Saturday, May 3, 2008

Tips For A Smooth And Successful Garage Sale

Do you find yourself lost within the clutter of your home? Or do you always feel that a few extra bucks could help you make ends meet? Then why not have a garage sale, after all one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

You don't have to have a lot of stuff to start selling. You could ask for handouts from neighbors, family, or friends, something they think they can part with, this way combined with your things you are sure to provide your customers with a variety of purchasable items.

When you think you have all the things you need to get started, then you should begin planning, starting with the sale date. It would be most effective to schedule the sale on a weekend far from any holiday or any special day within your community. You should probably also anticipate the weather for that day so that you can adjust if the weather is uncooperative. Regarding the time, it would be best to hold it in the morning.

The next step is to make the event official by having it announced in the most popular periodical in your area, or by putting up posters, or both. If possible, maybe you could also have a local radio station mention the affair. Publicize the event on bulletin boards.

Buy several stickers, post-its, and different colored markers, and use them before the day of your sale. This would help you organize your products. You may need to borrow some tables and racks so that you can better display your merchandise. Also, prepare smaller bills and coins for change. If you have a container with several compartments then you should place the money there, keeping in mind that this should be something you could carry around. Clean and remove some of the stuff from the garage if you are having the sale there and mark items in the garage that you are not planning to sell. Also make sure that the garage is well lit on the sale date. Place electrical equipment that are for sale near an electrical outlet or set up an extension cord. Check signage ordinances in your neighborhood and set some of them up on nearby street corners, make them noticeable with big and bold letters, and eye-catching colors.

Put your goods in order one or two hours before you open. Lastly, don't be afraid to bargain with customers. You are expected to put a reasonable price on your stuff but that doesn't mean that you should submit to the buyer, unless of course if you really want to get rid of that object.

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