Become a Garage Sale Guru
I love garage sales! I currently own 200 garages, and plan to buy more… Hahaha, just kidding ! We all know that a garage sale is actually just a way to get rid of the unwanted items from your garage basement or other storage area, but we couldn’t very well call it a “stuff we don’t want sale”, now could we? I have been to hundreds of garage sales in my lifetime. I know people who own self storage space just to hold the items that they have bought at garage sales When it comes to garage sales, there are good ones and bad ones. Here are a few tips to help you make sure that yours is a great one!
Don’t Call it a “ Garage Sale” – A garage sale is okay, but doesn’t a yard sale, estate sale, or tag sale, sound more appealing?
Timing is everything – Garage Salers like to get started early, so start your sale at 7 or 8 AM to attract those early birds. Another good tip is to have it around the 15th or the 30th of the month, to attract those folks that get paid bi-weekly .
Advertise – Newspapers are great, but don’t forget Craigslist and Facebook for advertising your sale. Make signs for around the neighborhood, but don’t forget to make the print large enough to read from an automobile., Be sure to use heavy duty poster board, or even wood, to be sure that they last throughout the day.
Curb appeal – Yes, presentation matters! Don’t just throw all your stuff in a pile on the front yard or the driveway! Most yard salers do a slow drive-by, before deciding whether or not to stop and shop. Have your items displayed nicely on tables or blankets. Be sure to have some large items visible to passersby – you may even want to display a few large items that you don’t really expect to sell, but that will draw attention from the street. you can add to your curb appeal by asking your neighbors if they have anything that they would like to include in your cell. when it comes to yard sales, the bigger the better!
The Price Is Right – If you item to sell! Sure, that lamp might be worth a lot more than $3, but do you really want it sitting in your garage for another two years? You carried everything out there with the intention of not having to carry it back in again – try to make sure that that happens! Nothing wrong with an end of day liquidation sale either – many yard salers expect this, and will take their chances and wait.
Little things mean a lot – Having some old newspapers for wrapping, and recycled shopping bags handy is a nice touch. I have even been to some garage sales that have coffee or a cold drink to offer their shoppers!
Be a business owner – It may only be for one or two days, but for this period of time, you are a business owner! Act like one – greet your customers, start conversations, compliment them on their clothes or vehicle. People like to buy from friendly people!
Fun Fact – An average of 690,000 people buy at garage sales every week, with weekly revenue from garage sales totaling about $4.2 million
So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and get your share of that 4.2 million dollars, And don’t forget to say hello if you see me. I’ll be the guy wearing the $2 Hawaiian shirt, and the 50 cent sunglasses – Happy Selling!