Making Money with Garage Sales Table of Contents   Getting Ready Where to get your stock/inventory Creating a System Finding Kitchen Stuff Finding Bathroom Stuff Finding Bedroom Stuff Finding Living Room Stuff Basements and Garage Stuff Fixing and Cleaning Labeling the Items Setting Your Prices When to Have Your Sale Handling the Money Tips and Tricks Shoppers Guide Getting Ready Getting ready for a garage sale Most people have a tendency to accumulate things that they don't really need. Some have remained unused and good as new while some have remained idle in storage. People who have plenty of things which have remained unused for a long time should think about disposing of them to make room for more important things. There are several choices available for those who would like to get rid of unused things in their homes. Unused clothes, toys, shoes and books can be donated to charity or they can be thrown away in the garbage. However, there is a better option which can earn the owner additional cash in a short time. Most Americans are going crazy over garage sales as a venue for alternative shopping. Professional buyers even look out for garage sales to make sure they will be the first ones to look for worthwhile and valuable things that are considered trash by some people. A garage sale can also be a money making venue for people who have accumulated items which they no longer see as essential parts of their lives. A garage sale may look like a simple and uncomplicated way of selling things that a person no longer wants but it is actually hard work. People who want to hold a garage sale should prepare for the sale in terms of getting the items they want to get rid of and then sorting them out and pricing them. Before holding a garage sale, make sure that you have enough items to stir the interest of your neighbors and the prospective buyers. A garage sale with only a few items won't attract customers. Garage sale patrons will expect a garage sale to carry diverse items from clothing, kitchen wares, shoes, curios and any other item under the sun. So if you have very few items then it is best to wait or talk to friends and neighbors who may want to join your garage sale so you can present more items. However, if the whole neighborhood has scheduled a garage sale then you can go on with your own garage sale. A community garage sale will be more attractive to buyers and they will be scouting the whole neighborhood for interesting stuff. Advertising is an important part of every garage sale because it is one way of telling your buyers that you intend to hold a garage sale at a specific time. You can make your own signs or get the services of a signage professional. Make the sign as attractive as possible to make sure it attracts the attention of potential buyers. Also make sure to have the exact date, time and place of the garage sale printed on the signage. You can also promote your garage sale by printing some leaflets and distributing them in the neighborhood. Post flyers in visible areas announcing your garage sale. Also try to experiment with teasers like posting signs a day before the sale to make sure that potential buyers don't miss your garage sale. It will be more attractive to buyers if you put out long tables or shelves where you can display specific items. Don't put different items together as this will only confuse you and your buyers on the price tags. Remember that buyers don't have the time to rummage over piles of clothing ware and shoes lumped together. We will discuss this further in upcoming chapters, but make sure you arrange the clothes in such a way to give the buyers an idea of the sizes or the price of the items. It would be best to hang the clothes so the buyers can see them easily. Shoes can be arranged on shelves or on top of the table. While a garage sale is understood to be a sale of unwanted items, make sure that the items on display are cleaned ahead of time so they will look attractive to the buyers. If you have plenty of items of every kind like shorts, t-shirts or jackets, place them on individual tables and place a general price tag on the table so customers will easily know how much those items are at first glance. Also avoid giving different prices for the same items because may turn off the buyers.   Where to get your stock/inventory How to get stock and inventory for a garage sale. Holding a garage sale will always be one of the easiest ways to dispose of unwanted stuff and earn money at the same time. Americans have made garage sales a regular venture and it is also becoming popular in other countries. People have a tendency to accumulate things that aren't really very useful to them any longer. Most of these things remain hidden in their stock rooms and only add to the clutter in their homes. Some people can't bear to part with their old items but it is the only way to go if they want to rid their homes of clutter and create space for new and more useful items. Holding a garage sale is easier said than done because you can't just hold a garage sale if you only have a few items to sell. A garage sale is supposed to be an inventory sale so people will expect to see a variety of items from which they can take their pick. A person planning on holding a garage sale should take stock of the things he has accumulated over the years. His garage sale stock should be taken from items that are no longer being used by the household members and things which they have no future use of. Among the things that make up the inventory of a person holding a garage sale are baby things that have remained in the closet for a long time. Most of these items are baby carriers, unused diapers, mattresses, blankets, baby hats and clothes, shoes, and other baby items that mommy refuses to sell even if her baby is already a teenager. Other items that have a tendency to be kept in the store room include curios and home ornaments like discarded lampshades, beds, dining wares, tables, and other items that are gathering dust in the store room. The homeowner may have stored these items not because they are still being used but because they are too valuable to be thrown away and there is just no opportunity to dispose of them in a proper way. A garage sale can't be decided on and done in one day because you need time to take stock of all your unused items. Looking for unused items that you no longer want inside the house can take days so you have to plan ahead and schedule the garage sale on a Friday or a weekend. In the meantime, you have to search all over your place for items that you want discarded and disposed of during the garage sale. If you belong to a large family then you can ask your parents or your sibling for items they no longer want. Your family may wish to get rid of usable items and they would be glad to give you these items for free if you get rid of them. By doing so, you won't just add to your inventory but you will also get more money if they are sold during the garage sale. There are plenty of areas around the house to look for items to be included in your inventory for the garage sale. For sure, most of these items have been kept hidden because you no longer use them. Perhaps you have already forgotten some of these items so it would be good to literally rummage through the whole house and outside as well to get good stuff for the garage sale. Watch for the chapters on how to scout out specific rooms for unused items you can add to the sale. If you are one of those people who love to stock up on books then you can rummage through your mini library and dispose of books that you have already read and which no longer form part of a good book collection. Music lovers sometimes outgrow their CDs so you can include old CDs, record players or cassette tapes in your inventory. When doing your inventory make sure to put similar items in a box so you won't have to sort them out again when putting on the price tags and actually displaying them during the garage sale. You can actually use the boxes during the garage sale but don't use very deep boxes as the buyers could have a hard time bending and looking for them inside the boxes. You may be so busy looking for small items inside boxes and shelves that you may forgot big items like furniture which you no longer use or no longer have room for. Large items can also make up the list of your inventory for the garage sale.   Creating a System Importance of creating a system for a garage sale Preparing for a garage sale can take more time than the actual garage sale so make sure you map out your calendar several days before the intended garage sale. The ideal days for holding an individual garage sale is on Fridays or weekends because most people are free during those days and will have more time to come to your sale. Individual garage sales are best, because if you are participating in a neighborhood garage sale you don't have a choice but to follow the scheduled date of the sale. Make sure you spend enough time rummaging the whole house and the yard for items that should go in the sale. Set a specific time or day for rummaging through different areas so you can classify the items accordingly. You wouldn't want to accidentally part with important items during a garage sale so make sure that you have marked the items carefully while doing the inventory for your garage sale. You can do this by creating a system when doing the inventory like putting the items you have rummaged in specific boxes or containers. Holding a garage sale is just like starting a small business so you should set up a good system for preparing your inventory, pricing them and storing them properly. You will find many things during your search for items so make sure you put those items where they belong. Prepare several large boxes and label them properly so that you can just throw items easily as you find them. An easy classification would be one box each for items that you want to keep, items that you want to sell but need some repairs or brushing up, items that you have decided to be a part of the garage sale inventory and of course, a box for items which you want to throw away. Creating a system will help you become more detailed and orderly in your garage sale. It will also help you clean up your house in the guise of looking for items for the garage sale. That would mean hitting two birds with one stone, cleaning up and then preparing your garage sale inventory. Your system should be thorough in the sense that you dispose of items that you haven't used for quite a long time and which you don't see any future use for. Don't get carried away by the thought that some items may still be useful or some clothes may still fit you if you lose an inch or two. This would only prevent you from properly disposing your things for the garage sale and you may end up not having a garage sale at all. Be careful when classifying things because there may be items which you may want to throw out but it may be considered by other people, especially buyers, as a good item. As long as it is in good shape and it can still serve its purpose then go ahead and throw them in the "for sale" box. Creating a system for the garage sale will mean being able to classify the items accordingly. Make sure you organize the items according to their kind like putting clothing in one box, shoes in another box and books in another box. The more items you have then the more boxes you should label. If you have a lot of clothing for the garage sale you should make use of clothes hangers so they will look organized and appealing to the buyers. Buyers will only think lowly of clothing wear that is crumpled and scattered in a box. Put more value on your items by arranging them properly and displaying them in a creative manner. Potential buyers will want to know what kind of items will be on sale during the garage sale so if you have already created a good system then you won't have a hard time writing down their classifications. These classifications can be bulleted in your signage and leaflets so the buyers will know what items will be on display during the garage sale. A successful garage sale will mostly depend on the kind of items you will place on display but more importantly on the system you have established even before the garage sale. Creating a good system includes proper placement of price tags on various items that are for sale and tags or signage for items that aren't for sale. Once you have created a good system for your garage sale, it will make you more relaxed and able to greet buyers with a smile when you open your garage to them during the garage sale. Avoid being harassed because it might make you grumpy and irritable when customers repeatedly ask you for the price of the items and haggle with you. Remember that once you have successfully held a garage sale, it doesn't mean that this will be your last garage sale. So go ahead, be creative and establish a system that will make your garage sale easy as a breeze. And don't forget, dispose of your unwanted stuff and make money. Finding Kitchen Stuff How to find kitchen stuff for your garage sale A garage sale is pretty much the Americans’ ingenious way of earning money by getting rid of things they have classified as trash or junk. These things may not necessarily be old and unworthy just considered excess by their owners. The growing popularity of the garage sale may be related to the growing propensity of people to splurge on anything. Blame it on the greed of man or the growing buying power of the majority of the population. Whatever the reasons are the garage sale is becoming an instant hit for those who would like to dispense surplus items as well as for those who would like a good bargain. Holding a garage sale is no joke because it entails hard work on the part of the homeowner. He has to look for a good inventory for the garage sale so as to make sure that people will flock to his yard for the sale. Garage sale buyers would be less interested when they see only a few items so keeping the inventory up should be a must. There are plenty of areas from where the homeowner can look for items for the garage sale. The first room of course is the storage room where everything that has remained unused for a long time has been stored. However, there is a need to classify the items that will go into the inventory to make shopping for goods easier for the potential buyers. One attractive classification for buyers would be kitchen stuff, whether old or new provided they are in good condition. People usually get carried away when shopping for kitchen wares so there will surely be duplicate kitchen items right in your kitchen or even in the storage rooms. Pots and pans may be sprouting everywhere in the kitchen so choose which pans haven't been used for a long time and add them to the inventory. Plates and silverwares that have remained on display but never used can also be included in the inventory. Aprons and pot holders and mini towels for the kitchen that have remained in the stock room for a long time should also be included in the inventory. These items can easily rot in storage even without use so better sell them while they still look good. Kitchen appliances which the owner has in duplicate like coffeemakers, ice shavers, sandwich makers and the likes can also be included in the inventory as well as glassware that may have remained in their boxes for a long time or no longer match kitchen décor. You can get a good inventory of your kitchen stuff so it would be best to arrange them nicely on a table solely dedicated for kitchen wares. Potential buyers who are scouting for kitchen items can easily find the things they like when they are properly arranged. Don't forget to wipe and polish everything and make sure that everything is in good condition. If you can get the silverware and the kitchen utensils to shine, the better chances they will have of being purchased. Take the time to put price tags on the kitchen items a few days before the scheduled garage sale. Don't expect to get high prices even for kitchen items that are brand new. Garage sale buyers are looking for good bargains so lower your prices a bit if you want the items to be sold and not returned to your storage room. Don't forget to advertise the garage sale not only in the neighborhood but also outside of the subdivision. Take advantage of free advertising space in the local papers and place your ad. Prepare some signage about the garage sale and don't forget to put the exact date, time and venue of the garage sale. If you have a good inventory of kitchen wares and other items then advertise them on your leaflets or fliers. Some buyers will be more interested seeing the kitchen things you intend to sell on the day of the garage sale. Take time to do all the preparations ahead of the day of the garage sale so you won't be harassed during the day itself. Welcome the buyers with a smile and start counting your dollars, hoping that you no longer have to bring back anything to the house after the garage sale. Finding Bathroom Stuff How to find bathroom stuff for the garage sale It is amazing how people can accumulate things and never use them altogether. They forget they have the stuff until they rummage through their house looking for items to make up an inventory for a planned garage sale. Someone planning to hold a garage sale will have more success in getting people to buy if they make sure they have lots of inventory. The garage sale inventory can come from various parts of the house like the store room and even more visible areas like the bathroom. Some people buy bathroom stuff like shampoos, towels and soaps for display. Most of these items were bought as part of the homeowners reserve to be used by visitors who may stay overnight. However, most of this bathroom stuff remains unused and are left in places where they may spoil if not disposed of or sold. Homeowners who want to clean out their bathrooms can dispose of bathroom articles that have never been used for years by throwing them in the trash. Better yet, make money from these unused bathroom things by including them in your inventory for the next garage sale. Look for bathroom items that will still be useful to other people like shampoos that have remained unopened for a long time, make up kits that have remained unused and unopened, spare hair brushes and towels, perfumes, and even bathroom scales. Some people can even find unused bathroom curtains hidden somewhere in the house. These curtains may have developed stain lines but can be wiped clean to make it look brand new again. Also look for bathroom canisters, storage bins or shampoo organizers that still look appealing. The most common bathroom articles though, are soaps. People have a propensity for collecting different kinds of soaps. They bring home soaps from hotels, soaps from luxury shops, and all kinds of soaps. Candles are also one of those bathroom items that people tend to accumulate. Women have a weakness for scented candles which they use or light up when taking a leisurely bath. Most of these candles are however kept as part of their collections and have remained unopened and unused. Make sure that the bathroom articles you include in the garage sale inventory are clean and still functional so prospective buyers will see them as good things to buy. The bathroom articles you may consider as junk will be viewed as useful by others. Garage sales are a serious undertaking and even if you aren't planning on holding regular garage sales you should consider it as a small business. Of course, making huge profits isn't the end goal of a garage sale because people won't buy things that are highly priced. Don't expect to sell the inventory at the same price you bought them because you will just be disappointed. Worse, the prospective clients won't even glance at the other items for sale. Make sure you price the inventory as low as you can. This way the prospective customers won't have a reason to resist your sale and they will be coming back for more. Furthermore, you will have a good time getting rid of your junk. To make sure you get lots of potential customers for the garage sale, try to get your friends and family to contribute their own bathroom items. This way you can have a corner exclusively relegated to bathroom articles. People will have more time to look at the other items if you group the inventory according to their classifications. Place attractive signage in high traffic areas in the neighborhood and even outside the neighborhood if you really have a good inventory of various things for sale. Also distribute leaflets and other teasers to inform prospective customers of the garage sale. Don't forget to indicate the specific time, date and venue for the garage sale so the customers can set a time for the sale. This will also ensure you get a good number of prospective buyers during the garage sale. Finding Bedroom Stuff How to find bedroom stuff for a garage sale A garage sale is one occasion where a homeowner can dispose of unused items that have remained unused for several months or even years. Most people have a tendency to buy things even if they don't need them so they tend to accumulate unused items in their homes. There will come a time when the unused items will take all the storage in the house and you can no longer find a place to put all the other important items. When this situation happens, it is time to either throw out the unused items or hold a garage sale. A garage sale will be a good way to dispose of these items and it will be a fun way to make money. Some people are conducting garage sales so regularly that they consider it a home based business. While a garage sale can be held right in the comforts of your house or extra space outside the house, holding a garage sale should be considered a serious business. It involves time and effort especially in terms of looking for the inventory and in pricing the items. When holding a garage sale, make sure you have a variety of things and each kind should consist of many items. Buyers will find this more attractive because they don't want to waste their time going to a garage sale where there are only a few items for sale. You can ask you neighbors or your family to join you in the garage sale to keep your inventory up. But try to look in your storage room first as you might already possess a good inventory that can fill the garage. Look for bedroom stuff as most buyers will be looking for these items. Some people have the ability to see the beauty of some items that you may consider as junk. You can rummage through your own bedroom first and look for items that are no longer useful in the bedroom like excess pillows, linens, pillow cases and even mats. You may have too much stuff like tables in your bedroom so you could sell these items. Also consider rummaging through your storage room as you might have hidden several bedroom items which you have decided not to use during last season. The change of season also requires a change in beddings like you may prefer quilted beddings during winter but it isn't practical to use during summer. Selling them during the garage sale would be a good way of getting enough money to purchase new beddings for the summer. Bedroom items can include old lampshades that are no longer used by the household perhaps due to a change in the interiors of the house or of the bedroom. Lighting fixtures that have remained unused for a long time but are still working can also be included in the bedroom items. Headboards that are no longer useful or that look out of place in a new bedroom are better sold in a garage sale rather than kept in the storage room to rot. This way you can earn back a percentage of what you paid for it when you bought it or had it made. Curtains or blinds that are no longer being used in the bedroom can also form part of the bedroom items classification for the garage sale. Also look for vases and other decorative items which you no longer need. Once you have collected all the bedroom items it is best to put them all together so you can price them accordingly. Put the bedroom items on one table during the garage sale so the buyers can easily go to that table if they are looking for bedroom items. Classifying items properly will make shopping more convenient for the buyers. This way, they can browse over the items efficiently and will still have time to look over the other items that are on sale.   Finding Living Room Stuff Finding living room stuff in garage sales As soon as spring comes, it brings the aura of "a new change." Most of the time, people conduct their spring cleaning. After spring cleaning, garage sales are conducted. Items that are no longer of use for a particular household are gathered outside the house and onlookers are welcome to check out the merchandise. A person’s trash can be another person’s treasure. That proves true in garage sales. Consider those on the lookout for living room stuff. Some furniture or accessories like chairs and lamps may have a little chip on the side and can be freshened up new and sparkling with just a little paint. There are those thrifty and practical people who seize the garage sale opportunity to get new living room appliances. If you are the one who is selling living room items at a garage sale, make sure that you no longer need the item. For example, picture frames, paintings, vases and centerpiece decorations can be sold. Before displaying them make sure that they are polished clean and appealing to the buyers’ eyes. Second-hand items are still a catch – as long as they are presented in a decent manner. If you are the buyer who happens to pass by a garage sale that is being conducted by a home-owner, meticulously check out the items on sale. There’s a thin line separating treasure and trash when it comes to a garage sale. Take in to consideration a vase. Make sure that there are no chips on the sides, corners and edges. As for couches and throw pillows, make sure there are no stains. Make sure that the edges of tables or TV stands are still appealing and most importantly, strong enough to carry weight. If you are the one who is in charge of pricing the items that are for sale, be practical and considerate at the same time. Naturally, since the items are second-hand, possible buyers would be turned off if the prices are too steep. But then again, you as the pioneer of this "business" should also consider what your monetary gain is from this garage sale. One thing to consider is keeping most things under $5. Compare the price of how much it can normally be bought. Like a picture frame costs $7.99 to $12.99 at your local Target. If you are selling a picture frame, sell it at around $5 or even lower. This should keep you competitive. Think of it this way, by having a garage sale, you’re earning and at the same time allowing more space in your basement or attic. A mistake most sellers make when they’re holding garage sales is they prioritize sentimentality over practicality. These items only mean something to the previous owner. For the potential buyer, a chair is simply a chair, and he will only buy it from the seller if he finds the price to be reasonable for a living room appliance that was previously owned.   Examples of these are CDs, books and magazines. It is also ironic that these are the items taking up the most space. These also include toys such as video games and stuffed animals and dolls. If these are really sentimental to you (if you are the seller), then give them to relatives or friends. However, a number of potential customers usually dig in the CD and book box of the garage sale. If you are the buyer, you have to take your time in browsing through CDs, books and magazines. With the CDs, if you are positive that you will be buying one, have it tested first. Yes, it may be a garage sale but at least you’re getting your money’s worth. If it is a book, make sure that there are no torn pages or else while you’re reading it, you’d be left hanging. Items such as old dish towels or appliance covers must be rid of as quickly as possible. The seller can provide a bin somewhere in the garage sale and call it a "freebie box." Here, potential buyers will feel that they get more than their money and their time’s worth by getting more than they hoped for. If the seller is in a rush to get rid of the items he no longer needs, he sometimes doesn't care about pricing. Now that’s an advantage to the buyer. A good garage sale when conducted like this gives both the buyer and the seller a perfect and done deal. Basements and Garage Stuff Basements and garage stuff can be gold!' Once every year, it is advisable that a homeowner checks his attic, basement and garage for unwanted stuff. As time passes by, there are some items and appliances that are no longer needed and only take up room. Before anything else, check with your family members to see if they still need the item that you are thinking of selling. Sometimes, it may seem like trash to you but for your significant other or children, it may have sentimental value. If the item, such as books, CDs, magazines or trinkets aren't ready to be thrown away or sold, keep them in storage boxes and neatly place them in a corner of the basement or attic, away from the pests such as termites, cockroaches and even rats. Just like a commercial on TV, in order to attract the attention of your neighbors or passers by that you’re having a garage or yard sale, put up a big sign. Better yet, put an appliance out by the road that would really make their heads turn – something big and old but still re-usable. Now, cleaning the basement, garage and attic is really challenging because it requires patience when sifting through each item. Afterwards, you double check whether you can sell them or not. If you can, then you have to clean them up before presenting them to potential buyers. The basement and garage are the most challenging to sift through. First of all, you have to check with your husband if he still needs those tools or your wife if she still has use for those appliances. As for old toys, books, magazines and CDs, your children might be holding on to those for sentimental reasons. That’s the challenge to garage sales. Most people can't let go of the stuff they can sell because of sentimental reasons. Sometimes they do, but then the price is too high. Remember that these items for sale are only sentimental to you, and not to the buyer. Grandpa’s chair is only grandpa’s chair in your eyes. For a possible buyer, it is living room furniture. In cleaning the basement and garage stuff it is advisable that you start in one area, finish it, and then move to the other. Don't rush it. Take your time. Since these are where most of the old schoolwork and appliances are kept, be very careful in lifting because if you do it too quickly, they might fall on you. Ask help from family members in preparing and cleaning the garage. This can be a family-affair over a weekend. Usually, it only takes one to two days to sift through all the items that have been stored. Now that you have cleaned the garage, the next step is to label the things you will be selling. Tools are a bit more expensive than living room appliances – even if they’re second-hand. However, before presenting them in front of your house (wherever you’ll be holding your garage sale), make sure that the garage tools you’ll be selling are repaired and cleaned. You’ll gain from this because thoroughly cleaned second-hand items may seem brand new to the buyer. To earn more, you could also ask help from your relatives or neighbors. If they’re willing to do so, they can also have their own garage sale. In doing so, this may call in the attention of more people and collect more money if pulled successfully. The secret to a successful garage sale is patience. In the end, you’ll also benefit from it. Not only will you be earning extra cash, you’ll also have more space in your garage and your basement for future storage. That’s why you should make it a practice to clean your garage and basement whenever you can. There are also funny stories when uncovering a sentimental item during spring cleaning. That item alone brings back good memories. You should try it once in a while. Sometimes going back to what is important in your past can either be useful in the future or cathartic to where you are in the present. Fixing and Cleaning Fixing and Cleaning for a Garage Sale Too much junk is annoying to the eyes so it’s helpful when you fix and clean up your garage once in a while. Always remember that the purpose of the garage is to store old items you might need to pull out in time. However, if the case is that you have no need for these items and they are considered as junk, it’s better to throw them away. Here are some tips to assist you in fixing and cleaning your garage. 1. Money is always a nice motivator to get things done. Think of the extra money that will come in after you have arranged your stuff. It’s like getting two birds with one stone. Not only did you clean out your garage, you were also able to get cash from it. 2. It’s a family affair. By cleaning out the basement, garage and attic, you can gather your family members together. It involves a lot of stretching, bending and climbing. It could be one day off for everyone and an activity that they could all do together. Also, if you happen to uncover something of importance, then seeing the item brings back memories. 3. Now that you’re fixing your garage, make a list of what you should purchase for future storage. Choose whether you need steel shelving or plastic storage containers. Also get hooks as additional supplies. 4. Have patience. Start sorting out one section at a time. One look at the entire garage, basement or attic can be overwhelming because it may seem like a lot of work. Concentrate on one area and sort through everything one by one. 5. Think of the outcome. Once the entire garage, basement or attic has been cleaned out, look around and you’ll be so relieved and proud of your achievement. It was an arduous task but it was achieved. 6. Sweep and scrub. It’s not enough that you arrange the items in your garage or basement. Afterwards, sweep and scrub the entire room. You may have sorted through your stuff but it will still look awful if there are cobwebs and dust in sight. 7. Maximize the space that you have. If you have a separate garden shed, store the tools there. Be careful with the tools because they must be arranged neatly and properly in order to avoid accidents from happening. 8. Ask your recycling center if they accept old books and magazines. If they do, you might also get extra money from them. By donating old books and magazines, you may help your neighborhood kids by providing them with reading materials. 9. Keep things grouped together. In doing so, it will be easier for you to get the stuff that you need when you need them. Try getting those see-through box containers or bins. Label them on top of their lid so that with one glance, you know what is inside them. 10. Whatever trash you’ve gathered, make sure that you dispose of it properly. That is why in the beginning of your garage cleaning, it is advisable that you have with you plastic bags to put your trash in. You can make an appointment with your local charity to take the stuff that you don’t need. If some items can still be repaired then sold later on, you can advertise that you are having a garage sale in your local neighborhood. Now with the garage sale, make sure that you price the materials just right. Don’t let your possible buyers feel that you are cheating them. There are many ways you can make passers by and onlookers welcome just by looking in at your stuff and getting what could be a treasure from your trash. The garage is like a closet. It helps us store stuff that we don’t need. Now that you have a newly refurnished closet, think of the other things that you could put in it. Now that your garage is cleaner than ever, do your best to maintain the quality of organization that was the result from your cleaning. In doing so, the next time you decide to have a garage sale it will be easier for you and everyone involved.   Labeling the Items Labeling the items for a garage sale After organizing your garage, basement or attic, and figuring out which items should be thrown and which should be kept, you are ready to conduct a garage sale. In order for your garage sale to be a success, you must plan it as early as you can. Look at your calendar and decide on a date that you are available to supervise it and also consider possible buyers’ availability. Avoid holidays and special events because this will mean less people because they probably will go out of town or head out on trips. If you can, check if there are other garage sales that may be conducted the same day as yours. In doing so, it will be easier for everybody to gather in one section of the neighborhood, attract more customers, thus generating more money. You can earn more by boosting up your items by having a joint-garage sale with relatives and friends. When you clean your garage, attic or basement, there might find hidden treasures. Also, you may uncover mostly junk but always remember that what may be trash for you may still be used by other people. Items that sell very well are old chairs, tables, desks, vases, picture frames, kitchen utensils, and baby clothes to name a few. That is why you have to label your items. Go to your local bookstore and purchase those labeling stickers. Sift through the items that you will be selling. Try to group them and lay them out altogether. Next step, a garage seller must do is to price these items. Label your products in relation to how much they normally sell for in stores. Since these are second-hand, you must rate them at a lower price. Place the tags either on top or on the front of each item. If you want, before you conduct your garage sale, look at other garage sales held in your neighborhood then compare the prices. Remember it’s easy to go down on the price, rather than raising it. For appeal, put signs like, "All CDs .90 cents each." You could also provide a goody bag containing freebies such as dish towels. In doing so, your customers will think that they are getting more for their money. For documentation purposes, have a log book and jot down each sale that you make. Along with the log book, there should also be an inventory sheet. When it comes to pricing your items, don’t be afraid to bargain with the customers. Naturally, they’ll want a lower price because these are second-hand items. However, it’s up to you whether you cave or not. If you feel that the price they are suggesting, be it lower, is still reasonable then accept it. In labeling, you must indicate what’s for sale and what’s not for sale. There are times a buyer may be confused about what is available and what’s not. Also, before hosting a garage sale, clean the garage and make sure it looks clean and inviting for your customers. Labeling is appealing to people because it assists them in finding what they are searching for. Make sure there’s enough space in between one set of grouped items to another. If you still have the box of the item you’re selling, put it back in it. The item will be purchased quicker if it is in the original box. As for the jewelry and more expensive items, keep them close to where you are stationed so you can monitor them. The hustle and bustle of a garage sale can also invite those who’d like to get stuff for free. After arranging your garage sale, it’s time that you advertise it. Attract more buyers by giving them a preview of what they can get if they drop by. Have some posters and flyers to inform other people that there will be a garage sale. For convenience, have grocery bags ready so you can bag the sold items for the customers. Have a calculator beside you too. To make it easier for you, ask a friend or relative to help you wait on customers, collect the money and keep an eye on your merchandise.   Setting Your Prices Set Your Prices Right to Enjoy Garage Sale Success The success of garage sales depends on a number of factors. Naturally, one of the most obvious factors used to gauge the success of garage sales is the kinds of products that are on sale. If you’re not selling anything of value or appealing, there’s no way that your garage sale is going to become lucrative or profitable. One sadly underestimated factor is the garage sale owner’s ability to set the right prices for his items. Attaching the right price tag to the right product is one of the safest paths to take if you wish to enjoy financial success from your garage sale. The following tips will teach you how to set the right prices for all the items in your garage sale. Explain to your helpers that one of the reasons you can place relative high prices on your products is your ability to provide customer satisfaction. If you can’t address your customers’ needs satisfactorily, there is no way that the customers will come back – no matter how great your products are! Categorizing Items under Appropriate Departments Another way of ensuring shopping peace and comfort in your garage sale is categorizing your items clearly and in a system that your customers won’t have any difficulties understanding. Divide the products according to specific departments. Lastly, label the products neatly and logically so that your customers will know that baby mittens are under CLOTHING and not SMALL MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS. Not All Advice is Good Advice Beware of websites and books that autocratically tell you how to price your products. Sales experts teach not by commanding their students but rather by letting their students explore their options and discovering for themselves what works best in which situations. Experience is still the best teacher any individual can have and having garage sales is no exception to the rule. Making Benchmark Studies Benchmarking is a comparison technique that big and small corporations use in order to find out how they’re performing compared to their competitors. This tool can also be used to determine the best prices for the items in your garage sale. Check the quality of the products they’re selling and how much they’re selling it for. Afterwards, compare it to what you’re selling to know if you’re overpricing or under pricing your products. Relating Product Conditions with Prices Make sure that your prices are also based on the product condition. Avoid attaching expensive tags to items that have been used for years, excessively flawed, exposed to wear and tear and are generally in bad condition. Likewise, don't place a lower price tag on items that are in good to excellent condition. For brand new products or items that have never been used, be sure to ask for 75% of their original prices. As for other products that are slightly used, be sure to ask for at least 50% of their original value. How to Successfully Price Books Books are tricky items to sell in garage sales because most customers expect them to be sold at exceedingly low prices. The right knowledge on books will however help you set the right price for the right book. Paperbacks sold in garage sales are dimes in a dozen but works of famous authors allow garage sale owners to price them higher than usual. If you’re not familiar with the books that you’re selling, ask for second opinions to gauge its bestselling status. It’s Always Okay to Negotiate Lastly, the success of your garage sale depends on your ability to negotiate. Not allowing the customers to haggle is the best way to lose profit. Garage sales are for haggling and there’s no way to change that. The only thing you can do is mentally set the lowest price you’re willing to accept for each item you’re selling. Allow your clients to haggle as much as they wish but be sure not to allow them to pay for any item for something less than what you’re mentally set on.   When to Have Your Sale When and When Not to Have Your Sale Everything about your garage sale seems to look great on paper. You set great prices for great products and your sale system is perfectly organized. But you still fail. What happened? One reason could be due to inopportune timing. Timing is another key factor that determines the success of your garage sale. Know when and when not to have your sale to avoid incurring financial losses in the future. SUMMER, SPRING, FALL BUT NEVER WINTER There’s a logical reason why winter is the only season that’s not conducive to garage sales. During winter, a number of roads are sure to be difficult to tackle and that’s bad for the business, especially if the affected roads are what most of your clients would have to manage in order to reach your shop. There are also more accidents in the winter than any other season and it’s why safety conscious people tend to avoid leaving their homes as often as possible during this particular time of the year. Lastly, winter tends to make people feel quite lazy…lazy to even go shopping! MAKING USE OF A GUESTBOOK This is a technique that will ensure the future – rather than the present – success of your garage sales. Designate a person to handle the guestbook of your garage sale. That person must have no task except to focus on getting all the customers to sign in the guestbook. Customers must at least provide their email addresses – if not their complete contact details – in the guestbook. Have your saleslady ask the customers if they are amenable to being contacted or emailed about future garage sales. For best results, choose a particularly charming person who will easily succeed in persuading customers to reveal their contact details. YOUR FAVORITE NUMBERS ARE 15 AND 30 Why? Because these are the most important dates on the calendar as they generally coincide with people’s paydays. Most people are faced with an inordinate urge to spend once they get hands on their pay. And since you’re a generous and kind civilian, don’t you think it’s your responsibility to accommodate their simple desires by holding your garage sales during those specific dates? If possible, make sure that your garage sales can last three to four days, particularly from the 13th to the 16th and from the 28th to the 1st day of the succeeding month. AVOID HOLDING GARAGE SALES DURING THE HOLIDAYS Contrary to popular opinion, it’s rare for garage sales to enjoy profit and success during the holidays. People tend to be very busy during the holidays and they rarely have time to spend scouring garage sales. It’s more likely than not that your garage sales will gather buzzing flies rather than busy customers intent on shopping. HOLDING YOUR GARAGE SALES DURING WEEKENDS If you wish to ensure the success of your garage sale, try your best to hold them during the weekends. Garage sales, unlike typical stores, run only for a temporary period. It’s why each day counts. The best time and the best chance for garage sales to enjoy profit is no doubt during the weekends. Only a few individuals still have to work during Saturdays and many of them only have to attend half days at work. They can spend the rest of their day however they wish and why not give them more choices to choose from by holding your garage sales during the weekends as well? For best results, open your garage sale on Thursday and if possible, let it run till Sunday night. SMALL AND MORE IS BETTER THAN BIG BUT FEW Don't make the mistake of treating your garage sale like a typical store. The success of your garage sale depends on the small but numerous items you’re selling. Items that are priced expensively will rarely sell no matter how rare or hard-to-find they can be. For that reason, collect as much miscellaneous items as you can. These items can range from being useful to cute but the common factor they should share is LOW price tags. IT’S ONLY THE FIRST ITEM THAT’S DIFFICULT Organizing the items in your garage sale may seem like a Herculean task to accomplish but don’t let the visible chaos intimidate you. Categorizing the first item is the most difficult thing to do but the rest will come surprisingly easy.   Handling the Money Tips on Handling the Money to Gain Garage Sale Success The chaos that you can find in garage sales is sometimes the reason as well why having them can be so much fun. This doesn't mean however that you should allow chaos to cost you money. No matter how much fun garage sales can be, they’re still above all things business ventures. Your top priority should still be to make money – and not lose it! KEEP IT UNDER LOCK AND KEY It doesn’t matter what type of container you use to keep the money. It can be an old metal box that your grandfather used to keep his fish bait, your former lunch box or the drawer of a cash registry. The important thing is that the container is safe and secured by a lock. You should be the only one to have the key to the money container. If there are duplicates, make sure that you only allow people whom you trust to hold them in their possession. Secondly, be sure to keep a human guard on the money container as well. Besides a metal lock, use a human lock as well to ensure that your money is kept safe 24/7. AVOID TRANSPARENT CONTAINERS Why subject people to temptation if there’s no need? Avoid using transparent containers to keep your money at all costs. Transparent containers will naturally let people see just how much money you’re earning and this presents two disadvantages: If you’re earning a lot, there’s sure to be an abundant amount of money in the container. If it’s transparent, your customers and employees will naturally see what’s inside. The sight of so much money may prove to be too much temptation for even the most innocent of individuals. Desperate straits, after all, can push an individual to commit crimes spontaneously, no matter what the consequences are if they get caught. If you’re earning too little, this is bad for your business again. Customers, upon seeing, the amount of money – or what little there is at present – inside your container, would draw the obvious conclusion that your garage sale isn't a financial success. They’ll then ask themselves why your garage sale isn't profitable and conclusively decide that it’s because you’re not selling anything valuable. KEEP IT WITH YOU IF YOU’RE WORKING ALONE If you’re supervising the entire garage sale alone or you’re the only one in charge of handling the money, you should keep the money with you at all times. There’s no possible way for you to be in two places at one time so you can’t guard the cash box while entertaining customers. To solve this dilemma, just make use of a fanny pack or a belt bag that you can wear on your body at all times. AVOIDING CONFUSION IN THE CASHOUT TABLE There are certain instances when customers will complain that they gave you more cash than you’ve counted. Their complaints may or may not be genuine. To avoid confusion, make use of a paperweight or a heavy rock to keep any money you receive from customers within sight. That way, while you’re taking care of other things, there is no way that your customer will point out negligence or insufficient attention as the cause for miscounting the money they gave. Besides making use of the paperweight to hold the money in place, be sure that you count the money a customer hands you at least twice. Count it carefully and clearly and ask for confirmation from the customer after counting. BEWARE OF HELPFUL CUSTOMERS Be on the lookout for customers who generously suggest counting the items in advance and computing for their total because it can be just a ploy to pay less than they should. If you encounter this type of customer, gently but firmly refuse their suggestion and thank them nicely for their offer. If they proceed to act huffy and offended, apologize and use the excuse of store policies for refusing their request. ALWAYS HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH CHANGE READY This will ensure that no matter how much a customer’s bill will total to, you will still have enough money to give them the right amount of change. It will also lessen the amount of time wasted in searching for people who can exchange your large bills for smaller denominations. Tips and Tricks The Little Things that Count in Garage Sale Some people often concentrate too much on the bigger picture and they forget the fact that at times, it’s the little things that make the greatest impression. Don’t make the same mistake while running your garage sale. While it’s certainly alright to focus on the bigger picture once in a while, concentrating on how to set prices, invite customers to check out your garage sale and haggling with them, you shouldn’t forget that there are other but smaller things that need your attention as well. DELEGATING RESPONSIBILITIES It’s hard to run a one-man-show. It’s possible to do so, of course, but it’s not something you should set out to do in the first place. Remember that two brains work better than one and there’s a better chance your garage sale will become more organized and profitable if there’s more than one person overseeing it. Therefore, try inviting as many friends and relatives as you can to help you out with your garage sale. Most of them will probably help without hesitation. Since you know your loved ones best, we’ll leave it to you to determine your working arrangement with them. Now that you have a group of responsible people under your supervision, delegate as many responsibilities as you can but save those tasks which you feel only you can handle. Ask two persons at least to handle advertising since marketing is the first step to garage sale success. Authorize two more to handle the cashbox – make sure that you remind them to stay focused on their jobs at all times. Then, have one friend take care of welcoming customers, another to handle questions one group of products and so forth. TAKING CARE OF BREAKABLES Accidents can always happen at garage sales because most customers are in a rush to find bargain items before anyone else. It’s therefore easy for a customer to accidentally collide with a table containing breakables and cause them to topple off. Make sure that breakable items are placed in fabric covered or plastic containers that won't cause them to break into tiny pieces when somebody accidentally rattles the table. Wrap them as well in old newspapers upon purchasing so that they won’t break on the journey to their new home. MAKING USE OF OLD SHOPPING BAGS Just like any business, your garage sale will stand to make more profit if it’s able to enjoy lower costs and expenses. In this case, instead of buying several packs of paper or plastic bags for customer purchases, you can first try making do with all the used paper and plastic bags you’ve collected over the years. Ask your friends and relatives as well if they have other plastic and paper bags to donate. NEATNESS IS A MUST Nobody likes shopping in a dirty place – no matter how great the products are. Sure, they might try to brave it out for a day but they’ll certainly never come back. And since garage sales are only temporary business ventures, no garage sale owner can afford to lose business that way. It’s important to ensure that the surroundings are kept clean during business hours. Make use of as many trash cans as you can so that customers won’t be tempted to throw their garbage anywhere. Stick small posters in all corners of your garage sale that requests patrons to throw their garbage in the appropriate place. Make sure that someone empties the trash regularly. Assign one or two people to be on the lookout for slippery and sticky floors. For each day of the sale, closing hours must be spent cleaning the whole area and reorganizing tables and items. OFFER WEATHER APPROPRIATE REFRESHMENTS If you’re holding your garage sale in autumn, it’s best to sell drinks like coffee and hot tea because people are beginning to feel cold during this season. For spring and summer, cold drinks are no doubt preferable. If you’re planning to sell food, make sure that you don’t sell anything difficult to eat while standing or that would cause sticky fingers. Chips are great but any non-sticky finger food would do as well. And lastly, don’t forget to smile. A smile can brighten people’s day and you definitely want your shoppers in a good mood when they enter your garage sale. Shoppers Guide The Buyer’s Guide to Garage Sale Shopping Garage sale shopping is a cost-efficient way to buy items for the household, office and personal use if you’re on a tight budget. Garage sale shopping can also be quite fun because you can never really tell what you can dig out from those old boxes. If you’re in the mood for garage sale shopping, here are several tips to keep in mind to ensure you’ll go home with the best purchases in town: WHERE THEY’RE BEING HELD There is probably one garage sale that’s being opened each day across the state. Most garage sale owners however only make use of free advertisements so you have to pay attention to the posters sticking on columns and walls to know where exactly garage sales are being held. Try visiting public places as well like city halls, hospitals, schools and country clubs. Most of these places have bulletin boards where anyone – upon gaining permission that is – can freely advertise garage sales. Check websites as well for any news regarding garage sales that are being held in your town. PREPARATION TIPS FOR GARAGE SALE SHOPPING Ask a friend to join you in your shopping spree. People tend to have a better and more pleasant time shopping when they’re with company. Bring only the amount of money you can afford to spend. Bringing extra will only tempt you to spend beyond your budget and that’s not a good thing to do if you have valid reasons to scrimp for the rainy days ahead. And while we’re on the subject of money, try to bring smaller bills than bigger bills because there are times when people at garage sales are unable to give you change. Wear comfortable and weather-appropriate clothes because there’s a possibility that the garage sale you’re about to check out is going to be quite crowded. Avoid wearing light colored clothes, your favorite outfit or anything expensive unless you’re ready to have them dirtied. Garage sale shopping is fun, yes, but we didn’t say it’s going to be held in a dirt-free environment, did we? Make sure you have the right directions. If there’s no contact number for you to call and have the address confirmed, ask around until you find someone who is familiar with the place. Be sure to take down directions very carefully. CHOOSING THE BEST GARAGE SALES Avoid garage sales that are sloppily organized. Garage sales are essentially chaotic but disorganization will only make things worse. A disorganized garage sale may turn you off from garage sales completely and since that just won’t do, find another and better organized garage sale to check out. Secondly, if there are several garage sales being held on the same day and they’re all located in the same vicinity you can try checking them out one by one first to compare rates. PAY LESS BUT NEVER PAY FOR MORE Items in garage sales can either be overpriced or under priced. If an item is labeled brand new, you should still be willing to only pay as much as 75% of its estimated original value and never more than that. For items that are in good to excellent condition, you should only be willing to pay for half of their original price and again, never more than that. HAGGLE, HAGGLE, HAGGLE! Haggling is one of the reasons why garage sales are so much fun. This activity isn't possible in malls and stores that use fixed prices but at garage sales, haggling is practically expected and made into an art form! If you’re shy about haggling, don’t let the other party realize that because they’re sure to act more aggressive towards you. Guess the lowest possible amount they would offer you for the product then try your best to bring the price down as near as your pre-determined amount. Of course, keep in mind that haggling doesn't give you license to act rude or ill-mannered. CONCENTRATE ON THE SMALL STUFF AND NOT THE BIG ONES Focus on looking for small miscellaneous items that you can’t find anywhere else. The big pricey items are greatly discounted, yes, but they’re sure to take a huge chunk of your shopping budget. It’s better to go home with lots of small purchases rather than just one expensive – albeit discounted – item. Remember that garage sales are meant to be fun. If you’re not enjoying your time, dump the place and find another one. Good luck!