This column last appeared in June 2009.
So you want to have a garage sale? Great! It is fun, it is a great way to “clean house”, and if it is done correctly, it can put a nice little chunk of change in your pocket.
Now, if you are going to do it, let’s do it right!
Do you have enough items to have a sale? Two boxes of used clothes and four old tires does not a sale make. Garage sales are a lot of work, so make it worth your while. 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, kids rooms, garage, and any storage areas that you might have, if it looks sparse, wait till next summer or call the Goodwill.
Price your items to sell. This isn’t Bloomingdale’s, it’s your garage. You can hope to recover 15-25 percent of retail on items in very good condition or items new still in the box. If things are worn or outdated you are looking at 10 percent of their original cost or less. It is often a good idea to offer items like pots and pans, comic books, towels, or sets of dishes in groups or box lots. Everybody wants a bargain, so make them happy. Price you items so you have a little room to barter.
Antiques and collectibles have their place at a sale and are a great draw for buyers. This is a great way to thin down those project pieces that have been sitting in the garage for the past two years. Half refinished tables, chairs in need of reupholstering, and pieces that can only be saved by painting sell well in the garage sale setting. If you have collectibles that you have tired of, or sets of dishes with duplicates, there are those who will be very happy to buy them from you. Perhaps you have “junked” for many of your collectibles and purchased them for $1 or less. Don’t be greedy. If your investment is small you can see a great return for your money. To the contrary, 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. If you want to sell your items you have to get out the crowd, so let go of a few of your hard earned dollars.
Make it simple. Place, time, date, directions, and a few categories of the items you are selling, such as; furniture, antiques, children’s clothing, 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. I suggest using a popular small area paper where the ads are usually $10-$12.
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
Linda Kennett may be reached at 317-258-7835 or lkennett@indy.rr.com