Yard Sale Tips

With spring approaching, many of us will soon be doing some spring cleaning. You know, finding stuff you never knew you had, and finding stuff that makes you wonder where you got it or why you even have it. Whenever I come across this stuff, I suddenly see dollar signs. You know the saying 'one man's junk is another man's treasure'. This is so true! So, what's that mean? It's yard sale time!

I thought I'd share some yard sale tips for those that don't know where to begin. Having a yard sale is probably one of the easiest ways to earn some extra cash. There's not much to it, so I'll make this brief.

1. Give yourself plenty of time before the day of the sale to accumulate items, make them look presentable, and price them. You could even ask family members if they have items to donate or ask neighbors if they would like to be part of a neighborhood sale. Having a 4 family yard sale sounds great if you plan on advertising in the paper. Test all electrical items to see if they work or not. If they do work, write the word 'works' on the price sticker. If possible, have an extension cord ready on the day of the sale for people to test electrical items such as toasters, stereos or curling irons. This will better your chance of a sale. If an electrical item doesn't work, be honest and write it on the sticker. You never know what people will buy. At my last yard sale, my parents brought over some of their items, and my dad sold a medicine bottle full of 100 pennies for $3, so you just never know...

2. Pricing every item is a very good idea. Make sure you use a sticker that is removable. Place the stickers on top of the items. Never use permanent marker directly on the item.

3. Decide your advertising strategies. Do you plan on advertising in the paper? If you're having a neighborhood sale, fliers would attract alot of buyers. You could hang fliers in local businesses and grocery stores.

4. Design the signs. Make sure you make enough signs to divert all surrounding traffic, especially if you live on a back road. The only information needed on the sign is the phrase yard sale (or garage sale), the date of the sale, the time of the sale, your address and an arrow. Make the letters as big as possible and make the words readable. Remember to take the signs down when your sale is over!

5. Plan on what you're going to use as a table. You may buy one or use tables found in your home. Another idea is using saw horses and laying a door across and covering with a sheet, noone will know what's underneath. Using hangers is a good idea for clothing. Many people don't like to dig through clothing, and it is much more presentable if it's hung.

6. The night before the sale: Gather items needed to complete each sale, such as plastic bags, newspaper that will be needed to wrap breakable items, a paper and pen (if you plan on keeping record of what you sold), and most importantly a bank. A bank consists of plenty of $1 bills and $5 bills, a couple of $10 bills and enough change. Find a secure box that you will use to hold your bank.

6. The day of the sale: Be prepared for the early birds. Make sure you have everything ready by the time your sale is supposed to start. Place your items neatly and orderly. For example, place all the kitchen items together, place all of the bathroom items together, etc. It is best to lay everything out so that it is plain view. Greet every visiter, however give them their space. People don't like to be hovered over. Be close enough to answer questions. Do not leave your items unattended!! Speaking from experience, people will rob you blind.

7. The night of the sale: Sit back, count your earnings, and enjoy!

Having a yard sale can be addictive, please don't be one of those people who have a sale every weekend and leave your items in your front yard 24/7. Think of your neighbors for goodness sake!