What would you do with an extra $1,500? I bet you can think of a lot.

Well, that’s about as much as the average person can expect to get from hosting a successful garage/yard sale. In fact, you can probably make even more. It’s not uncommon to pull in $3,000+ from a single sale… especially if you’ve never had one before.

The truth is, most of us accumulate a lot of stuff over our lives that we just don’t need anymore. By selling it at a discount, you give people the opportunity to save a ton of money. You get rid of excess stuff that’s doing nothing more than taking up space. And you put a big chunk of change into your bank account!

Here are our top tips to make your garage sale a total success.

Have it Early in the Month

Most people get paid at the first of the month. So if you have your garage sale at the first of the month, people will have plenty of money to spend.

Usually, a weekend is the best time to host your sale, since that’s when most people are free. If you have enough items, you can host your sale throughout the weekend. This way, when people come to visit, they may see something their friend or other family member would love. If you have it over the entire weekend, they can bring that person the next day.

Also, make sure you don’t have your garage sale on a holiday weekend. Most people have plans on holiday weekends and going to a garage sale is the furthest thing on their mind.

Promote, Promote, Promote!

The success of your garage sale is directly tied to how well you promote it. After all, I can guarantee that there is somebody in your city who needs every single item you’re selling. If you can advertise it well enough to reach them, you ensure you will make the most money possible.

Also, the more people who are shopping, the higher the price you’ll get for most items. If only a handful of people show up, you’ll have to sell your items for what they’re willing to pay for them. If your sale is packed, on the other hand, if one person won’t buy due to the price, odds are, another person will.

There are two approaches to promoting your sale: online and offline. We recommend you use both. For offline marketing, grab some large neon colored signs from the store. Then get a big, fat, permanent marker. Write “YARD SALE” on the signs, with the date of the sale, and the address of the location. Look at them from a distance to make sure someone in a car will be able to clearly read them.

Then, post them up in the parts of your neighborhood with the most traffic.

For online advertising, you can search for Groups on Facebook where people buy/sell/swap items online. Post some clear pictures of some of the best goods you’re selling with the price to these groups. Be responsive to the comments and answer any questions.

By using these two simple approaches, you’ll have a flood of people buying your excess stuff.

Put Your Best Items Up Front

As you’re going through your stuff, you’ll find some items that you know are going to be hits. Be sure to put these front and center so they’re the first thing people see when they pull up.

Not only do these items grab attention, they’re also very easy for people to take pictures of and share with their friends. If they see a basketball hoop at an amazing price, they may post it on Facebook telling everyone where to find it.

Put Your Sales Hat On

If you’ve ever been to a store like Nordstrom, you’ll know that almost as soon as you set foot inside it, a salesperson is greeting you. They’ll ask you how your day is going and, importantly, what you’re looking for. By knowing why you’re in the store, the salesperson can direct you to all the items you may want to buy.

If you want to maximize your earnings in your own sale, adopt a similar approach. Talk to people and see why they’re at the sale. Ask them what they’re looking for. Get an idea about who they are. Then, trust your gut. If your gut tells you they may be interested in an item, recommend it to them. 

Offer bulk discounts if they want to buy multiple items. Or, if they want a discount, you can give it to them provided they share the sale on Facebook.

Final Thoughts

Having your own yard sale isn’t rocket science. And it’s one of the fastest, most sure-fire way to inject your bank account with a nice chunk of change. On top of this, you’re clearing out a lot of excess stuff that probably does nothing but cause you stress. That’s what we like to call a win-win-win!

Best Wishes,

The Vipon Team