ave you ever noticed the trucks that cruise your neighborhood the night before heavy trash pick-up? There is an entire community of people in our city who pull items from the trash, and sell them for profit. Maybe it’s time to learn by example? Don’t kick it to the curb, sell it at a garage sale!
Garage sales are a lot of work, so make it worth your time and effort. It is very disheartening to watch people pull up to your sale and then drive off because they don’t consider it worth getting out of the car. Look carefully in the attic, closets, kid’s rooms, garage, and any storage areas that you might have. If you doubt that you have enough to make a good sale, invite the neighbors or members of your family to join in.
You will need to have a small bank available to make change. Keep the size of your bank to a minimum and keep it in a safe place. In the past few summers we have seen a growing trend towards teams of thieves targeting garage sales. While one distracts, the other grabs the cash. The larger the crowd at your sale the more apt you may be to fall victim, as they just take the money and blend right back in with the crowd. Try using an apron to keep your money on you, or assign one person to the cash box and make sure they don’t take their eyes off of it.
Price your items to sell. This isn’t Bloomingdale’s . . . it’s your garage. You can hope to recover 15-30 percent of retail on new items or those in good/used condition, 10 percent for worn items. It is often a good idea to offer items like pots and pans, towels, or sets of dishes in groups or box lots at one price for all. Don’t hesitate to set out incomplete sets of glasses, silverware and dishes. Someone else may welcome them as replacement pieces for their like set.
Protect your property. If your home sits back from the street you may want to rope off or block your driveway to the main flow of traffic and only allow it to be used for large item pick-up. While most people are considerate I did see a yard badly messed up last spring when an impatient man made a U-turn in wet grass!
Antiques and collectible are a great draw to a sale, but keep high priced items to a minimum. Half refinished tables, chairs in need of reupholstering, and pieces that can only be saved by painting sell well, as do small collectibles. Just remember, overly ambitious pricing will most likely result in hauling everything back in the house.
Advertising can be the deal breaker when it comes to the success or failure of your sale. Make it simple. Place, time, date, and a few categories of the items you are selling, such as: furniture, antiques, children’s clothing, or tools. Don’t go into detail and don’t ramble! It runs up your advertising costs and few people will take the time to read it. Check your neighborhood paper as many offer ads at “special garage sale rates” and remember to take advantage of the free online sites.
Signs directing people to your sale are a must. When my company liquidates a home by means of an estate tag sale, I often ask our customers how they heard about us. Six out of ten people tell me they “saw our signs.” With your signs, as with your ads, keep it simple. “Garage Sale,” date, address, time, and an arrow pointing which way to turn. If your sale is Saturday, get your signs out by Wednesday, especially if you live near a highly traveled street. I have discovered some great Saturday sales while sitting in traffic on Wednesday. Until next time….Linda
Irvington resident Kennett is a professional liquidation consultant specializing in down-sizing for seniors and the liquidation of estates and may be reached at 317-429-7887 or lkennett@indy.rr.com