Garage sale
by
Maria
+7
What is the best way to clean out my house and make the most out of a garage sale as I will me moving? Thank you!!!
4 answers
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Gather up alot of boxes and decide what is for the sale,separate the piles to another area clearly marked garage sale. Start one room at a time for the moving aspect and again clearly mark your boxes ktichen etc.
Janet Pizaro
on Oct 20, 2015
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My #1 tip is: Start purging long before your move. Don't procrastinate until the last minute. Sorting and packing generally takes more time than you think. It took me months and months to go through EVERYTHING in a house we had lived in for 35 years. I sorted using "Keep/Pack/Move," "Throw Away," and "Garage Sale" piles. I don't donate anything until after the garage sale. My thinking is, I'm having a garage sale anyway so I might as well slap a price sticker on even the smallest, most insignificant item to see if someone wants/needs it. If it sells-great! if not, I donate after the garage sale. To have a successful garage sale: 1. Make sure items are clean and usable. If items are clean, they give the appearance of being well cared for and you can usually ask (and get) a little more money. Essentially, the more effort you put into it, the more you will sell, and the more you sell, the more money you make! Every little bit helps! 2. Price everything before the sale with stickers or tags that won't easily come off. This takes more time up front to price everything but it saves time during the sale, especially during busy times. Many customers are timid and don't like having to ask how much items are. Also, if you have helpers taking money for you, items that are already priced lets them know how much it is without having to hunt you up to ask. 3. Have plenty of display tables. People are more inclined to look through items at table height rather than bending over to look at stuff on the ground or thrown into boxes. Some people do enjoy rooting through boxes but most don't. Organized, neat tables attract customers and entice them to linger longer. When there is a lull in customers, I always walk around and straighten/tidy the displays, fill empty spots, refold clothes etc. 4. Group like items together. Have a section for glassware/dishes/nick-nacks. Books/magazines all together, linens all together, clothes all together etc. If you have any nicer, designer clothing for sale, display them on hangers. If you have items that would appeal to male shoppers like men's clothing, tools, sporting equipment, you should have a special area/table for the guys. 5. If you have any electric appliances for sale, make sure to have an electrical outlet (or extension cord) available to show the item works. 6. Have an ample supply of plastic bags for people who buy a lot of stuff. Newspapers, tissue paper, and recycled bubble wrap is also handy to have for wrapping breakables. 7. Have a calculator handy, as well as adequate small bills and coins on hand to make change and keep the money out of sight. It goes without saying, never leave your cash box unattended, even for a second! As the sale progresses, take the majority of the money into house and keep your doors locked! 8. Have more helpers than you think you'll need, especially in the first few hours after the sale starts. If you have advertised successfully, you are going to be swamped with customers early and you can not run a good garage sale by yourself, or with just one helper. Depending on how large your sale is, you may want at least 2 people taking money and wrapping breakables during the busy times. Sad to say, but you also need at least one person with good observation skills standing off to the side, doing nothing but watching the crowd to make sure people don't walk off with an armload of stuff without paying. Yes, people try it, especially during the busy times when you are highly distracted with customers! My husband is a cop so this has always been his designated job at our garage sales. lol. After the sale, don't be tempted to keep what didn't sell. As you are cleaning up, box everything up and immediately take it to a donation center.
Shari
on Oct 20, 2015
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Shari is right.First,get rid of what I call unsellables.trash,.broken,.missing a part,etc..Then pack by category,Decor together,Kitchen items together,Etc.Mark boxes clearly,especially if there is glass in the box.Stack the packed items by category. Good luck.
Barbara C
on Oct 21, 2015
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As far as the garage sale part. Here are a few ideas to make things easier. Just mark your more worthy items with a price. For the all the other items.......just make everything the same price. Where we live the cost of living is low.....so we tell everyone that everything is 50 cents unless it's marked w/ a specific price. Then you don't have to spend hours putting price stickers on things. If you live where the cost of living is higher.....make everything a $1 (or whatever you want).........unless it has a specific price. If you're emotionally attached to it........keep it! Also, with about 30 minutes left in the garage sale.......we tell everyone that everything is now 1/2 price. We also have a church scheduled to come pick up any leftovers at our specified "closing" time. Then we don't have to figure out what to do with the leftovers.......we just donate them to the church and they can do with them as they please.
DC
on Oct 21, 2015
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