Spring has sprung! Have you committed to getting rid of the clutter in your home? Are you planning on turning your clutter into cash by organizing a yardsale?
If you have answered "yes" to both of these questions, look no further! I have put together a quick read to help you determine if a yard sale is in fact in your immediate future and what to do in order to make it a rocking success!
Estimate Total Time Needed to Prep for Yard Sale
Have you been collecting things throughout the year for a yard sale, or do you first have to go through each area of your home to pull together the things you wish to sell? Depending on the detail you have to give to gathering the goods, you will need to allocate ___ hours. Add in the time it will take to price each item (more on pricing tips to follow) and set up the sale, how much total time have you estimated it will take you?
What is Your Sales Goal?
Be realistic with price expectations. When was the last time you were scouting out yard sales? It might be worth it to check out a few close to you and get a feel for what price points are selling the best. Remember, you are not going to recoup what you paid for each item; the goal is to declutter your home and make cash on what you can.
Now that you have a time estimate for prep, assess what you plan on selling. What are your "big ticket" items? Know what amount you need to net in order for your yard sale to be worth the total time you will invest.
This pricing guideline from Garage Sales Tracker is a great reference point to help you with the tricky task of determining prices for your goods.
Know Where to Advertise
In the week leading up to the sale, it is a good idea to plant a few signs at the entry and exit points of your neighborhood. I advise you to make sure all writing is clear and legible. I do not think it is necessary, or cost effective to go overboard with the signage. There are so many online outlets to advertise your yard sale that will gain you a much wider reach than signs you place along the road.
Join your local Facebook Yard Sale Groups. They are free to join and you can post an advertisement stating the when and where of your yard sale, along with some photos of what you will be selling. Other options are downloading and joining the Nextdoor App for your surrounding neighborhoods and posting there for free.
For more ideas on where to advertise online before your big day, check out this Top 6 List from The Fun Times Guide. They have even included some tips on how to write your yard sale advertisements.
Be clear with your start and end times, and also know that the earlier you start the better. True Yard Sale "Groupies" will be out early and not pay heed to what you stated your start time to be. More often then not, your larger items will move earlier in the day if you have them priced to sell.
Clearly Mark All Items
I know this seems to go without saying, but I promise you if you have a price on every single item you will have a better sales percentage. Not all shoppers are chatty or comfortable speaking up and asking the price of something. It has been my experience that most yard sale shoppers spend less than 5 minutes at the sale.
Contain Smaller Items and Pair Together What You Can
Ziploc bags of all sizes will be your best friend at your yard sale. You can easily adhere a price sticker to a ziploc bag and this way smaller items do not get separated from their matching parts.
You can also group multiples of something together inside a ziploc and put your total price on the outside. For example: 5 pairs of infant socks; an assortment of costume jewelry; tea lights and matching holders; a mix pack of small children's toys, etc. Grouping small items in lots like this is a great way to guarantee strong sell-thru results.
You can also offer price incentives if they buy more than one of a type of thing. This works great with books and articles of clothing. So for example, if you want to sell a single book for $.50 each then you could advertise "Buy 1 book for $.50, or Buy 3 for $1.00.
Elevate Your Merchandise
As much as possible, bring all of your merchandise up off of the ground for sale day. If you present items in a way that don't make them look like your castoffs, you will encourage people to pay the asking price and not haggle with you (although, it is a yard sale, so expect a little haggle).
Folding tables, outdoor tables, even a piece of plywood across 2 sawhorses, work as great options for merchandising your smaller items. If you have clothing to sell, consider stringing a clothing line or use a clothing rack if you have one on hand.
As things sell, continue to work the displays, bringing items from the "back" up to front and center. Some yard sale shoppers will drive by slowly and take a quick inventory from their car to determine if it is worth their while to get out and come shop.
Be Approachable and Available
So how much of a morning person are you? Are you comfortable making small talk with strangers? Do you enjoy being outside for long periods of time? The point I am getting at, is not that you have to be wearing a sign board and dancing around in your front yard to get people's attention, but you should be stationed somewhere in the middle of all of your wares and have a smile ready for everyone who shows up to shop.
Staying engaged in your yard sale from the beginning to the end is key. Letting everyone who comes to shop know you are there if they have any questions, is key to a successful yard sale. Shoppers don't want to feel like they are inconveniencing you by being there. They want to know that you are genuine and selling them something that will work for them.
Be Willing to Negotiate
No sticker price should be final price. Sure, you are doing this to make some cash, but remember you are also doing it because you decluttered your home and determined you do not need any of these items any longer. The goal is to sell. The shoppers do not need to know outright that you are willing to negotiate, but for the ones that will try, be open to it and keep the goal of selling all items as your driving force.
Make the Last Hour a 1/2 OFF Hour
And here is one of my favorite yard sale tricks. Yard sale traffic typically slows down in the final hours. Have a family member or a friend stick "Last Hour 1/2 OFF EVERYTHING" signs beside the ones you placed around your neighborhood. Log in to social media and make an announcement on all of the yard sale sites you originally posted. You will be surprised by the number of people who see this advertisement and come out to shop. The final hour is about moving as much product as possible.
Don't Drag it Out
Honor the end time you advertised. If you set out to be finished by 1, let those who are still shopping at 1 finish up (and to anyone who arrives while they are still shopping); then wrap it up. Sure, you may miss out on a sale or 2 by closing up at the time you advertised, but that is ok. Your time is valuable.
At the beginning of this process, you determined a net amount that would make the yard sale worth your while. If you extend the amount of time you are out there working your sale, you will be putting in more time than originally estimated.
Immediately Donate What Doesn't Sell
Pull your car up and load everything that has not sold into the car. DO NOT bring any of these items back into your home. If you can't make everything fit, consider putting it at the end of your driveway with a "FREE" sign for a few hours. That may help get rid of some of it. Or call a friend or neighbor over to help load up the remains and drive them to your donation spot of choice.
Most places you will be donating your leftovers will not be open on Sundays. So I encourage you to take that into consideration when scheduling your yard sale.
I wish you a successful yard sale! Please feel free to comment below and let me know if these tips were helpful to you!
Next up on the blog: Spring Clean Your Closet
