Eight Tips for a Successful Yard Sale

8-tips-for-a-successful-yard-sale

As seasons change, clear out items and make some extra cash by having a yard sale!  Our neighborhood has a sale every six months and it’s a great way to de-clutter and the extra money is always helpful!  Plus, we get free advertising through the neighborhood!  In this post, you’ll find tips for yard sale pricing, tips for yard sale advertising,

Here are some great times to have a garage sale:

  • March or April – clear out last year’s spring and summer clothing and outdoor “gear” like bikes and scooters that are no longer being used
  • August/September  – when people are back to school shopping, clear out last year’s fall and winter clothing, winter gear, Halloween costumes, etc.

Yard Sales Tips

 

1.  Yard sale Advertising – Take advantage of the free online advertising options listed below a few days before the sale to get the word out about your sale.  It helps to include any HOT or big ticket items in your advertising!  The night before the sale, make big signs using colored poster board to announce and direct people to your sale.

2.  Yard Sale Pricing – Price items as you are gathering them for your garage sale.  Price EVERYTHING!  Then, you won’t be caught off guard or wasting time trying to price items during your sale.  When I’m having a garage sale, my goal is to get rid of items, so I make sure they are priced to sell.  I always price my bigger ticket items a few dollars more than my “rock bottom” price so that I have room for negotiation because there are always going to be people who want a “deal.”  I also sometimes sell my bigger ticket items using Craigslist, eBay, or on a Beg, Barter, and Sell group on Facebook because I know I can get more money that way.  If you’ve got name brand items or clothing that you’re hoping to get more money for, the garage sale is probably not your best option.

3.  Yard sale Organization – Hang up clothing items and if possible organize by size.  For example, group children’s clothing together by gender and size and adult clothing together.   Then, shoppers can easily browse to see if you have what they’re looking for and you don’t end up with clothes thrown all over your driveway.  Have prices attached and visible (I buy the pricing stickers at Dollar Tree and they’re even color coordinated so it’s easy to see how much items are!)  Use tables to lay out other items.  It doesn’t take a lot of extra time to do this, but it makes a big difference!

4.  Get change and have other payment options available –  The biggest mistake I made at my first garage sale was not having enough “change”  At the start of the day, people will often have bigger bills ranging from $20 to $100 and not having change could mean losing a sale!  I try to have at least $100 on hand to start my sale in these denominations:  2 $10 bills, 8 $5 bills, and 40 $1 bills.  You may want to invest in a Counterfeit Bill Detector Pen if you plan to accept larger bills.

You can also have other payment options available.  By doing this, you may be able to sell some of your higher priced items for your asking price!  One option is a free credit card reader and it works with an app on your smart phone!


GoPayment
Get yours here–> Intuit GoPayment Free Credit Card Reader

5.  Have plastic bags handy A few weeks before your sale, start stashing those plastic bags from the grocery sale.  Have those on hand for shoppers as they check out!

6.  Have a buddy system – Don’t attempt a yard sale alone!  Have one person in charge of the money and “checking out” shoppers and another person on hand to answer questions and keep an eye on things so nothing gets stolen.  Don’t keep big bills out in the open.  I always have my “buddy” stash the bigger bills out of sight.  If you’ve got children, try to find a babysitter because they are just an added distraction.

7.  Have a freebie section – Shoppers often come with their children and I found that my children’s toys that I had for sale were a mess within minutes.  I started adding a “freebie” section with McDonald’s toys and other small items and I let each child grab a toy (while supplies last) and this has really helped me keep things organized.

8.  Donate leftover items – When I have a yard sale, the last thing I want to do is bring the items that did not sell back into my house.  When the sale is over, I donate leftover items to a local charity.  Make a list of what you’re donating before you go and be sure to get a receipt so you can claim it as a tax deduction!

Do you have any more successful yard sales tips?

Shopkick users get 780+ kicks at your local Target today!

target-gift-card

If you love Target, and you have not registered for Shopkick yet, make sure you register and head to your local store today!  Shopkick users can get over 755 kicks at Target today!  You can also get rewards just for visiting your other favorite stores like CVS, Best Buy, Old Navy, Walmart, and more!  You can earn extra “kicks” for scanning certain products in the store!  You can earn a FREE Target gift card when you sign up for Shopkick today and visit your local Target!

If you head to Target today, make sure you grab this stock up deal on Pampers diapers!  I got them for just $2.99 per jumbo pack–> Target Stock Up Deal on Pampers 

You can get up to  kicks by following these steps below:

Register for Shopkick here–> Shopkick Registration (25 kicks)

  • Visit your local Target store and get 100 “kicks” just for walking in today!
  • Scan Oreo Grab & Go – 100 kicks
  • Scan Timex Ameritus in jewelry counter – 100 kicks
  • Scan Timex Ameritus in jewelry counter – 100 kicks
  • Scan Timex Ameritus in jewelry counter – 100 kicks
  • Scan Cascade Action Pacs – 100 kicks
  • Scan Double Stuf OREO Grab & Go – 25 kicks
  • Scan Toblerone – 25 kicks
  • Scan Golden Oreo Grab & Go – 25 kicks
  • Scan St. Ives Collage Elastin Lotion – 25 kicks
  • Scan Sensodyne toothpaste – 25 kicks
  • Scan DayQuil Cold & Flu – 10 kicks
  • Scan ALMAY intense i-color – 10 kicks
  • Scan ZzzQuil – 10 kicks

I already scanned these items, but they may be available to you still for even more kicks:

  • St. Ives Purify Exfoliating Body Wash
  • Crystal Light Liquid Strawberry Lemonade
  • Pampers Baby Dry Super Pack (Size 2)
  • Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner
  • St. Ives Blemish Control Apricot Scrub
  • Crystal Light Liquid Mango Passionfruit
  • Crystal Light Liquid Blueberry Raspberry

NOTE: All items may not be available to scan at all stores.  You only need 500 kicks to cash out for a Target gift card!  Also, some kicks have limited availability, so they may no longer be available to you.

Want to earn cash back for your grocery and personal care purchases?  Start earning cash back when you sign up with Ibotta here–> Ibotta registration

Build your savings one week at a time this year!  Join me for the 52 week savings challenge!  Find out more here–> 52 week savings challenge

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please refer to my disclosure policy for more information

Inbox Dollars: Get PAID to read e-mails!

Here’s another way to add some extra cash to your summer vacation fund or to get some extra spending money! Check out Inbox Dollars and get PAID to read e-mails!  The best part is that they are offering a $5 bonus just for signing up!  I use the cash I earn from surveys and companies like this for fun things like family vacations!  I signed up with Inbox Dollars several years ago when I first started looking for ways to earn extra money from home!

Click here to grab your $5 bonus–> Inbox Dollars $5 bonus

Check out what reader Alisha said about her experience:

I started last night and have $12 in my account right now. Loving it!

Another reader Melissa said this:

I have already earned a $40 check and my account currently has $70 more.

The cash can add up quickly if you check your inbox a few times a week:

Image Credit: Real Living From Home

Image Credit: Real Living From Home

I recommend setting up a separate e-mail account for this and for surveys and other special offers!  Check out my post here about how to set up a separate e-mail and voice mail account for special offers–> A Word About E-mail accounts 

 

 

If you’re planning to use your survey earnings for a Christmas or vacation fund, jump start your savings with a $50 bonus when you open an Capital One 360 checking account.  This is what I use for our Christmas and vacation fund.  When we’re ready to use it, it’s easy to access with our check card!  Click here for details–> Earn a $50 bonus when you open a Capital One 360 checking account

*This post may contain affiliate links. Please refer to my disclosure policy for more information