with potential buyers at a yard sale, especially if they lack broader appeal.
- Old textbooks and outdated reference books:
With the prevalence of online resources and updated editions, old textbooks and reference books often remain unsold at yard sales as buyers seek more current and relevant materials.
- Overly niche or obscure collectibles:
While some collectibles hold significant value and attract avid collectors, overly niche or obscure items may struggle to find buyers at yard sales, as the potential market for such items is limited.
In conclusion, hosting a successful yard sale requires careful planning and consideration of various factors. By implementing the right strategies, such as pricing items competitively, organizing merchandise effectively, and advertising the sale widely, sellers can maximize their chances of attracting buyers and selling their items successfully.
Additionally, being mindful of items that are unlikely to sell well, such as outdated electronics or worn-out furniture, can help streamline the sales process and ensure a more efficient and profitable yard sale experience. With these yard sale tips in mind, sellers can effectively declutter their homes while also turning a profit from their unwanted items. Hopefully these yard sale tips will help your next one.
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