How to Have a Hugely Unsuccessful Yard Sale

on June 18, 2009 at 3:00 PM

how to host a yard sale It seems like every house on my block has had a garage sale this June! I took the liberty of paying extra special attention to the crappy ones so I could share some tips about what not to do when hosting a garage or yard sale.

Schedule your yard sale during a holiday weekend. Maybe your neighbors will cancel their Fourth of July vacation JUST to go to your garage sale, maybe not. Try to pick a date that falls on a non-holiday weekend when most folks are in town. An even better idea? Sometimes group sales work better than individual ones, so try to coordinate with your neighbors to hold a joint sale.

Collect stuff to sell 10 minutes before the customers arrive. Are you crazy? Garage sales take a lot of work and planning! Gather things you plan on selling days, weeks, or even months in advance so you have time to organize and price them accordingly.

Don't advertise your sale. No matter how important and famous you are, most people won't know about your garage sale unless you tell them. Advertise for free online, in the local newspaper, or by posting signs around the neighborhood. Check out The Yard Sale Queen for a list of Web sites where you can advertise your yard sale for free.

Price items for at least as much as you bought them for. Unless you are selling a diamond ring that has increased in value over the last several years, this is a no-good-very-bad idea. Instead, a good rule of thumb is to price items in decent condition at 1/2 or 1/3 of the original price.

Refuse to bargain. Congratulations! You're well on your way to making a whopping zero dollars at your garage sale. Haggling is what yard sales are all about. In fact, some people comb garage and yard sales just because they love bargaining. Don't deprive them of their passion! You can be less flexible early in the day or with sentimental items, but try to ease up a bit later on.

Is your family holding a yard sale this year? Do you have any tips?

About the author Kim Conte

has shoes that make people stop her on the street and ask "Where did you get those?" but it doesn't work for taxi cabs as she was hit by one ... and lived to tell the tale. She has more freckles than Lohan but way less attitude. And she's a fierce cook with tons of recipes to share -- and wishes she could share some with Bourdain.

Filed Under: clutter buster, organizing, summer survival

Comments (6)

KimbaD20

on Jun 18, 2009 at 3:58 PM

Having just ended a HUGELY successful yard sale this weekend, I can say that displaying the high ticket items (i.e. dvds, baby items, furniture..) out front will draw them in, then they will usually continue to browse. Also, if you have clothing for sale, size it and SIGN IT as such, more people will look if they know there's something that may interest them.

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LuminousMom

on Jun 18, 2009 at 8:24 PM

lol my moms best garage sale was when they sold their house they had lived in for 14 years and she had 3 long tables...

.50c table and clothing rack (mostly clothes, toys)... 2.00 table (movies, small home items)... and 10.00 table (lamps, decor, electronics) and then a few "big ticket" items placed up the driveway to draw people in. Our rule was... It had to go on one of the three tables. We sold virtually everything! She took almost every offer too. We werent doing it to make money, just to get rid of all the junk that wouldnt move with us to house #2.

One tip that I think helps is to have a clothing rack to put the clothes on. We have one we bought for like.. 10 bucks at walmart a few years ago before we renovated our closet to make room for shelves... and I have to say its more appealing for me to buy clothing that are neatly hung up on a rack than clothes that are in a musty pile on a table.

ethans_momma06

on Jun 19, 2009 at 2:10 PM

I almost died laughing when DH and I went yard sale-ing when we were first together- He had NEVER been! And, while I was insisting on trying to bargain, he said he felt so bad for the old lady that he paid what ever she asked!! :D I am sure she had been around the block on yard sales a few times so I think she was as suprised as I was when DH just paid what she asked! And amazingly enough... he was working as a salesman for his living!!

I think it helps to have things priced and organized comprehensively. That way people can see something they are looking for with out having to dig, and they have an idea where they can start with the price!

m-avi

on Jun 22, 2009 at 1:04 AM

I stopped having garage sales after I realized people steal like crazy from them. I could not believe they stold a .50 item from my sale. After that I said never again. Sad, but true!

Chrissy629

on Jun 22, 2009 at 8:38 AM

I don't do garage sales. If I don't want something I throw it away or give it away.

MommaTasha1003

on May 6, 2011 at 10:19 PM

I think you missed a tip (maybe?): have your garage sale alone.. It makes things go faster because alot will get stolen while you are checking out the HONEST customers!

The way some act is down right ridiculous!