Triple Your Earnings...

At Your Next Garage Sale

Would you like to make more money at your next garage sale? By following some simple guidelines, you can potentially triple the amount of money you make at your next sale:

The garage sale has become a fixed part of our American culture. Every Saturday morning at sunrise people come out in droves to purchase bargain merchandise from their friends and neighbors. It's become a national past time.
Why not take part in this national trend and profit at the same time? By hosting your own garage sale, you can not only make money, but you can also eliminate clutter by selling items you no loner need.

Here are some tips for making your next garage sale a big success:

1. Instead of hosting a solitary garage sale, recruit other members of your neighborhood to participate. A neighborhood sale, in general, brings in larger crowds of buyers than a single garage sale will. You can also share the cost of advertising your sale in the newspaper which is a big bonus.

2. If your home is difficult to access, consider holding your sale in a more conspicuous location. Some businesses will allow you to use a corner of their parking lot to display your wares for a small fee. If you pick a high traffic location, this can be a gold mine!

3. Conduct an extensive advertising campaign. This should include a cleverly worded ad placed in the garage sale category of the newspaper, as well as flyers distributed to bulletin boards in your area. Place garage sale signs at high traffic corners with your address clearly displayed. Try to avoid the amateurish looking signs you generally see advertising garage sales. Generally these signs are handwritten and have addresses that are difficult to read. This is not a good way to attract buyers.

4. Make sure items are neatly displayed with prices clearly displayed. Clothes are best hung up neatly on racks, not hastily laid on a blanket on the ground. Try to group similar items together to encourage multiple purchases and make shopping easier.

5. Have some high demand items prominently displayed so they can be seen from the road. These might be items such a bicycle, electronic equipment, exercise equipment. This will encourage people driving by to stop.

6. Attach balloons to your signs and to your mailbox to attract attention and make it easier for buyers to find you.

7. Have some lively music in the background to create a festive atmosphere. People will stay around longer if you provide them with a pleasant shopping environment.

8. If you don't have a large number of items to sell, sell some of your friend’s and neighbor’s items on consignment. Buyers are more likely to stop at your sale if they believe you have a large selection.

9. Consider selling refreshments such as lemonade and baked goods. This will increase your sales as well as give people a reason to stick around.

10. Around the last hour of the sale, have a 50% off sale to clear out your remaining merchandise. Let people know you'll be closing shortly and if they want the discount they need to act immediately.

11. Donate unsold items to charity. Not only are you doing a good deed, you're be allowed a tax write off.
Most of all, have fun hosting your next garage sale. After it's over, use some of the money you've made to celebrate at a nice restaurant.

By Kristie Leong

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