Yard Sale Tips

A well-organized yard sale can be a great way of de-cluttering one's home by selling off unwanted things. You can also earn some money while disposing off the excess stuff. A yard sale can be a hit with the customers with a little hard work.

You should make the customers feel special and cared for. It gives you an opportunity to get a good price for your used goods and make money. Some yard sales can offer unique items which you won't see at the mall. It can also be called 'environment friendly' as you're recycling rather than disposing.

Some points to keep in mind:

• It is necessary to keep your eyes on your customers, but you should not stare at them or hover inches away.
• You should make your stalls look attractive by filling in empty spots on your tables as things are sold.

• It is not necessary to tell a story about every item you are selling and describing how good a deal it is that you are selling it at such a low price. Customers don't need this.
• Never accept checks unless you are ready to take the risk of getting a fake check. Sometimes checks can be from closed bank accounts. So, accept only cash.

• Keep plastic grocery bags and paper bags ready to put sold items in. If you are selling breakable items, you should keep newspaper or bubble wrap ready to wrap fragile items.
• While labeling, price things evenly so that it will be easy for you to make totals. For instance: .25, .50 and $1. Do not have prices like .60, .75, or $1.30.

• If you are planning to sell electrical appliances, you should have an electrical outlet handy. You should also keep a long extension cord ready.
• Have a sign that says 'All Sales Final'. This can help avoid any hassles later on. Otherwise, customers may return the next day wanting their money back.

• You can invite your friends or neighbors to join you in the yard sale which can help bring in more customers. You can share the advertisement cost and you'll have more things for sale. Having many people at the sale can entice other people to drop by as well.

• Think about the ways of keeping your money safely. Never leave your money lying around in a box. Wearing an apron with multiple pockets can be beneficial because you'll be able to keep your money with you at all times. Remember to have one pocket for your cell phone.

• Keep lots of coins and small bills ready to make change. You will require a separate compartment where you may want to divert some of the larger bills as the sale continues. You should think in advance about a secret location to keep larger bills.

• A handy calculator can help you in totaling up purchases.
• You can always involve kids by allowing them to set up their own table to sell their old toys. They'll enjoy selling their stuff if you explain to them how they can buy themselves new toys with the money they earn. You can help them with the prices.

• It's better to have 3-4 smaller yard sales within a 5 year period, rather than 1 big blowout yard sale every 5 years. People are interested in buying vintage or collectible items, but no one wants to buy outdated items. You can successfully sell the items that are in vogue.

• If you have lots of kids' clothes or toys and you want to sell them off quickly, consider having a "fill a bag for a set price" kind of deal.

• Your yard sale can be an exceptional one if you display such signs: "fill a bag of clothes for $2" or "fill a bag of small toys for $1". Before announcing anything about a 'fill a bag sale', make sure you have enough bags available.

Such simple yard sale tips can really help save time, earn money, and clear the house of unwanted stuff quickly. In the end, it's a win-win situation for you and your customers.