How to Prepare For Your First Garage Sale: A Guide to Everything You Need to Know!
Consider yourself as the owner of a mini pop-up shop on garage sale day and have fun with it! (Photo credit: Canva)
Our annual neighbourhood garage sale is a few weeks away and I was asked the question from a new neighbour: “I have never done a garage sale before, how do I prepare, and what do I need to know?” She recently moved here and after settling in, she found a lot of things to sell ranging from clothes, accessories, household things, kitchen appliances, to fine china, furniture and more! Here is a summary of my advice that I shared with her. I hope these 11 tips help make your garage sale a success!
Here are 11 tips on how to make your garage sale a success:
Plan ahead: Decide on a date and time for your garage sale well in advance and advertise it to attract more customers. Choose a day when the weather is good and avoid holding it on major holidays or weekends when people are likely to be out of town.
Make it a neighbourhood event: Consider asking others in your neighbourhood if they would be interested in hosting a garage sale on the same day to attract more customers. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet new neighbours and make friends.
Organize your items: Group similar items together so that shoppers can easily find what they are looking for, i.e. clothing, books, kitchen, bathroom, etc. If you have many items in one category, you can organize them in subcategories. For example: if you are selling clothes, arrange them like you would see them in a shop: women’s, men’s, children’s, costumes, and so on. Take it one step further and organize them by size. It will make it simpler for a shopper to look for clothing in their size.
Display your items: Think of yourself as the owner of a mini pop-up shop! Arrange your items in a way that looks like a store where you enjoy shopping. Make sure everything is clean and presentable. Consider using a clothes rack (or the closet of your entry way) for shoppers to simply browse through clothing on hangers. Use bins, boxes and trays to display items in a tidy way. Consider using shelves and shoe racks you have on hand to display your items.
Label and Price your items: Price your items according to their condition and how much you originally paid. If you have many items in one category that will share the same price, you can create a Pricing Menu, i.e. “Kids Tees $2”, “Adult Shoes $10”, “Adult Designer Shoes $20”, “All Kitchen Tools $2”. You can also use coloured sticker dots to designate pricing, i.e. Green = $2, Yellow = $3, Red = $4, Blue = $5. To help you make a sale, consider bundling items together to sell as a package deal. Be willing to negotiate prices with your customers, so keep a calculator on hand if you need to double check your numbers.
Advertise: Use social media, local newspapers, and online classified ads to advertise your garage sale. Make sure to include the date, time, and location of the sale, as well as any items of interest that you will be selling. Often time those looking for garage sales will look for brightly coloured signs like neon pink, yellow and green! Consider putting these up on the main streets leading to your neighbourhood 3-4 days before your big event. Add balloons on the day to help grab attention!
Have change ready: Make sure to have plenty of change on hand for shoppers who will be paying with cash. Keep your money in a secure location, such as a cash box. Have your phone handy and be willing to accept e-transfers from shoppers on the spot for higher priced items.
Be friendly and approachable: Greet shoppers as they arrive, and be available to answer any questions they may have. Offer assistance in carrying items to their cars, and thank them for their business.
Donate or dispose of unsold items: After the sale is over, donate or dispose of any unsold items to free up space in your home. Consider donating items to a local charity or thrift store, or arrange for a bulk pick-up of any larger items.
Consider having a “free” bin: You may even be interested in letting some items go for free, as you may find value in not having to donate or dispose of any items.
Take care of yourself: Stay cool, hydrated, lather on your sun lotion, wear comfy shoes, use a comfy chair and HAVE FUN!
By following some or all these tips, you can increase your chances of having a successful garage sale.
Have fun and Good luck!
Can you think of any other helpful tips? Send me an email. I want to hear from you!
