Business & Tech

Top 10 Garage Sale Tips

Get ready for Shorewood's all-village sale at the end of the month. Here are ways to rake in the dough.

The Shorewood Annual Garage Sale is just around the corner, scheduled for April 29 and 30.

Having a sale is a great way to earn some extra cash while getting rid of stuff you do not need. It is true that your trash is someone else's treasure.

I had a sale one time that earned over $3,000 on leftover junk. It is not as hard as you think. You do not need big-ticket items to have a successful sale. The real money maker is not the quality of the stuff. It is the preparation.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

Here are the top 10 things you can do to make big dough.

1. Plan Ahead. 

I keep a box marked "garage sale" all year. As I go through stuff, I contribute to that box on a regular basis. That way I don't have to attack the whole house at once the day before the sale.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

Even if I don't have a date scheduled, I have an ongoing box. I don't worry about making a major commitment to having a sale because I know if I don't, I call one of the charities to pick up my junk for free.

If you haven't started this by now, don't worry. You can still take a couple drawers or closets at a time. Nothing is too small for a garage sale.

2. Elbow Grease.

Presentation is everything. Wash it. Wipe it. Dust it. Fix it. Gather all the parts. Making things appear clean and fresh makes all the difference. You can literally get twice as much money just by cleaning it up. This is where most of your prep time should be spent.

3. Put On A Show.

Take things out of their boxes and let people see what they are. Don't make buyers work for it. You are proud of your merchandise. Show it.

If space is a concern, group similar items in a box with a sign pricing each. Have a 50 cent box or a dollar table. Set as much out front in your lawn or driveway as possible.

Use plywood between two end tables or shelving units for display. Make everything obvious. You want people to think your place is worth stopping at.

4. Here's a Sign.

Surrender yourself to the reality that you no longer want this stuff. Hang big signs that say "Nothing goes back in the house" and "Make me an offer."

Tell people everything must go. That gives them an opening to ask questions, learn more and buy more.

The worst that can happen is they make you a ridiculous offer. You can always say no. Ultimately, their offer is more money than you giving it away to charity.

5. Don't Over Think Price.

The No. 1  killer to a successful garage sale is the owner's attachment to their stuff. The value or price you paid has absolutely nothing to do with the price people are willing to pay at a garage sale. You will earn tremendously more money if you think of your sale as people paying you to haul away your junk.

This is not an antique shop or Craigslist or eBay. There is nothing fair about garage sale pricing. Once you get over that mental hump, you will make more money.

When people make offers, you should be saying yes almost every time. If their price is way off from what you had in mind, tell them your thought and offer to split the difference. If they counter again, say yes.

6. Clothes Fit For A King.

Very few garage-salers buy clothes. The best way to unload basic items is to hang them somewhere out of the way. Do not give clothes a primary location. Many hunters see clothes and keep driving by.

Also, pricing clothes can be a circus. Hang a sign on a rack that says buyers can fill a grocery bag with shirts, pants and dresses from that section for $5. If people are purposely shopping for clothes, it is because they need them. Don't haggle. Just get rid of it.

For coats, prom dresses or other big items, hang and price separately. Spread out shoes paired up at the other end of the lawn.

7. Let's Make a Deal.

If you know a person wants an item and is also looking at a second thing, tell her to make you an offer on the pair. Let people know you are willing to deal.

Although I try to put prices on a lot of items, I deliberately leave stuff unmarked. That way people have to ask. Surprisingly, people will offer more money than I was thinking.

When they ask how much, ask them how much they will give for it. Put the power in their hands. As buyers, we want to be in control of our money. We are willing to spend more to get a better value.

8. A Watchful Eye.

Sure, we try to give everybody the benefit of the doubt. However, sale day is no time to let your guard down. Unless you know the person, only accept cash. Period.

Don't hold something without a hefty deposit or full payment. If they are running to the ATM, tell them you'll wait 30 minutes tops.

If you are lucky enough to have someone staff the money box, station him next to the house door. Otherwise, keep cash with you in an apron or purse, and keep the home locked.

As you get big bills, deposit them inside, hidden away. Watch for thieves.  You will meet all kinds. I once had to chase a mom down who deliberately stacked a paid item onto a stolen one and carried them both away.

Also, casual chatting about items lets people know that you are watching what they are touching. 

9. Advertise! Advertise! Advertise!

White or neon posters, thick black markers, a stapler and balloons are your best weapons. Rule of thumb is more signs, fewer words.

Using big, thick lettering, write "YARD SALE" or "BIG SALE" in clear, large letters. Draw a horizontal line underneath, where you'll put a directional arrow.

The morning of the sale, staple a balloon to each sign. Then place them strategically, starting at the main street. As you drive toward your house, put signs at the corner of every turn, and again every few blocks.

People will drive a long way if they follow a trail of bread crumbs. Put a similar sign with balloons in front of your house so people know it's you they have been coming to see.

On the days of the all-village sale, you do not need to pay for an ad in the paper. However, if you are going solo, key words to use in ads are: antiques, furniture, TV, electronics, baby, kids, tools, fishing. Bad words are clothes and Christmas.

10. Exit Strategy.

At the end of your sale, do not put anything back in your house. Have a plan to truck whatever is left to Goodwill.  You could also schedule a pick up the next day.

Knowing that this stuff is not going back in the house will make it so much easier on you to sell stuff for cheap.

There is only one thing worse than selling something for less than what you could have gotten for it. That is the feeling you get when you are dead tired from the sale and you have to carry donations to Goodwill that you turned down good money for.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here