Pre-Planning A Garage Sale
Because they know no season, garage, yard, patio or even "ye olde junkie" sales are a good way to dispose of all the things you no longer want or need, yet hate to throw away.
A garage sale held prior to moving can help both lighten the load and bring in some extra cash. This booklet is intended as a guide to pre-planning a successful garage sale, cashing in on your disposables, and having some pre-move fun as well.
You can depend on Yolo Transfer & Storage for knowledge and experience in helping you work through the details of your move. We'll be happy to assist you, answer your questions, and work closely with you to make your relocation as effortless as possible.
Pre-Plan
Pre-planing brings to mind details that might otherwise be overlooked in organizing a garage sale, highlighting the various steps necessary for its ultimate success.
- Check with local authorities for restrictions and permit requirements
- Consider a joint sale with one or more neighbors
- Decide where to hold the sale
- Set dates and hours for the sale
- Let you insurance agent know you'll be holding a sale, and make certain your homeowner's policy will cover any liability for injuries
- Start saving shopping bags and cardboard cartons for customer convenience on the day of the sale
What To Sell
Go through the house with a record sheet or notebook, listing everything you want to sell. Here are some of the kinds of items which are popular garage sale merchandise.
- appliances
- audio/video/photography equipment
- baby equipment
- Books/comics/paperbacks/old magazines
- bottles/jars
- camping equipment
- clothes - especially babies' and toddlers'
- china/glasssware
- costume jewelry
- curtains/drapes
- flatware - silver/stainless
- furniture
- games/toys/bicycles
- garden tools
- kitchen utensils
- lamps/mirrors
- lawn/patio equipment
- linens/bedding
- motors - electric and gasoline
- musical instruments/equipment
- pets - goldfish,gerbils,etc.
- phonograph records/tapes/sheet music
- pictures/frames
- plants
- rugs/carpet
- shoes/boots
- sports equipment
Gather all items in one place for convenience in pricing, marking and making minor repairs; the sewing of a gaping seam or the addition off glue and a nail can mean the difference between a sale and a leftover.
Bundle various go-togethers, such as cake pans and a cake rack, which can be sold as a unit, or, wrap a few unrelated items together as "surprise" or grab-bag specials.
See that the clothes and linens are clean and sizes clearly marked. Put them on hangers or fold neatly. Pair shoes and mark sizes.
If you're having a sale with other people, be sure to mark each item with a code number and/or color so it can be easily identified when sold, and there will be no question about profits at the end of the sale.
Pricing
Some suggestions for pricing your items...
- Keep prices in multiples of five - 5cents,10cents, 25cents,$1 - for ease in figuring and making change.
- Set a price on each item or group of items, keeping in mind that your merchandise is used and should be priced accordingly. Try for a happy medium...not too high...not too low...with enough leeway for a little bargaining. Make exceptions for the "collectibles" that you think should bring a higher price.
- Mark "as is" anything that doesn't work or is in some way defective, and price accordingly.
- Place a price tag on each article; list the price on your record sheet. For convenience, and to avoid lost tags, use the press-on tags available at stationery and office supply stores. A small piece of masking tape will work too.
Advertising
Broadcast the news by...
- running an ad in the neighborhood newspaper
- phoning friends who might be interested
- announcing the sale to members of clubs in the community
- putting signs in windows or on bulletin boards of neighborhood stores
- inserting a notice in your church newsletter or school newspaper
- distributing announcements in the neighborhood
Remember to put up signs in the area the day before the sale, Be sure to have a BIG sign at the sale site.
Displays
Before arranging your wares, remove from the sales area everything you don't ant to sell. Cover with a sheet or drop cloth heavy items that can't be moved and attach big "not for sale" signs to them.
- Set up a rack on which to hang clothing. A clothesline stretched across the garage or a ladder suspended horizontally from the ceiling will serve this purpose.
- Boards set across trestles will serve as temporary display counters. Leave aisles wide enough for customer convenience.
- Group similar items together. Use corrugated cartons to hold small articles, records, books, Stand records on edge for easy flipping, and books so titles can be read.
- If possible, provide a convenient electric outlet for testing electric appliances
Consider making a sign for each area of your sale: Books, Magazines, Records; Housewares and Kitchen Gadgets; Odds nd Ends; Everything on this table 3 for $1; Surprise Grab Bags 10cents and 25 cents.
Sales Personnel
The more help you have on hand, the better. It's difficult for one person to manage a sale of any size alone. An individual might ask friends to assist, but the majority of garage sales are family or cooperative affairs.
Security
There's always the possibility that your sale may be visited by individuals hoping to pick up something for, literally, nothing. To guard against this eventuality...
- Try to always have at least two persons present so that the sales area is never left unattended.
- Instead of keeping your cash in a small box, wear a money belt to make change, and keep large bills in your pocket.
- Allow customers in the sales area only. Strangers may visit your sale expressly for the purpose of discovering whether you have anything worth burglarizing later
Ready-Set-Go
Have everything ready the day before the sale so that early shoppers can be accommodated. You'll need:
- Plenty of change, including dollar bills; be sure you know how much you have on hand to start with.
- Paper and pencil for computing costs. (A small calculator is helpful.)
- Your record sheet; mark off without delay items sold and price changes made.
- Wrapping supplies - newspapers, shopping bags, cardboard cartons, twine, a stapler and scissors or a sharp knife
Have a firm cash only policy, with a big sign to that effect; accept checks only if you know the writer well.
Ask for a deposit if a customer wants an item "held"; it is also wise to set a time limit for holding the article.
Bargaining
Bargaining is expected; list any price changes on your record sheet. Discounts, especially on major items, will often close a sale. Ten percent is a good beginning discount offer. Reduce prices near the end of the sale. A cash profit, however small, is better than winding up with many leftovers.
After The Sale
Divide up the profits if the sale was a cooperative effort. remembering to deduct the amount with which you began.
Keep the money in a safe place until it can be banked.
Remove all sale signs you put up.
Consider donating any leftover items to charitable organizations - Goodwill, Salvation Army, orphanages. They generally give a receipt for donations so the value can be deducted from the doner's income tax returns. Or contribute leftovers to church rummage sales, resale shops, schools, or community centers.
Congratulations
You've made a profit in disposing of all those things you didn't want to take along to your new home... and wasn't it fun too?
As an agent for United Van Lines, Yolo Transfer & Storage has direct access to an award winning collection of moving related brochures...
Click here to request the complete guide to "Pre-Planning A Garage Sale," a 12 page brochure that covers all of the topics above and more!
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