Annie’s Tips For A Successful Yard Sale

JP and I live a debt-free life. We also live on one income, making budgeting for the “wants” of life a bit more challenging. One thing that we have wanted for a number of years is a television.

I realize that flat screen TVs have been around for several years, but we have never had the money, nor desire, to get one in the past. We had inherited our 24 year-old television from a family who had it heading for a dumpster, nine years ago. It has serviced us well. Sure, we had to turn it on from a universal remote, praying each time that it would revive itself. Sure, you can’t read most of the wording on the screen. Sure, it weighs almost more than two grown men can manage, but it was free, and it was fulfilling a “want” in our lives.

A few weeks ago, I went to our state museum. They had a display on television broadcasting. There, plunked down in the middle of the display, was our TV. Our television had become a museum piece. It was time to think about a new one.

While we wanted a new TV, we simply had zero funds to purchase one. It was time to get creative. Enter: a yard sale.

I adore going to yard sales. I go to hundreds each year, scouring each for clothes, tools, and other items that we may need, yet cannot afford to pay for full price. I have even had sales at churches as fundraisers for different groups. However, I have avoided having sales at my home.

 I set aside this feeling, and went to work. The end goal was enough money for a new television, and a cleaned-out house to boot.

TC was my right hand throughout the entire process. While all of our eclectic family helped, TC was the mainstay. The encourager. The muscle. The comic relief when I started going over the “this is too overwhelming, let’s just forget it” ledge.

It took us two weeks to thoroughly go through the entire house. As is under beds, all closets, cabinets, drawers, and even the basement.

I borrowed tables and sign holders. Took out an ad in the local paper. Posted it on Facebook. Set it all up (6 large tables, 2 large trailers, and a tarp worth of things.) and waited.

People came in droves. Droves. They wanted to make deals and I wanted to sell my stuff. It was phenomenal. I was busy for two days straight.

The third day it poured rain all day, so I posted that everything was free. This helped get people to my house to take away the last of the treasures. In this way, I did not have to haul everything to the Goodwill.

By the end of the third day, I was down to two or three small boxes and one bag of stuff to donate to the local charity resale shop, and had made enough to get an even larger television than we had ever thought possible.

I am not sure why I avoided yard sales at my home for so long. Perhaps I will have another one someday in order to raise money for another “want.”

Whatever way it goes, I am thrilled that our eclectic family worked together towards our specific goal, and we made it.

I encourage you to think about having a sale of your own. Sometimes it is worth a little bit of hassle in order to meet the end goal.

Annie’s tips for a successful yard sale:

• Price your items to sell. Yes, I realize that it was expensive when you bought it, but this is a yard sale. People will not pay high prices for the opportunity to haul your things away. You must stay in the mind set that you are here to get rid of your things. If you have things that are still worth a lot of money, you may want to look into selling them on ebay or craigslist.
• Be willing to bargain. Many people want to make a deal. Be willing to do so. If you really want $10 for that awesome set of sheets that did not quite fit right on your bed, price them at $15 and be willing to take $7. When people know you will make deals, they will stay around longer and buy more.
• Have someone there with you if at all possible. Having one or two extra people at your sale with you is a great thing. They can help answer questions, take money, bag things and be general moral support.
• Greet everyone with a smile. People love to be greeted. It shows respect and proper etiquette. Most people that go to yard sales are friendly and open for chatting. Be willing to be the same way. I have left countless sales because of the rude behavior of the owner.
• Advertise well. Make sure to list the big items that you have for sale. Furniture. Sizes of clothing. Vehicles. Toy sets. Appliances Etc. Write the dates, times, address, and clear directions in your ad for the paper. Be sure to invest in the ad for the paper. All the regulars will know to look there, and will map out their plan of attack. You want to make sure you are part of their plan.
• Mark your sale well. Use neon pink or orange poster board and a large black marker. At the very least write “SALE” and an arrow pointing in the direction of your sale. You may also want to add the address and the hours of operation. Do not clutter the sign with lists of what is for sale. That is why you took out an ad.
• Group like items. Kitchenware. Linens. Clothing (hang clothing if at all possible.) Toys. Tools. Etc.
• Sort toys and put back into sets. Complete sets of toys and games will sell better and for a higher price than loose toys all thrown in together. Yes, this will take a bit of time, but it will be worth it financially. Trust me.
• Bag the tiny toys and place one price on entire bag. People will willingly pay a few dollars more for a bag of Barbie accessories that is all together, rather than having to search through a bin full of miscellaneous things.
• Have bags ready for your customers’ purchases.
• Have enough change to get you through the day.
• Offer to take your customers’ selections from them while they are still shopping. This will give you a chance to add it all up, as well as free their hands to select more items.
• Always be rearranging items on your tables to fill in empty spots. No one wants to feel like they are getting the leftover items at a sale. Make sure your tables always look fresh and inviting.
• Make sure your items are clean. Take the time to clean your things before setting them out on display.
• Enjoy the day! If your sale goes like ours, you will have neighbors and friends stop in to say hello. You will meet new friends. You will end each day exhausted, yet content.

Yard sales are the perfect way to make a bit of money while at the same time cleaning out unused or unwanted items from your home. I hope your sale is as successful as ours!

~Annie

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