Let’s be honest.  There are yard sales and there are yard sales.  Some you don’t even bother to get out of your car, while others attract crowds like ants at a picnic.  A lot of the success of your yard sale depends on the 4 Simple P’s: planning, preparation, presentation, and pursuit. 

If you follow these tips and strategies, you will find things will go quite smoothly, you’ll get rid of a lot of stuff, make many bargain hunters happy, and walk away with a nice wad of dough.

Planning

·        Ask yourself honestly if having a yard sale is for you. 

·        Recruit help for the project from family members, neighbors, or friends. 

·        Choose a date that suits everyone, with a back-up rain date.

·        Decide what to do with things that don’t sell during the yard sale.

Preparation

·        Get a permit from the local authorities (if needed).

·        Place an ad in the local newspaper.

·        Make up some signs to place on busy street corners, before each major turn.

·        Gather price stickers, baggies, marking pens, plastic shopping bags, and tables for displaying.

·        Ask your friends and family if they have things to sell.  The more stuff, the better!

·        Get plenty of change and a pouch or bag to hold the money.

·        Get your stuff ready!

§         Clean and mark each item as you go, so you’ll only have to handle them once.

§         Make grab bags of small items, such as sewing notions, or pencils and pens.

§         Make signs such as “All Baskets $1” or “All Paperback Books 25¢”.

·        Assign tasks (cashier, roaming helper, packer) and decide if prices are negotiable.

Presentation

·        Display your items by category, such as all bath items together, kitchen items together, etc. 

·        Bring out as many tables, benches, or shelves that you can.  People shop better when they don’t have to bend over. 

·        Choose a place where you can hold items (once they are paid for), in case the buyer needs to get more cash or needs a bigger vehicle to transport purchases.

·        Keep smiling!  A friendly atmosphere promotes spending!

·        Rearrange displays as things sell to keep them clustered but not crowded.  Move items into prime position (onto tables or shelves).

·        Near wind-up time, start making offers of lower prices, or try a “buy one, get one free” to move your stuff along. 

Pursuit

·        Load up unsold items and take them to your local thrift shop or recycle them (see this link for help).

·        To keep your life clutter-free, decide that after this sale, you won’t purchase or accept anything (even free!) that you can’t use!

©An Extra Hand Organizing

www.AnExtraHandOrganizing.com