How to Hold a Successful Garage Sale (2024)

FAQs

How to Hold a Successful Garage Sale? ›

Along with clothing and household goods you've grown tired of, include things like leftover craft supplies, cans of paint, spare auto parts, tools, books & magazines, kids' toys & games, and sports equipment. You never know what someone might be looking for and be thrilled to find.

Along with clothing and household goods you've grown tired of, include things like leftover craft supplies, cans of paint, spare auto parts, tools, books & magazines, kids' toys & games, and sports equipment. You never know what someone might be looking for and be thrilled to find.

Don't overthink your garage sale marketing too much. Grab some blank posters and balloons from the dollar store. Post signs at both ends of your street and at nearby busy intersections where a driver can easily read them. If you want to advertise in the local paper or church bulletin, do it at least a week in advance.

Garage sales usually start early in the morning, around 7 a.m., and end mid-afternoon. The busiest hours of a garage sale are often between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m., before temperatures get too high. Depending on how many items you plan to sell, you may want to spread the sale out over multiple days.

Everybody's working for the weekend — because that's when they're out and about, trolling for steals and deals. As you likely guessed, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays are known as the best time to have a yard sale because that's when most people can attend.

Although not everyone puts price tags on their garage sale merchandise, pricing your merchandise in advance will make the day of the sale less hectic for you. Additionally, it may make customers more likely to buy.

Best to put everything on a table or hang it within reach. Dumping clothes on a sheet on the lawn, only looks like you haven't done laundry in a long time. Clean it, dust it or at least wipe it down. If it's clean and tidy it sells a LOT faster.

How to store money at garage sale? ›

I use one pocket for change and one for bills. Fold bills larger than $1 in half and put at the back of the pocket; put the $1 bills in the front. Coins and bills can be stored in the house periodically to lighten the apron. It is very, very easy for someone to distract you and make off with a cash box.

If you have a local neighborhood newsletter or a church bulletin board, be sure to highlight your yard sale in it. Word-of-mouth is also a great way to advertise and it is FREE.

Baby & kids clothing, toys, and gadgets sell super well as well as kitchen stuff (dishes, cookware, etc). Adult clothing can sell, but it's generally not as popular as kids clothing. If you don't have many of the best selling items, a garage sale might not be worth your time.

Plenty of cash.

Get two rolls of quarters, a stack of 50 $1 bills, 10 $5 bills, and 5 $10 bills. Do it two days before the sale so that, if you forget, you can still get the change on the day before.

Weatherproof Outdoor Signs

Always use permanent markers for any handwritten text. The ink dries quickly and doesn't run when wet. Use heavy-duty staples to make sure your yard sale signs stay attached to posts, and stake lawn signs in the ground to keep them upright.

Like we mentioned, you can try to sell lots of things at a garage sale, but that doesn't mean they'll actually sell. It's important to keep in mind some things are in higher demand than others. Selecting in-demand sale items like books, dishes, and tools helps you have a more successful yard sale.