I have never had, but want to before our trip to WDW in June.How soon do you start getting stuff tagged and ready?Do you advertise in the local paper?How soon before the trip should we have it?Friday/Saturday or Saturday only?How much on average can I expect to make?I have a few big baby items,clothes, lots of books,Little Tykes toys and lots of misc.Thanks for any and all replies.Dana
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Garage sale ?'s
- Thread starter goofyrn13
- Start date
I can't wait for them to start up again! I've seen a lot of different approaches as I go garage saling often every spring and summer (though only actually did 1 myself - raised almost $600 for 9/11 victims).
First of all, remember that the goal is to sell the stuff and people go to garage sales expecting to get a really, really good bargain. So, the trick is to ask cheap prices but provide a lot of stuff and a good variety of it. You literally do want to have something for everyone.
For the kids clothes and equipment and even the toys, if you have anything that was pretty expensive and is still in excellent condition then I would suggest bringing them to a good consignment shop if you have one nearby. Even if they split the price with you, you will undoubtedly get more than you would have at a garage sale. Do that now. But be warned that they will probably only be accepting spring and summer clothes now. For the rest of it go ahead and sell it yourself, but depending on the condition and brand name, charge between $0.25 and $2 for the clothes, try for $2-$5 for outerwear.
Books $0.25 as a general rule but of course if you have kids hardcover in good condition then go for more but I would say $1 is about the limit. If you want more then try secondhand bookstore or consignment.
Don't hesitate to put anything in your sale, even if you think it's junk, just slap a cheap price on it and it will sell. At our yard sale I had boxes and boxes of stuff marked at $0.25 - chipped dishes, old ugly stuff- it all sold and those quarters add up quickly.
Make sure everything is clean, it really pays to dust and wash.
If you have a bunch of little toys, like from fast food places, have a $0.10 box.
If you have old tools or car stuff then men seem to really go for that (go figure).
Old cameras can be pretty popular.
Craft stuff usually goes over pretty well.
As for timing, I would have the sale only on Saturday but start as early in the morning as you can stand - 7:30 or 8 is good. Remember it will take awhile to get set up. And you can expect to start getting your first customers before (if only shortly before) the starting time.
Do not have it on a holiday weekend
Advertising: The week before, I would advertise in all the local papers and put up signs on any community bulletin board you can think of. What I did and it worked great was I did not put our address in any of the ads, I just put our street and said follow the signs. In the ads I gave a general idea of what would be for sale, but on the street signs directing people I just put "garage sale", the street and an arrow pointing the way. Make sure your direction signs are securly fastened and will not fold over in the wind. Use dark, thick writing that people will be able to read while sitting in their car or even while they're driving. Just using a thick marker is not enough - color in the letters. It's good to use balloons to attract attention.
It's a lot of work but you will definitely make some extra money.
First of all, remember that the goal is to sell the stuff and people go to garage sales expecting to get a really, really good bargain. So, the trick is to ask cheap prices but provide a lot of stuff and a good variety of it. You literally do want to have something for everyone.
For the kids clothes and equipment and even the toys, if you have anything that was pretty expensive and is still in excellent condition then I would suggest bringing them to a good consignment shop if you have one nearby. Even if they split the price with you, you will undoubtedly get more than you would have at a garage sale. Do that now. But be warned that they will probably only be accepting spring and summer clothes now. For the rest of it go ahead and sell it yourself, but depending on the condition and brand name, charge between $0.25 and $2 for the clothes, try for $2-$5 for outerwear.
Books $0.25 as a general rule but of course if you have kids hardcover in good condition then go for more but I would say $1 is about the limit. If you want more then try secondhand bookstore or consignment.
Don't hesitate to put anything in your sale, even if you think it's junk, just slap a cheap price on it and it will sell. At our yard sale I had boxes and boxes of stuff marked at $0.25 - chipped dishes, old ugly stuff- it all sold and those quarters add up quickly.
Make sure everything is clean, it really pays to dust and wash.
If you have a bunch of little toys, like from fast food places, have a $0.10 box.
If you have old tools or car stuff then men seem to really go for that (go figure).
Old cameras can be pretty popular.
Craft stuff usually goes over pretty well.
As for timing, I would have the sale only on Saturday but start as early in the morning as you can stand - 7:30 or 8 is good. Remember it will take awhile to get set up. And you can expect to start getting your first customers before (if only shortly before) the starting time.
Do not have it on a holiday weekend
Advertising: The week before, I would advertise in all the local papers and put up signs on any community bulletin board you can think of. What I did and it worked great was I did not put our address in any of the ads, I just put our street and said follow the signs. In the ads I gave a general idea of what would be for sale, but on the street signs directing people I just put "garage sale", the street and an arrow pointing the way. Make sure your direction signs are securly fastened and will not fold over in the wind. Use dark, thick writing that people will be able to read while sitting in their car or even while they're driving. Just using a thick marker is not enough - color in the letters. It's good to use balloons to attract attention.
It's a lot of work but you will definitely make some extra money.
disneyfan551
Focusing on the FIGHT and not the FRIGHT! 🟠🙏
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2002
...it's a good idea to have your yard sale the 1st weekend of the month! That is when alot of people get paid, and they are more willing to spend some money!
Tiffany
WDW College Program 1990
Tiffany
WDW College Program 1990
soccerchick
Dis Veteran<br><font color=red>My husband has rice
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2002
I second the great advice in the previous posts. I had two yard sales over the past 1 1/2 years (pre and post move) and made over 200 each time and was totally done by 11 am. I would definitely put your "top" items in your ad. I know with a toddler, I always look for Little Tykes and have gotten some great deals. Put some of your bigger items out where people driving by can see. Furniture and kids toys are great attention grabbers. Also decide if you really want to get rid of the stuff, then sell at a much lower price or if you are willing to store it again, try for a higher price. You can always negotiate or lower prices on stickers. A little up front time dusting and arranging will pay off big time. I also know that early birds will be out and they can be a pain. I had two ladies that actually started bringing stuff out of my garage along w/ DH and myself so they could see what we had -- at 7 am! Some people charge Early birds double the sticker price, though I've never done this.
Good luck!
Good luck!
ceecee
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2001
Around here Thursday is garage sale day...massive amounts of people come, it's unbelievable. I have made over $1000.00 the last 3 years. Mostly kid's toys, clothes and various items.
Price a little higher, people like to bargain. I sold 35 Happy meal toys for .50 each (unopened) and a box of opened ones for .10. Everything sells, don't throw anything away. Name brand clothes go really well for kids. Make sure they are clean and not stained, I have had many people remark on how nice the stuff was. I had hardback novels (around 30 from a book club I belonged to) I got $1.50 each. Videos for kids 2.00-3.00 they all sold as well.
I advertise in a local paper and put a sign at the end of our street and balloons on the mailbox.
Start weeks in advance, depending on how much stuff you have. I always clean out the garage really well the week before...and people stop because they see the stuff!!!!
Good luck.
Price a little higher, people like to bargain. I sold 35 Happy meal toys for .50 each (unopened) and a box of opened ones for .10. Everything sells, don't throw anything away. Name brand clothes go really well for kids. Make sure they are clean and not stained, I have had many people remark on how nice the stuff was. I had hardback novels (around 30 from a book club I belonged to) I got $1.50 each. Videos for kids 2.00-3.00 they all sold as well.
I advertise in a local paper and put a sign at the end of our street and balloons on the mailbox.
Start weeks in advance, depending on how much stuff you have. I always clean out the garage really well the week before...and people stop because they see the stuff!!!!
Good luck.
Great tips! I would second the idea of only having it on one day. At our last sale, the second day was a bust. We have children and baby stuff to sell so that always goes over well. I even toyed with the idea of buying a second hand stroller just to use as advertising (a loss leader), selling it cheaper than I bought it, but it's what brings people in.
I received comments from people who liked that I priced all the kid's clothing sets separately. They liked that I had most of the clothes in sets also. Also, try to hand as many clothes as possible. Adult clothes don't seem to sell well and I ended up giving most of mine away and taking the tax deduction.
We were fortunate because we had baby stuff (people were fighting over it!!) and a great location. We moved this year, so will have a harder time. We also had our sale in April and were fortunate to get good weather. People were nuts. They bought everything - junk included.
Best of luck. Hope you can fund your vacation!
I received comments from people who liked that I priced all the kid's clothing sets separately. They liked that I had most of the clothes in sets also. Also, try to hand as many clothes as possible. Adult clothes don't seem to sell well and I ended up giving most of mine away and taking the tax deduction.
We were fortunate because we had baby stuff (people were fighting over it!!) and a great location. We moved this year, so will have a harder time. We also had our sale in April and were fortunate to get good weather. People were nuts. They bought everything - junk included.
Best of luck. Hope you can fund your vacation!
ks2boysmom
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2002
It's great to have some big stuff to set out on the driveway to attract those "drive-bys" to actually stop & get out of the car. Once they're out, almost everyone bought something. I'm a huge advocate of cleaning everything - it's amazing how much more attractive kids stuff is if it looks germ-free. I hung nearly all the kids clothes - people can see it easier and I didn't have to refold things all day. The only clothes I didn't fold were the ones that were pretty faded, etc.
For things like socks, boys undies, etc. I packed 3 or 4 pairs together and either safety-pinned them or put them in ziploc bags and priced them for $.50 or $1.00.
I learned the ziploc tip here - put anything in a ziploc bag and I swear it sells better. I sold more baby socks than any sane mother would have ever bought
I truly priced things to get rid of them...early on I wondered if it was too cheap, but I sold so much that I know that's what got rid of all my stuff. Most exciting - I only had 2 paper boxes of stuff to carry back to the basement.
By the way, I had a 2 day sale. My subdivision had a Saturday only sale and advertised, but I advertised mine for Friday and Saturday. My biggest fear is that I'm going to put all the upfront work into it and then get a rainy day! Two days minimizes that risk a little. This time, both days were well worth it. I probably start getting ready 4 -6 weeks ahead of time, but only because I don't devote a ton of time at any one time to it - weekends only! I will add that after I had garage sales, I started putting things away in a way that made prepping easier!
For things like socks, boys undies, etc. I packed 3 or 4 pairs together and either safety-pinned them or put them in ziploc bags and priced them for $.50 or $1.00.
I learned the ziploc tip here - put anything in a ziploc bag and I swear it sells better. I sold more baby socks than any sane mother would have ever bought
I truly priced things to get rid of them...early on I wondered if it was too cheap, but I sold so much that I know that's what got rid of all my stuff. Most exciting - I only had 2 paper boxes of stuff to carry back to the basement.
By the way, I had a 2 day sale. My subdivision had a Saturday only sale and advertised, but I advertised mine for Friday and Saturday. My biggest fear is that I'm going to put all the upfront work into it and then get a rainy day! Two days minimizes that risk a little. This time, both days were well worth it. I probably start getting ready 4 -6 weeks ahead of time, but only because I don't devote a ton of time at any one time to it - weekends only! I will add that after I had garage sales, I started putting things away in a way that made prepping easier!
Just a couple more notes to add:
You could note in your ads/flyers that the sale will be postponed if rain. Though, in your case, you don't have too much time to work with.
At the end of my sale I let people look over the stuff and once they paid , or, if people just didn't seem to want anything, I started offering deals. I would give them a plastic grocery bag and tell them they could fill it full for $5 or whatever seemed reasonable. That got people buying stuff they would normally pass over.
You could note in your ads/flyers that the sale will be postponed if rain. Though, in your case, you don't have too much time to work with.
At the end of my sale I let people look over the stuff and once they paid , or, if people just didn't seem to want anything, I started offering deals. I would give them a plastic grocery bag and tell them they could fill it full for $5 or whatever seemed reasonable. That got people buying stuff they would normally pass over.
I have to second the ziploc bag sentiment...anything in them will sell. I have only had 2 yard sales, but I thought I did pretty well both times. The first one, before I discovered this board, I sold lots of Little Tykes toys my kids had outgrown, so I made a lot of money. The second one(last year)I only had children's clothes to sell, so I made less, but still made a few hundred $$ on children's items that were all priced less than a dollar(cheap, I know, but I did not want to take it back up to the attic!) At the last sale I put happy meal toys in a ziploc bag(I tried to stick to a theme, like all the characters from Alladin, Toy Story, etc. in it's own bag) and sold them for $.50 each...sold all of them! I also made a big sign that said "DISNEY" and put all my son's Disney Store short sets in gallon-size ziploc bags, which sold well(we all know what they cost new, and I sold all of the sets for $1-2 each). My husband always fashions a clothes rack for me out of 2-3 posts and a top-rail we had left over from putting up a chain-link fence years ago, and I hang most things. Separating them into boys/girls sections and grouping sizes together helps, too. If memory serves, there was a comprehensive "how to" post on yard sales about a year ago(Before Crash) by "mermaid" I think. If anyone has this copied, it was very helpful. Good luck!
Meagansmom
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2001
I agree with everyone else. One thing I do to prepare for a sale - is all year long I keep going through things especially clothes that do not fit our daughter, I mark them as I go and put them in a box and put in the storage room. It makes it easier when you go to set up - everything is already marked and all you have to do is set it on the tables.
Another idea we do - we also sell pop .50 cents a can. But I make cookies - put 6 cookies in a ziploc and we sell them for a dollar a bag. They go so fast. Our daughter sells the pop and cookies and gets to keep the money. It is more profitable and cleaner than her selling koolaid.
Good luck.
Another idea we do - we also sell pop .50 cents a can. But I make cookies - put 6 cookies in a ziploc and we sell them for a dollar a bag. They go so fast. Our daughter sells the pop and cookies and gets to keep the money. It is more profitable and cleaner than her selling koolaid.
Good luck.
I agree with one day only. I would ask people who live near by what day seems to be popular in your area. In my area, it's Friday.
A few more tips:
1. If you do go with Friday and Saturday, put 2 different ads in the paper. In Friday's ad, you can list Friday and Saturday but in Saturday's ad list only Saturday. Some people won't come to a sale on the second day, because they figure everything is already picked over.
2. Don't forget about safety and security: Keep the house locked. Don't keep too much money outside with you - take it in the house and put it away. Keep an eye on your customers so they don't take anything (horrible to have to worry about that, isn't it?)
3. See if any of the neighbors want to join you. The more stuff you have, the more people you will draw. Plus, the day will go quicker if you have company and you will have help watching the customers and collecting the money. If a neighbor nearby is also having a sale, you might be able to take out newspaper ads together and split the cost.
4. Make sure that it looks like you are having a garage sale from the street. Put some big stuff on the driveway - like a Little Tykes toys or baby strollers. If you don't have anything big to sell, consider putting something you don't want to sell out there with a "sold" sign.
5. Have plenty of plastic or paper bags for people to carry home their purchases. Make sure to get change and something to keep it in. Some people use muffin tins. I put change in plastic bags with the amount written on them (like quaerters, $10). Then I only opened the bags we needed.
6. Make everything easy to get at. If you can avoid it, try not to have boxes of books on the floor for example. If they don't have to sit on the ground, people will spend more time browsing.
7. Try to arrange things in general categories - toys together, housewares together, etc. Put popular things in the back so that people will have to walk past other things to get to them.
8. We used laundry baskets to hold groups of things, like linens, craft supplies and Happy Meal toys.
9. Group kids clothes by size and gender. Adult clothes don't sell very well except maybe maternity clothes.
10. Start gathering and marking things early. I keep a box in the basement to throw garage sale things in as I come across them year-round. Also, decide if your main goal is to make money or get rid of stuff. If you're trying to get rid of stuff, then make some great deals at the end of the day and then whatever's left into your car and take it straight to Goodwill. I peeled the price tags off the items as I boxed them up and stuck them to a sheet of paper and used that to figure out the tax deduction.
These are tips I've read here and other places, plus some things I learned at my sale last year and from my years of shopping at them myself. If you have a chance before your sale, go around to some others in your area to get an idea of prices, what sells and maybe pick up some ideas. Good idea.
A few more tips:
1. If you do go with Friday and Saturday, put 2 different ads in the paper. In Friday's ad, you can list Friday and Saturday but in Saturday's ad list only Saturday. Some people won't come to a sale on the second day, because they figure everything is already picked over.
2. Don't forget about safety and security: Keep the house locked. Don't keep too much money outside with you - take it in the house and put it away. Keep an eye on your customers so they don't take anything (horrible to have to worry about that, isn't it?)
3. See if any of the neighbors want to join you. The more stuff you have, the more people you will draw. Plus, the day will go quicker if you have company and you will have help watching the customers and collecting the money. If a neighbor nearby is also having a sale, you might be able to take out newspaper ads together and split the cost.
4. Make sure that it looks like you are having a garage sale from the street. Put some big stuff on the driveway - like a Little Tykes toys or baby strollers. If you don't have anything big to sell, consider putting something you don't want to sell out there with a "sold" sign.
5. Have plenty of plastic or paper bags for people to carry home their purchases. Make sure to get change and something to keep it in. Some people use muffin tins. I put change in plastic bags with the amount written on them (like quaerters, $10). Then I only opened the bags we needed.
6. Make everything easy to get at. If you can avoid it, try not to have boxes of books on the floor for example. If they don't have to sit on the ground, people will spend more time browsing.
7. Try to arrange things in general categories - toys together, housewares together, etc. Put popular things in the back so that people will have to walk past other things to get to them.
8. We used laundry baskets to hold groups of things, like linens, craft supplies and Happy Meal toys.
9. Group kids clothes by size and gender. Adult clothes don't sell very well except maybe maternity clothes.
10. Start gathering and marking things early. I keep a box in the basement to throw garage sale things in as I come across them year-round. Also, decide if your main goal is to make money or get rid of stuff. If you're trying to get rid of stuff, then make some great deals at the end of the day and then whatever's left into your car and take it straight to Goodwill. I peeled the price tags off the items as I boxed them up and stuck them to a sheet of paper and used that to figure out the tax deduction.
These are tips I've read here and other places, plus some things I learned at my sale last year and from my years of shopping at them myself. If you have a chance before your sale, go around to some others in your area to get an idea of prices, what sells and maybe pick up some ideas. Good idea.
Wow! What alot of great advice.Any and all money is just icing on the cake as we have our trip pre-saved.This money will pay for the little extras and a character meal or two.Plus I get rid of all my stuff.I plan on going to Goodwill after the sale and unloading what does'nt sell.Again thanks for all the great advice.I'll post my results after I have it.Plus I got DH saving a change jar and all aluminum can money is turning into Disney Dollars,so the girls have some of their own spending money on 1 or 2 things that they have to have but I or DH refuses to buy!!
CJMickeyMouse
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2000
GARAGE SALE TIPS by LilMermaid
(or "How to Make Some Extra $$$$ for Your WDW Vacation)
Before you read this tips, keep in mind that what worked for me may not necessarily work for you. But, I have had four very successful garage sales (netting $700, 800, $1300, and $1341 respectively)???.so, there might be some merit to some of these tips, LOL! Do realize also that I take my garage-saleing very seriously J! I put a lot of time and effort into preparing for my sales, and I truly believe that the amount of money you make is directly proportional to the amount of time spent preparing for the sale!
PRE-SALE PREPARATION
Be ruthless when cleaning out closets, cabinets and such when looking for items to sell. If we haven't used something in the last year, it's outta here!
Clean all of your sale items ---Face it???people WILL be turned off by dirty goods! Nicer kids clothes should be washed and hung up (I save all the hangers I get from stores and dry cleaners for this very purpose). If an item is stained, I try to get the stain out, and if I can't, it goes in the trash. No one wants to buy stained clothes! Ditto for missing buttons, snaps
and broken zippers (although I will sell coats with broken zippers if they are in good condition for $1-2 dollars, because most people will be willing to have a zipper fixed on a nice coat)
Clean those toys???diapers wipes are great for wiping down kid's toys. I also put toys (without moving parts) in the dishwasher???you'd be amazed at the difference it makes???some look practically brand new, and this makes a huge difference in the amount of $$$ you can ask!
Wash those stuffed animals in the washing machine???yes, I know the tag says not to, but I've been doing it for years and have never had a problem. Set them out in the sun to dry (do not put them in the dryer), and you will be rewarded with clean-smelling, fluffy stuffed animals, which can command a decent price! The only stuffed animals you can't wash are the really old kind that have styrofoam in them. Any decent stuffed animal made within the last 6-7 years will be fine!
Throw kids' outgrown tennis shoes in the washer also! Set them in the sun to dry. I've sold tons of my toddler tennis shoes because of this???they look practically new (which they are, because kids outgrown those things so darn fast!)
To sum it up, clean items sell better than dirty ones!
On broken items --- I don't sell things that are broken (with the exception of electronics, because there seems to be a good market for this). If something is broken, put a label on it indicating that it is broken, and price it accordingly.
On pricing items: I've been to many sales where NOTHING is priced???you must "ask"! IMHO, this is ridiculous???everything should have a price sticker on it, and the sticker should be placed where it is easily seen. When pricing the nicer clothes that are going on hangers, I write the size below the
price???I got lots of compliments on that at my last sale.
How I typically price items: I take great care to keep my children's clothes in good condition, and while not all are "big name" (Oshkosh, Gap, Gymboree), I tend to price on the high side. If an outfit is "big name", I will price it at about $3.75 to $4.75, depending on the outfit. If it is a lesser name, I will put it in the $2.25 to $3.25 range. I tend to use prices like $3.75 instead of $4, because it seems so much cheaper! These prices are for 2 piece outfits and nicer dresses. Nice separtes (shirts and pants) are typically priced at $1.25 to $2.50. Kids shoes are typically $1 to $2. Baby equipment which is clean and in good condition: Highchair $25, Exersaucer
$25, portacrib $35, johnny jump up $10, crib $50, baby blankets $1, baby bottles 25 cents each (people will buy old baby bottle nipples for feeding puppies---bag those up and price them at 10 for $1J).
PREPARING FOR THE SALE
Having enough tables is very important. If you are short on tables, you can lay planks on sawhorses or strong boxes in a pinch.
Displaying clothes: I don't pile my tables high with children's clothes. As I said earlier, the nicer clothes (which I would ask $1.50 and up for) go on hangers and are hung on rods suspended from the tracks of the garage door on either side of the garage. When putting the children's clothes on the rod, I have different sections for boys and girls clothes, and in each section, I group them according to size, from smallest to largest. Also, if you have 2-piece clothing you aren't hanging up, pin them together with a safety pin.
The only clothes which I may not price are my 10 cent and 25 cent clothes???if I have something that isn't torn or stained, but isn't especially nice, I'll put them all in a box with a sign on the front saying 10 cents each or 25 cents each. These always sell! And, I usually end up going 5 for $1 (on the
25 cent stuff) or 12 for $1 (on the 10 cent stuff).
Ziploc bags???..are my secret weapon, LOL! I put small items and items with several pieces in ziploc bags, and write the price on the bag. For some weird reason, when people see things in ziploc bags, they BUY them! These are some of the things I typically put in ziploc bags: toddler shoes, jewelry, kids socks (4 for $1), , baby t-shirts (2 or 3 for $1), parts to toys (tape the bag onto the toy), small decorative/craft-type items, belts, newer linens (use the larger bags, naturally), and anything nice that I don't want to get stained with many different people handling it.
If you are selling children's toys, attach any instructions or papers that came with the toy (if you keep these things). If you are really obsessive like me, you might even have the original box???that alone will get you a higher price! I do not sell broken toys. If a toy is missing a piece, I'll call the manufacturer to see if I can get a replacement (and I've done that several times, and have received the parts for free!) If I can't get a replacement, I'll indicate that it is missing a piece.
Old cassette tapes (except for children's tapes) don't sell very well! But, old record albums do!
Paperbacks and hardback books are good sellers if priced reasonably. 25 cents for a paperback, and 50 cents to a dollar for a hardcover are what we usually use.
Adult clothes don't sell very well, regardless of price???you might want to donate these to Goodwill and take the tax deduction!
ADVERTISING YOUR SALE
I can't stress the importance of this enough! We live in the suburbs of St. Paul, MN, and we advertise our sales in the major St. Paul newspaper AND the weekly neighborhood paper. It costs about $40 for both ads, but the expense is definitely worth it.
Signs: You need signs???lots of signs! We typically hang up at least 15 signs within a 1-1/2 mile radius of the house (my husband does this). White poster board is not a great idea???use ONE bright NEON color (we like orange) for all your signs. The neon posterboard is a bit more expensive, but here is what we do: We make a few signs with a full size posterboard with the important information, and have an arrow pointing in the direction of our house. Then, every other block or so, we hang another sign (in the same NEON color) that is only half a poster board with the word SALE in big bold letters with a directional arrow. Since the signs are all the same color, they are
basically just following the arrows. And, don't forget a big sign for your front yard! We had a lot of comments about how easy it was to find our sale because of the great signage.
SETTING UP THE GARAGE
When laying out everything in your garage, place the toys in the back of the garage. People will have to walk by everything else to get to them, and they will undoubtedly see something else which catches their eye! Also, put a few of the larger "hot" items out in the driveway (such as Little Tykes play
equipment or something along those lines) to entice those people driving by to stop!
Try not to put things under the tables, as most people won't see them. While I prefer having most things on tables, there usually aren't enough tables to go around. Set larger items in the driveway, and set smaller items (non-breakable, of course) in boxes in the driveway. I usually will set the box on top of an empty box turned upside down, so that people don't have to stoop over.
WHEN TO HAVE YOUR SALE
When is the best time of year to have a garage sale? Well, that depends on where you live. We are Texas natives, but we live in Minnesota now. In Texas, garage sales are year round. But, in Minnesota (and many other northern states, I would imagine) garage sales are normally only held from April through September. We have always found FALL to be the best time to have a sale. Face it???if you have a sale in late spring or summer when EVERYONE else is having theirs, yours will be "just one more on the list". But, if you have your sale in the fall, after the kids are back in school, there are fewer garage sales held at that time. Consequently, people who love to garage sale will be lined up at your door at the crack of dawn waiting to buy you out!
Do not plan a sale over a holiday weekend.
And, last but not least, my best tip (for which you may think I'm crazy)???have your sale over 2 days, but NOT 2 consecutive days. On our last sale, we had the first day of the sale on a Saturday (we made $800). After that, we took down the signs, reorganized, and re--advertised for the following Friday. On the second day (the following Friday), we made $500+. By doing this, we got the typical Saturday garage salers the first time, and the following Friday, we got the people who can't go to garage sales on Saturdays for one reason or another. Having a garage sale on 2 consecutive days just doesn't get the job done, IMHO. Especially if it is a Friday/Saturday sale. Very few people will come on Saturday if they know you actually started the sale the previous day???they figure the good stuff is already gone. By moving the second day to the next week, you get a whole new crop of customers! It definitely worked for us.
LilMermaid
Lover of all things POLY!
(or "How to Make Some Extra $$$$ for Your WDW Vacation)
Before you read this tips, keep in mind that what worked for me may not necessarily work for you. But, I have had four very successful garage sales (netting $700, 800, $1300, and $1341 respectively)???.so, there might be some merit to some of these tips, LOL! Do realize also that I take my garage-saleing very seriously J! I put a lot of time and effort into preparing for my sales, and I truly believe that the amount of money you make is directly proportional to the amount of time spent preparing for the sale!
PRE-SALE PREPARATION
Be ruthless when cleaning out closets, cabinets and such when looking for items to sell. If we haven't used something in the last year, it's outta here!
Clean all of your sale items ---Face it???people WILL be turned off by dirty goods! Nicer kids clothes should be washed and hung up (I save all the hangers I get from stores and dry cleaners for this very purpose). If an item is stained, I try to get the stain out, and if I can't, it goes in the trash. No one wants to buy stained clothes! Ditto for missing buttons, snaps
and broken zippers (although I will sell coats with broken zippers if they are in good condition for $1-2 dollars, because most people will be willing to have a zipper fixed on a nice coat)
Clean those toys???diapers wipes are great for wiping down kid's toys. I also put toys (without moving parts) in the dishwasher???you'd be amazed at the difference it makes???some look practically brand new, and this makes a huge difference in the amount of $$$ you can ask!
Wash those stuffed animals in the washing machine???yes, I know the tag says not to, but I've been doing it for years and have never had a problem. Set them out in the sun to dry (do not put them in the dryer), and you will be rewarded with clean-smelling, fluffy stuffed animals, which can command a decent price! The only stuffed animals you can't wash are the really old kind that have styrofoam in them. Any decent stuffed animal made within the last 6-7 years will be fine!
Throw kids' outgrown tennis shoes in the washer also! Set them in the sun to dry. I've sold tons of my toddler tennis shoes because of this???they look practically new (which they are, because kids outgrown those things so darn fast!)
To sum it up, clean items sell better than dirty ones!
On broken items --- I don't sell things that are broken (with the exception of electronics, because there seems to be a good market for this). If something is broken, put a label on it indicating that it is broken, and price it accordingly.
On pricing items: I've been to many sales where NOTHING is priced???you must "ask"! IMHO, this is ridiculous???everything should have a price sticker on it, and the sticker should be placed where it is easily seen. When pricing the nicer clothes that are going on hangers, I write the size below the
price???I got lots of compliments on that at my last sale.
How I typically price items: I take great care to keep my children's clothes in good condition, and while not all are "big name" (Oshkosh, Gap, Gymboree), I tend to price on the high side. If an outfit is "big name", I will price it at about $3.75 to $4.75, depending on the outfit. If it is a lesser name, I will put it in the $2.25 to $3.25 range. I tend to use prices like $3.75 instead of $4, because it seems so much cheaper! These prices are for 2 piece outfits and nicer dresses. Nice separtes (shirts and pants) are typically priced at $1.25 to $2.50. Kids shoes are typically $1 to $2. Baby equipment which is clean and in good condition: Highchair $25, Exersaucer
$25, portacrib $35, johnny jump up $10, crib $50, baby blankets $1, baby bottles 25 cents each (people will buy old baby bottle nipples for feeding puppies---bag those up and price them at 10 for $1J).
PREPARING FOR THE SALE
Having enough tables is very important. If you are short on tables, you can lay planks on sawhorses or strong boxes in a pinch.
Displaying clothes: I don't pile my tables high with children's clothes. As I said earlier, the nicer clothes (which I would ask $1.50 and up for) go on hangers and are hung on rods suspended from the tracks of the garage door on either side of the garage. When putting the children's clothes on the rod, I have different sections for boys and girls clothes, and in each section, I group them according to size, from smallest to largest. Also, if you have 2-piece clothing you aren't hanging up, pin them together with a safety pin.
The only clothes which I may not price are my 10 cent and 25 cent clothes???if I have something that isn't torn or stained, but isn't especially nice, I'll put them all in a box with a sign on the front saying 10 cents each or 25 cents each. These always sell! And, I usually end up going 5 for $1 (on the
25 cent stuff) or 12 for $1 (on the 10 cent stuff).
Ziploc bags???..are my secret weapon, LOL! I put small items and items with several pieces in ziploc bags, and write the price on the bag. For some weird reason, when people see things in ziploc bags, they BUY them! These are some of the things I typically put in ziploc bags: toddler shoes, jewelry, kids socks (4 for $1), , baby t-shirts (2 or 3 for $1), parts to toys (tape the bag onto the toy), small decorative/craft-type items, belts, newer linens (use the larger bags, naturally), and anything nice that I don't want to get stained with many different people handling it.
If you are selling children's toys, attach any instructions or papers that came with the toy (if you keep these things). If you are really obsessive like me, you might even have the original box???that alone will get you a higher price! I do not sell broken toys. If a toy is missing a piece, I'll call the manufacturer to see if I can get a replacement (and I've done that several times, and have received the parts for free!) If I can't get a replacement, I'll indicate that it is missing a piece.
Old cassette tapes (except for children's tapes) don't sell very well! But, old record albums do!
Paperbacks and hardback books are good sellers if priced reasonably. 25 cents for a paperback, and 50 cents to a dollar for a hardcover are what we usually use.
Adult clothes don't sell very well, regardless of price???you might want to donate these to Goodwill and take the tax deduction!
ADVERTISING YOUR SALE
I can't stress the importance of this enough! We live in the suburbs of St. Paul, MN, and we advertise our sales in the major St. Paul newspaper AND the weekly neighborhood paper. It costs about $40 for both ads, but the expense is definitely worth it.
Signs: You need signs???lots of signs! We typically hang up at least 15 signs within a 1-1/2 mile radius of the house (my husband does this). White poster board is not a great idea???use ONE bright NEON color (we like orange) for all your signs. The neon posterboard is a bit more expensive, but here is what we do: We make a few signs with a full size posterboard with the important information, and have an arrow pointing in the direction of our house. Then, every other block or so, we hang another sign (in the same NEON color) that is only half a poster board with the word SALE in big bold letters with a directional arrow. Since the signs are all the same color, they are
basically just following the arrows. And, don't forget a big sign for your front yard! We had a lot of comments about how easy it was to find our sale because of the great signage.
SETTING UP THE GARAGE
When laying out everything in your garage, place the toys in the back of the garage. People will have to walk by everything else to get to them, and they will undoubtedly see something else which catches their eye! Also, put a few of the larger "hot" items out in the driveway (such as Little Tykes play
equipment or something along those lines) to entice those people driving by to stop!
Try not to put things under the tables, as most people won't see them. While I prefer having most things on tables, there usually aren't enough tables to go around. Set larger items in the driveway, and set smaller items (non-breakable, of course) in boxes in the driveway. I usually will set the box on top of an empty box turned upside down, so that people don't have to stoop over.
WHEN TO HAVE YOUR SALE
When is the best time of year to have a garage sale? Well, that depends on where you live. We are Texas natives, but we live in Minnesota now. In Texas, garage sales are year round. But, in Minnesota (and many other northern states, I would imagine) garage sales are normally only held from April through September. We have always found FALL to be the best time to have a sale. Face it???if you have a sale in late spring or summer when EVERYONE else is having theirs, yours will be "just one more on the list". But, if you have your sale in the fall, after the kids are back in school, there are fewer garage sales held at that time. Consequently, people who love to garage sale will be lined up at your door at the crack of dawn waiting to buy you out!
Do not plan a sale over a holiday weekend.
And, last but not least, my best tip (for which you may think I'm crazy)???have your sale over 2 days, but NOT 2 consecutive days. On our last sale, we had the first day of the sale on a Saturday (we made $800). After that, we took down the signs, reorganized, and re--advertised for the following Friday. On the second day (the following Friday), we made $500+. By doing this, we got the typical Saturday garage salers the first time, and the following Friday, we got the people who can't go to garage sales on Saturdays for one reason or another. Having a garage sale on 2 consecutive days just doesn't get the job done, IMHO. Especially if it is a Friday/Saturday sale. Very few people will come on Saturday if they know you actually started the sale the previous day???they figure the good stuff is already gone. By moving the second day to the next week, you get a whole new crop of customers! It definitely worked for us.
LilMermaid
Lover of all things POLY!
disneyfan551
Focusing on the FIGHT and not the FRIGHT! 🟠🙏
- Joined
- Jan 17, 2002
WOW! You obviously know what you are doing! Thanks for the great tips!
Tiffany
WDW College Program 1990
Tiffany
WDW College Program 1990
CJMickeyMouse
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2000
Thanks, disneyfan551, but like I posted.... those tips belong to LilMermaid!!
I'll take a little credit for actually FINDING them again, but that is about it!
Good luck!!! 
I'll take a little credit for actually FINDING them again, but that is about it!
Good luck!!!
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