Tips for surviving the Neighborhood Garage Sale
By Michelle Sylvander
Keller Williams Integrity Realty
651-253-4222
Be Organized:
Plan ahead and start planning months in advance. If you are going to do it, do it right. What is the purpose of your sale? To clean out, get ride of stuff or make money. Hopefully, all of the above. Start with a total clean out of the garage. Sweep and power wash the floor. After the sale you can be proud of how clean and organized you will be.
Attack each room in the house and make it a challenge to see how much you can collect from each room. Hang a plastic handled grocery/shopping bag on a hanger in your closet. As items are out grown or become less appealing, just drop them in the bag. Attack one room at a time or one weekend at a time. Give yourself a time limit. Pretend you are moving out of state or you are on the T.V. show “Clean Sweep”. Totally remove everything from the closets. Sort out into 3 piles: sell, keep or toss. Sort out the items quickly! Remember you have a time limit. If you get stuck on an item, ask yourself if you have used it in the last 6 months. Will you use it in the next 6 months? But it was Grandma’s and it is sentimental. Would someone else in the family enjoy that item more? Keep yourself moving.
Create a “garage sale area” to start place your items to sell. Before items are placed in this area, price them. This will help save a lot of time when setting up. Just like your clean out attack. Price items very quickly. Have price tags already made up so all you have to do is stick it on. I like to print out label sheets on the computer of 25 cents, 50cents, $1.00, $2.00 etc.
Label items with sizes like: “queen size comforter”, waist size on jeans.
Pricing:
How much would you pay for this item? What condition is the item in? – New, Used, or Needs repairs.
Group some like items for a bulk sale. For example you have a bunch of mismatched glasses. Place them in a box and sell the whole box for one price. You save the time of pricing each item and you have just cleared out a bunch of items with just one sale. I personally try to group items so they can be priced for $1.00 increments.
Clothing is a little tougher area for pricing. Much like pricing a home for sale – age and condition need to be strongly considered. Here is how I like to sort out clothing for pricing.
Group 1
· Brand New, never worn
· Tags still on
· 1 year or less in age
· Name Brands
· Little or no wear
I would place these items on hangers and clothing racks. Price these items ½ to 1/3 off the original purchase price.
Group 2
· Off Brand
· Worn
· Over 1 year old
· Might show a little wear
I like to place these items on a table. I price all clothing items on this table at 50 cents or 25 cents each. On the last day of my sales, if I can see someone gathering a few items from this area I might offer them a bag for $2.00 to fill with items from this table.
Group 3
· stained
· hole in the knees
· shrunk
You don’t need to throw these out. Group up in like fabrics. The t-shirts make great rags. Sell a grocery bag full for $1.00-$3.00 someone who sews might like a bag full of jeans to make a quilt with. These are items that can make the rest of your sale look bad if you tried to sell them on tables or racks with some of your better things. But by grouping them up in a grab bag you can help create an “I have great deals – get them while they last” atmosphere for the shoppers.
Advertising:
Be different then the typical garage sale. But this is a neighborhood sale, and the advertising is already taken care of. The advertising is to direct traffic to the neighborhood. You want to direct traffic to your sale. Get creative! Not every shopper takes advantage of the maps and the list of sales. Some of the die hard shoppers will come and scout thru the neighborhood the night before. Be ready! Have a sign posted in your yard with the days and hours of your sale. Make extra signs with an arrow to direct traffic to your sale. Put out balloons or a colorful string of flags. Strings of flags can be purchased for $8-$10. The more effort you put into your sale the better your results.
Take full advantage of listing your big items on the list of sales. Each year 500 copies of the list of sales and maps are made for shoppers. Give them information about your big ticket items. Rather then listing your sale like this:
Toys, Kids Clothing, HH goods and Furniture
Here is that same sale:
MULTI FAM- Sofa & Loveseat – LIKE NEW, Oak QN size BR set – matching dresser & headboard, HH items from Pottery Barn. Boys clothing sz 4-7, Old Navy, Gap, Girls clothing NB up to 2t Gymboree, Carters very clean, Rescue Heroes, Little Tykes Priced to sell, no junk!
You don’t need to list everything. Just give more information.
- What are some of the brand names you are selling?
- What kind of condition are they in?
List you items in order by ticket price. The most expensive items listed first. The second listing gives more information like what kind of furniture, what size and gender of clothing. It helps paint a picture for the shopper of what kinds of things they can expect to find at your sale. Do you have a number of good items to make it worth stopping at your sale first or do you just have a bunch of junk.
Setting Up:
Neat, Neat, Neat
When you invite guest over to your house you clean your house. Why should it be any different when you have a garage sale? You are inviting people to your garage to buy your things. When you have quests to your home, do you offer them something to drink or eat? Have refreshments available for sale.
Set your sale up like a store. Make signs for each department. Make signs for your clothing like “Boys sz 4”. With a neighborhood sale many shoppers will take a quick peek to see what you have. They want to try and hit every sale. In just a glance they can see what you have to offer.
Place large and colorful items in the driveway. This is easier for shoppers to see if they are just driving by. It is also easier to pick up after it is sold and not disrupt your sale. Stage your items for sale with other similar sale items. What? Ok, you have some larger items sitting in the driveway for sale. Let’s say you have a dresser for sale. You also have an alarm clock and silk plant. Place them on top of the dresser. You have a bed for sale. Have it assembled with the frame. This shows that all the pieces are there. Display some blankets and comforters on the bed. This also helps with table space. When ever possible have the items displayed fully assembled.
Have plenty of tables for your sale items. Use your picnic table, saw horse and an old door. Beg your friends and neighbors to use any tables they might have. Call your church to see if you can use or rent any banquet tables they have.
Put toys on a blanket in the front lawn. This will help save table space. The toys are also at the same level of the shopper who would be most interested in these items.
What’s to eat?
Don’t forget about your poor family. Setting up and having a garage sale takes a lot of time. The date for the neighborhood sale is always set a year in advance to help families plan ahead and even share the efforts with family or a neighbor. Doing the sale with other people is great; this way you can also have a potluck. Everyone helping with your sale brings an item for lunch or dinner. What if you have so much stuff you are just doing the sale alone. Recruit some help from friends, family or neighbors. Plug in the crock pot with some sloppy joes or soup. Stock up on some quick meals supplies like frozen pizzas, soups and sandwiches. Use your earnings from the sale to go out to eat one night.
Left Overs:
Who can I call about my left over items? One thing I just hate is wondering what will really happen to my old stuff. Will someone really get to use it that needs it? Will my old cloths just end up in some warehouse, auctioned off or shredded up for insulation.
Here are a few places I have found useful:
This is a retail consignment shop and all profits go to breast cancer research. The Hope Chest does pick up. They are an upper scale store and they are very picky on their items. You will receive a tax donation form for your items. They can also help you with finding places to donate your other left overs that they can not take. For more information visit their web site at: www.hopechest.us or call 651-642-2850.
This is an organization that helps people in desperate need including refugees, immigrants, victim of domestic abuse, natural disasters and the homeless. They will take furniture, beds, blankets, pillows, towels and other household essential items. Approx. 120 families a week are referred to Bridging. They will pick up larger items. For more information call 651-631-3255.
This is a women & childrens shelter located in Little Canada. They are always in the need of womens and childrens clothing, baby equipment, and shoes. You must call first to make arrangements. Margaret Ganje 651-482-7552
This can be a good place to sell some of your items that are in better condition or collectable. If you have a large amount of childrens clothing that is in great condition. I have seen a box full of name brand clothing sell for over $100. Setting up an ebay account is quick, easy and inexpensive.
Will take clothing and miscellaneous items. call 952-881-1100 to schedule a pickup or go to www.couragepickup.org
Will take clothing and miscellaneous items. call651-748-0400 to schedule a pickup or go to www.lupuspickup.org
This web site is great. I love it!! I have found wonderful treasures here. I have also parted with items my husband would have rather tossed in the trash. The purpose of the site is to reduce landfill waste. Just about anything can go on this site: appliances, arts & crafts supplies, furniture check it out go to www.TwinCitiesFreeMarket.org
- White Elephant Gifts: ***
Have a party, wrap up your left over items and give them away!
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