How To Make Money On My Next Yard Sale

Today

Garage sales are a ton of work, from picking through every room in your house to find things to sell to hauling an endless amount of stuff exterior. The reality is that most sellers are lucky to end upwards with a few hundred bucks. And then are those stories of garage sales that net four figures only suburban legend? Not necessarily.

Follow these tips and tricks from our garage sale experts, and y'all'll be on your manner to making a prissy chunk of alter.

1. Partner with others.

"Have a neighborhood auction," suggests Lynda Hammond of GarageSalGal.com and author of "The Garage Sale Gal'south Guide to Making Money Off Your Stuff." When multiple homes near each other have their ain sales, information technology attracts more buyers to the neighborhood, she says.

Or you tin become a few friends together to host a articulation auction. "If yous're in a cul-de-sac in a remote function of boondocks, you might look into going in on a auction with someone nearer a busy street," suggests J.D. Roth, the founder of GetRichSlowly.org who has hosted and shopped hundreds of garage sales. The amount of traffic that sees your signs or drives by your sale will take a big bear upon on your profits, he says.

2. Sell a fewbig-ticket items, inside reason.

Do yous take an onetime collection yous don't want to agree onto? Have old furniture or electronics you tin can part with? Experts say having a few items that command college cost tags volition assistance amp up your cash take, every bit well every bit lure potential buyers to your sale where they will likely pick up other items.

Simply, remember information technology'south a garage sale, not Tiffany & Co. "If you do recollect it'southward worth a lot of money, it's not something to sell at a garage auction," says Bruce Littlefield, lifestyle expert and writer of "Garage Sale America." "People who walk into a garage sale aren't going to buy a cherry band for $1,000."

3. Choice a theme.

"And then many garage sales are the same, lots of children's apparel, old glassware, stuff people can find anywhere," Roth says. "Branding helps differentiate your sale from the others."

If you accept a lot of sports equipment, gardening tools or canning supplies, make that your marketing message to lure people interested in those items. Last yr, Roth held a "Geek Garage Sale" and emphasized that he had graphic novels, lath games and computer gear. He netted over $two,000 in 2 days.

Then, because he still had shelves filled with classics, graphic novels, and photography manuals, Roth re-branded the leftovers as a "Book Sale" for a 3rd sale twenty-four hours. Traffic was lighter, but withal he made an extra $400.

Related story: Your garage sale crook canvas: How to go the best deals – and non buy junk

4. Become the discussion ou tin more than the usual ways.

On top of placing the traditional newspaper ad, post details of your sale on Craigslist and on garage sale websites. "You lot want to make note of the special things you have to lure people in," Littlefield says. "List article of furniture, antiques, garden tools, toys, a dining prepare, a bedroom set, so everybody who is looking for those things knows to come to your auction."

"Also think most social media for advertising your sale," Hammond says. "Use Twitter and Facebook and the word will be spread." (Find out more about how social media is affecting garage sales.)

5. Keep your signs uncomplicated.

"Here's what a adept sign is: Neon poster board with ane word 'SALE' and an arrow," Hammond says. "A lot of people will put the address and lots of words, but when you're driving y'all can't read all that." Wait until you've hung the signs to draw the arrows then you know which management it should point, she says, and keep the affiche board small so it doesn't flap in the air current. Hammond also suggests having someone drive around at certain points throughout the day with supplies so he or she tin can make a sign on the spot if one has disappeared.

half-dozen. Set your stuff up similar a store.

"You're the director of a store for the day," Hammond says, and a store is what your auction should wait similar. Organize items by blazon (kitchen, clothing, sports, etc.), go far easy to walk the aisles, and brandish things where people can see them, experts say. "Don't put clothing in a box," Littlefield says. "No i wants to get through that. Information technology needs to be seen and displayed. Fold it on a table, or hang items up."

Also, create browsable sections. "Annihilation that'southward browsable—collections of things similar books, records, or CDs—will get people to spend fourth dimension at your sale," Roth says. "When people drive by and meet people at your sale, more than people will finish."

7. Have a pricing strategy.

"Pricing should be 10 to 25 percent of what the initial price was on everyday items," Littlefield says. "For family heirlooms or things that are worth a lot of money, await on eBay—not for what it was listed every bit, merely what it sold for to see what somebody has actually paid for information technology." Except for big-ticket items similar a bedroom ready, virtually things should be priced for $ane to $100, he says. Towards the end of the sale, await to sell things for half off. "Go back and mark your signs "everything half off' and you'll get tons more traffic," Littlefield suggests.

Another option? Don't price anything. "One of the most time-consuming, dull parts is pricing your items, and you're likely to procrastinate doing it and not take your sale," Hammond says. "Plus, a lot of times yous volition get more money if yous don't price stuff. Maybe you take an old chef's cookie jar you've ever hated and would take a buck for it. But, maybe the buyer has been looking for that and would name a higher price. I've had so many friends who accept tried it and they volition never go dorsum to pricing stuff," she says.

Or, combine the 2 strategies and put cost tags on about items while also having a dollar table." You don't have to tag everything, and then information technology makes it easier," Littlefield says. "Have more items in boxes nether the table so yous can replenish it."

Bundling items together is besides an effective upsell strategy, Littlefield says. "If you lot have quantities of certain items like CDs, books, or DVDs, price them three for Ten dollars," Littlefield says. "If they encounter i they like, they'll and so wait for two more to go with it. Information technology moves merchandise."

If you're approaching the concluding hour of the sale and really want to get rid of your stuff, give shoppers bags to fill for $five a pop. Your stuff will go a lot faster and people will feel like they got a bully deal.

8. Open at nontraditional times.

"Y'all can do three times the money on a weekday than on a weekend because of supply and demand," Hammond says. "There are so many garage sales on a Sat the shoppers are spread sparse, and people will hesitate more considering they recall, 'I might see something I like better down the street.'"

Also, open early. "The serious buyers are out early on," Hammond says. "And open up on a Fri from 6 to 8 a.m. to become buyers who are on their way to piece of work or dropping off their kids at school."

nine. Build a frenzy.

"When I'm setting upwards my ain auction, I recall of the velvet rope at clubs," Littlefield says. "I set upward a rope beyond my driveway and a sign that says when the rope volition be dropped. You get a crowd of people gathered there at your rope and create a frenzy over your stuff by making them drool over it for a few minutes and they take competition to the right and left of them. When you drop the rope, people literally run to get the things they want," he says.

10. Create a fun shopping feel.

"Make it a political party with music, lemonade, and cookies," Littlefield says. "If you become people talking to yous and talking well-nigh your stuff, they are much more than likely to desire to requite you their money. It makes it a happy memory for people."

eleven. Safeguard your stuff.

Proceed your doors locked, don't permit people get into your house or use your bathroom, and guard your greenbacks box. Better even so, don't use a cash box and keep your money in a textile tool apron from the local hardware store, Roth suggests. "I've heard a number of stories from people who have been scammed past groups who run distraction schemes where one person distracts the person running the sale, while someone else cleans out the cash box," he says. "Carry your cash with yous at all times. Put large bills in your pants pockets and small bills in the pockets of the frock."

Ellen Sturm Niz is an editor and writer living, parenting, and working in New York City. Follow her on Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, and Google+.

Source: https://www.today.com/home/how-make-more-money-garage-sale-1D79976211

Posted by: chaffeeexpon1985.blogspot.com

Share this post