How to Have a Successful Yard Sale

It’s that time of the year again, when the sun is shining and folks are doing their Spring Cleaning. Spring Cleaning, however, usually means throwing out tons of things that have been sitting around in order to make room for new things. That also means it is Yard Sale and Garage Sale season!

Rather than giving items away or throwing them away, why not have a successful yard sale and try to make some money?  Everyone loves yard sales and not only will you make some extra cash but you will clear up some space in your home as well.  A yard sale is traditionally hosted in your yard whereas a garage sale is in the garage, but you can use these tips for either of them.  Here are some things you can do to make sure you have a successful yard sale.

1. The most important thing you can do to make your yard sale successful is to advertise and advertise a lot.  Place an ad in your local newspaper.  Hang effective signs around your neighborhood.  Post an ad up on Craigslist.  An important thing to note is that when you are posting signs around your area, be sure to use large, bold text with arrows pointing to your street.  And of course, make sure the sign is readable.  Adding balloons to your sign always helps.
2. Another thing you can do is recruit a “sign flipper.” You would be surprised how much more traffic you will get with a strategically placed person with a sign!  This is a great way to get the family involved.  No one can refuse a cute kid flipping a sign!
3. You should try and put some effort into the yard sale and try and make things look nice.  You don’t want things to look nasty and dirty.  If you have an old football that you are selling, be sure to have air in it.  If you are selling a radio, have it playing.  Make sure that everything you are selling is clean and be sure to have spare batteries around in case customers want to know whether things work before they make a purchase.  I always run an extension cord outside so there are plenty of outlets to test the merchandise.
4. You want to place large sized items closest to the entrance of the driveway because that will entice buyers to look around.  Instead of having boxes full of clothes, hang them up.  This way customers won’t have to dig through so many boxes to find what they need.  Save the boxes for things like stuffed animals that can be easily dug through.  Remember to keep the toys within the children’s eye level and easily accessible.
5. Be sure that your yard and driveway are welcoming to people. People don’t want to visit a yard sale with long grass in the yard and holes throughout the driveway.  Be sure the grass is nicely cut and that you fill up any ruts in the ground.  If you are going to have music be sure it is set reasonably low and not offense to others.  Your customers don’t want to pull up at a rowdy sale with blaring music and people twerking everywhere.  Be professional.
6. In addition, you may think you have the friendliest dog in the world, and you probably do, it is best that they not be at the yard sale.  There are some folks that are allergic to dogs and some are afraid of them.
7. If it is a hot day outside, you may want to think about selling water, sodas or lemonade.  If you have kids, they can run this part of the yard sale for you.  If it is early in the morning, consider donuts and muffins for sale as well.

This may be rather obvious but it is crucial that if you are going to be successful, you need to be well prepared.  Yard sales require a great deal of time and effort but if you are organized and prepared, you will find that things will go more smoothly.  Be sure prices are clearly marked ahead of time and that you have plenty of change to break bills as large as $20 and change as small as a nickel.

Have fun. These tips will ensure that you have the best yard sale ever!

Have anything you want to add? What works best for you?