1) All During The Year & Spring Cleaning
Pick a room in the house - Look in all the closets, drawers, boxes, shelves, and any nook and cranny in the room. If you have not used an item in the last year, it is a good candidate to sell. After checking all the rooms and closets, check the attic, basement, car trunk, kitchen, garage, or anywhere else you can think of.
Make sure your kids no longer want the kids toys you plan to sell.
Take a big box and label it “Free Items”. Use this box for small toys or other items you do not want to sell or are not worth much. Don’t throw any items in the trash; add to the free box(s). Some examples: Kitchen utensils, cups, containers, small toys, and broken items can be used for parts or fixed. You can always throw items not taken or donate what is left after the sale.
Don't stop to evaluate if an item should be sold, thrown, or donated. What does not sell can be tossed or donated after the sale. There is a buyer for almost anything.
Antiques are always a good seller regardless of their condition.
Don't sell used cosmetics, lingerie, underware, or socks.
During the year, as you buy or get new items of clothing, put aside the old items for the sale. One in - one out. Example: New pair of shoes in, old pair to sale. This practice will help reduce the clutter in your house and ensure that you will not appear on an episode of Hoarders. Have a set number of hangers and when a new item goes in an old item goes out.
Price items as you locate them during the year. This makes it for less work the last week before the sale:
Price your items to sell, it does not matter what price you may have paid for it.
1000s of detail prices: http://garagesalehomepage.com/PricingMain.php
For more expensive or rare items, check https://www.ebay.com/ using the “Advanced Search” with the “Completed listings” option to see what prices items sold for. This will give you the current value. Buyers at a garage sale expect to pay only 50-75% what it sold for on eBay. Asking prices don't mean a thing, it is what the sold price was.
The price for items you donate and write off on taxes on sites like ItsDeductable are not the same that you can use to sell at your sale. They are too high, use the sites above for more accurate prices. Your main goal is to sell the items at a fair market price. If you price too high, it will not sell.
You can never charge retail prices for anything at a sale even if it is new. Buyers expect to find bargains at a sale, your prices need to beat the best prices they can find anywhere else. With SmartPhones it is now easy for anyone to check a price.
Determine your best price and add a bit to leave room for haggling. If you have a two day sale, some buyers will expect a discount the second day.
If a big item price is not negotiable, put "Firm" on the price tag.
Price most items in $1 increments, it is easier to total for checkout and make change. Tape multiple items together if they are worth less than $1 or for loose items, mark them 2 for $1. Example toys or books. If you must use less than $1, use 25, 50, or 75 cents. If it is less than 25 cents, put in a free box.
Designer clothing is best sold in a consignment shop. You can try to sell at your garage sale before taking to a shop if you want. Most consignment shops give you 50% of what they sell it for. Examples of shops near Highland: Elite Repeat https://eliterepeatstpaul.com/ or Turn Style https://www.turnstyleconsign.com/ .
Large items like furniture or collectibles are best sold on Facebook Market Place, https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ or https://www.ebay.com/.
Similar items that are all the same price don’t have to be individually priced. Make a small sign and hang or tape it near the items during the sale. You can also put the items in a box and mark the price on a flap of the box. Make a list of the items and prices and have that at your checkout table. Examples: T-shirts $1 each, shoes $3 each, books $2 each, or records $1 each.
Mark prices using masking tape or buy labels and tags that are sold at many stores. I like to use a green or blue masking tape so it stands out on the item when buyers are looking for a price.
If your sale will include items from other family members or neighbors, put a code, like your initials, below the price to identify who should get credit for the sale when the checkout is done.
For items where tape does not work, you can buy tags on strings or make your own. The bigger the item, the bigger the tag or use multiple tags.
Some sales use different colored sticker dots to price items. Example: Everything blue is $1, red is $2, yellow is $3, etc. Buyers do not like this because they have to keep looking at a sign to see what the color means and it makes it hard to total purchases. I do not recommend using colored sticker dots, mark a price on every item, it keeps it simple.
Stickers from the Dollar Store that have a price are fine to use.
Position prices so they are visible without picking up an item. Buyers often will pass on a purchase if they do not see a price. You can put multiple like on top and the side also.
Price or have a sign/tags for everything. Most buyers will not ask you for a price during the sale. For high price items you can put a price like “$200 or best offer”. Have the buyer leave a name, phone number, and price they will pay if they are leaving a best offer. If you still have the item at the end of the sale you can phone the high bidder.
Price most things under $10.
Garage Sale Saying "Price items low and watch them go."
Don't sell things from the dollar store for a buck.
Don't be greedy with high prices. You'll end up with more money, less stuff, and greater inner peace if you sell items. Buyers want bargains.
Wash or clean items, they will bring a better price when they look their best. Don’t spend more time cleaning the item than it is worth. If it is really in bad shape, add to the free box or throw.
If the item has an original box, instructions, extra cords, adapters, etc. attach them with tape to the item. For missing instructions, you can search Google to find an on-line copy and either print or add the URL to the item. The more complete the item and more likely someone is to buy it.
Check all items for hidden or forgotten items like gift cards, cash, jewelry and other hidden treasures in clothing, books, or hidden spots
Place books, CDs, and records in a box with the titles up and visible so they are easy to read and you can place on a table for the sale. Put the price on the box flap or have a small sign. Have a discount if they purchase several like $1 each or 6 for $5. Also, start a price list with a description and price that you will use at the checkout table.
Use clear sandwich bags for small items, jewelry, or to combine items for one price. Baggies for sandwiches, quart, and gallon work great.
Test electrical and battery items to make sure they work. If an item does not work or is broken, write the problem using masking tape on the item. Example for a Boom box: Radio and Tape work, CD does not. This will save you time during the sale having to answer questions and ensure you will not have it returned after the sale for a refund.
Collect paper bags, plastic bags, boxes, and large cardboard that you will use for checkout and signs during the sale. Ask your friends or family if you do not get many bags or need more. Make sure to have lots of bags if you have lots of items to sell.
Tape items with sharp edges so buyers don’t cut themselves. This includes knives or tools.
Invite family, neighbors, or friends to sell at your sale if you have the room. The more items at your sale causes buyers to stay longer and buy more. The other plus is it is fun. Make sure the prices identify who gets credit for each item when you mark the price. Prior to the sale, determine the responsibility of each family: advertising, signs, setup, cleanup, checkout, etc.
Keep like items together like stores do (clothing, toys, tools, kitchen, etc.). That way it will be faster to setup the day before the sale.
Pick a date for your sale. If your neighborhood has a sale each year, plan on signing up, that is the best time to have a sale and saves you money and time. Do not have a yard sale on a holiday weekend. Most sales are 1-3 days with a two day Friday and Saturday best. This way the weather should be good on one of the days. In Minnesota, June is the best month. May is too wet and cold, July is too hot and people on vacation. Only hold in the fall if you can't hold it in June. Also, get a commitment from at least one friend or family member to help with the setup and during the sale.
Advertise your sale. You want to get the word out to as many buyers as you can. If buyers don’t know about the sale, you will have very few buyers at your sale. Just putting a couple of signs up will not get you many people.
Signup for the neighborhood sale if possible. Example: Highland Garagefest https://www.highlanddistrictcouncil.org/ . It will save you the money and time it would have cost to advertise in the papers and online. There also will be more buyers in the area for the other sales than you would normally have for any other date.
List the special items you have for sale like antiques or kids clothing.
If you are not in a neighborhood sale, put a garage sale ad in papers like the Highland Villager, St Paul Pioneer Press, and Star Tribune. These cost $20 to $35 each. Also use free online sites like
FaceBook (Neighborhood sites)
Other sites can be found at: http://www.yardsalequeen.com/
Obtain a permit to host a yard sale if your city requires it. St Paul Minnesota does not require one.
Some unsafe items should not be sold at a yard sale. The Consumer Protection Agency offers a list at https://www.cpsc.gov/ .
Another source of good information is a book "Garage Sale Superstart" by Eric Michael (CreateSpace, 2013).
Every minute you spend ahead of time making your sale well organized will put more money in your pocket and make the sale less stressful.
