Trust me, the “hassle” of spending one weekend to host a yard sale is totally worth it. Here are my top 10 yard sale tips that’ll help you clear your clutter and earn a little extra cash at the same time.
*Tip: you can’t just throw some shabby items on your front lawn and hope for the best. There is a tried and true method you should follow in order to have a successful yard sale.
When my kids were younger, I used to be an avid yard sale shopper. Now, I help others declutter their homes and set up successful yard sales of their own.
It makes me giddy when I am able to help someone earn over $1,000 in a weekend simply by unloading their clutter!
Top 10 Clutter-Clearing Yard Sale Tips
Here are some of my favorite yard sale tips.
1. Timing is Everything
In order to have a successful yard sale, location and timing are everything.
Usually, having a yard sale at the beginning of the month tends to be a good idea, as a lot of people get paid on the 1st of the month.
Do not schedule your yard sale during a holiday weekend because only die-hard yard “salers” go to yard sales during these times.
Also, if you live in a remote or hard-to-access location, consider having your yard sale at the home of a friend or family member who lives in town.
2. Advertise like Crazy
A week before your sale, start advertising like crazy. Put ads in your local newspaper (if it’s cheap or free), on local Facebook groups, Craigslist, and your own social media channels.
Make sure to “refresh” the ads the day before the sale.
Have your kids make as many colorful eye-catching yard sale signs as possible to hang up throughout the neighborhood. If you don’t have kids, enlist the help of an artistic friend or family member.
On the morning of the sale, have someone hang your signs in key locations around the neighborhood. Check with your city zoning office ahead of time in order to make sure there are no restrictions. Also, make sure you don’t violate any HOA guidelines, or your yard sale will end up costing you more stress (and money) than it’s worth.
*Tip: Make it easy on yourself and pick up this complete yard sale kit.
3. The Price is Right
Put realistic prices on everything.
Don’t expect to get {even close to} what you paid for things. Even if they still have tags on them.
People who go to yard sales are looking for a super-good deal. It’s what gets them out of bed at the crack of dawn on a Saturday. Give them what they want.
A good rule of thumb for yard sale pricing is 10-20% of the item’s original value for smaller items, and up to 40% for larger items like furniture and electronics.
If this upsets you, don’t have a yard sale. Opt instead to sell your items individually via the internet where you can make a larger profit.
When it comes to pricing items for your yard sale, you don’t have to put a sticker on Every. Little. Thing.
Group smaller items in zip lock baggies and price as a lot. Similarly, you can group like items on the same table and have a couple of signs listing the prices for individual categories. For example, all glassware .50 each or paperback books .25 each. This will save you a ton of work as far as pricing goes.
An hour or so before the end of the sale, mark (with signs and announcements) all items 1/2 off!
Really, just do it. You don’t want to have to pack everything back up, do you?
4. Organization is Key
Here are some things you’ll need to have on hand for a successful yard sale
- price stickers
- signs for advertising/pricing
- fanny pack or cash box
- plastic/paper bags
- boxes
- newspapers/tissue paper (to wrap breakables)
- change (see below)
- zip lock bags
- water (for you)
- snacks (for you and your kids)
- extension cord (so customers can make sure electronics work)
- batteries
- calculator
- cell phone
- pen/marker
- paper (for making “sold” signs)
- something to read (during the slow times)
- rope
Take a trip to the bank and get at least $50 worth of small bills and change. ($100 is better) I guarantee you, when your first customer pays for a $.50 item with a $50 bill, you will be glad you did.
Aim for at least $20 in ones, $20 in fives, and a roll of quarters. You may also want to have a handful of dimes and nickels on hand for those odd-priced items.
5. Presentation Matters
Arrange tables so that there is a good “flow” between them. Too close, and your customers will be uncomfortable, too far away and they may lose interest before they’ve had a chance to check everything out.
Set out racks for clothing or construct a clothesline between two trees. Here’s a really cool idea for a DIY clothes rack…
Make sure the items you wish to sell are clean and in good repair.
No one wants to buy your broken VCR. If you would like to sell a big-ticket item with small repairable issues, by all means, attempt to do so. Just make sure the buyer knows these issues before they purchase it.
Remember, don’t just throw everything out in your yard and call it “good”. The key to having a successful yard sale is to group like items together so that your customers can easily find what they are looking for. Even if they aren’t exactly sure what that is.
You’ll need to use a little psychology when choosing where to place your items for sale.
Tons of people visit yard sales looking for furniture and baby items, therefore, place these items as close to the road as possible, so that people will see them when driving by.
Additionally, a lot of men dislike shopping at yard sales {or anywhere, for that matter}…UNLESS you are selling tools or outdoor equipment. If you are, you’ll want to make sure you place these items close to the front as well.
You can put housewares, holiday decor, clothing, and books near the middle to rear of the yard sale area because most people who are looking for these items won’t mind digging a little deeper to find them.
6. Safety First
Be visible to your customers so you can answer any questions (and take any money) they may have.
In order to avoid confusion, try to have only one person collecting money. Additionally, for security reasons, you’ll want to make sure that person stays in close proximity to the cash box.
I prefer to wander the yard sale wearing a fanny pack, this way I can be sure I never lose sight of the cash.
Speaking of security, display valuable jewelry, electronics, and video games where someone will be able to keep an eye on them. There are actually people who “troll” yard sales looking to score free items. Sometimes they travel in a group and someone will distract the person running the sale while the others make off with whatever small items they can fit into their pockets. Sad, but true.
Download your free printable yard sale checklist here
7. Set Boundaries
If you set a start time of 8:00 AM for your yard sale, stick to it. You’ll need to have everything set up and ready for your first sale by 7:59 AM because, if you advertised correctly, you should have a line of people!
A note on early birds…don’t be afraid to turn them away. If you do decide to allow them to shop, don’t haggle! They should pay full price for any inconvenience they may cause. {wink}
Also, set physical boundaries such as ropes, and barriers around items in your yard and garage you don’t wish to sell. Otherwise, your customers will assume everything is fair game.
8. Haggle Like a Boss
With the exception of early birds, feel free to haggle away. After all, your number one goal should be to get rid of things.
Your number two goal is to make money.
So…when someone asks, “What’s the lowest you’ll go on…” Say, “How much were you thinking?”
This puts the ball in their court and they may end up offering more money than you would have suggested. If they ‘low-ball’ you, counter with a fair price.
They will still be getting a good deal!
If you have several people interested in the same item, either sell the item to the first person who’s willing to pay the price you have marked, or see if someone is willing to go a bit over. I’ve had people get into bidding ‘wars’ over popular items earning me more than what I had on the price tag!
9. If it Doesn’t Sell…Give it Away
Set a hard-and-fast rule ahead of time that nothing from your yard sale is allowed back into your home. (Unless it’s a big-ticket item that you plan to sell online.)
Box everything up and either call a local charity to pick it all up, or bring everything directly to them. You can also advertise on your local Facebook for sale group, “Leftover yard sale items, FREE! Must take all.”
Poof! Your unsold stuff will disappear like magic!
10. Occupy the Kids
Even the youngest of kids can help stick price tags on items. Assign someone to handle the advertising, someone else to make sure everything is clean and sorted into categories, and yet another to price items.
Bake cookies and prepare lemonade for your child to sell during your yard sale. This, by the way, is a great way to teach entrepreneurial skills to your son/daughter. Plus, it gives them something to do during the sale! Win, win.
I usually purchase the supplies {cups, ice, baggies, ingredients} and my son reimburses me with the proceeds he earns from his sales. After having multiple lemonade/cookie stands, my son has grown to be so business savvy, that he will go shopping with me for supplies so he can make absolutely sure I get the best deal possible. {He’s only 11!}
If you have very young children, consider hiring a babysitter for the day. Because…you’ll be busy!
READ MORE:
- 40 Things I Stopped Buying In Order To Save Money And Simplify My Life
- 12 Things I Stopped Buying When I Lived In A Tiny House
- 10 Things You Should (Totally) Stop Buying (Because you don’t need them anyway)
« 6 Spring Cleaning Tips For Messy People
» How To Help A Hoarder: 5 Things You Should Never Say To A Hoarder
Thank you for the tips! Have a great day!😊
Thank you so much for this 🙂
I’ll have my first yard sale on October 1st and this guide, is helping me how to do it.
This was really helpful! So glad you took the time to share your knowledge! I’ll be having an impromptu yard sale this Friday after moving into our new place! Hopefully with your tips, I can make an OK profit!
You’re welcome!
I really appreciate your advice!
Thank you!
Jeri
🙂
Thank you for the great tips.