How to Make Your Garage Sale a Success

You have a bunch of old stuff you want to get rid of. Maybe you don’t use it anymore, or you want to buy something new. Maybe you just don’t have the space for it. Or maybe you need the cash! No matter what, we know what you’re thinking—garage sale.

While having a garage sale might seem simple—put up a sign, throw everything on your lawn—there are actually some steps you can take to make your garage sale more successful—and more profitable. Follow the nine tips below to get the most out of your garage sale.

Before the Garage Sale

Get It All Together

Go through your closets, clean out the attic, and rummage around the garage. Get your kids to help. Assemble everything you have that you want to get rid of—you only want to have your garage sale once. Organize it in a way that will make it easy for you to sell things and for buyers to browse.

Pick a Time with Favorable Conditions and Promote

You want to have your sale on a weekend in the late spring or early autumn, when the weather is mild—not too hot, not too cold. Have it in the morning so you can sell all day. And then advertise the date—in the local newspaper, on Craigslist, with fliers around the town. Make sure you mention big-ticket items for sale that might be draws.

Price It, Label It, Present It

Decide what you want to sell items for and put stickers on them with the price. Make sure that you have tables and racks to display all the clothes and knickknacks you’re selling.

On the Day of the Garage Sale

Make Sure People See Your Sale

Get a poster and use bright, readable colors (red and orange are good, yellow isn’t). Write clearly and in big, bold letters, and place the sign somewhere prominent, where people can see it from the street. Most of your customers will be passersby.

Be a Good Salesman

Have lots of small denominations and change so you can break customers’ larger bills. Be polite. But also be firm. Don’t feel pressured to haggle just because a customer wants to pay less—and trust us, they will. You can wait until later on in the day to reduce prices or offer multiple items at a bulk discount if you want.

If you don’t sell everything, you can always continue your garage sale the next day, sell things online or donate them to charity. Best of luck with your sale!