BellaOnline Forums Home and Garden Living Simply Garage Sales

Hi All,

We've had garage sales after selling our last two houses. Some tips:

Be available, but not pushy. When I go to garage sales, it's almost impossible to find the person to ask a question. They're often lurking way in the back of a garage. I like to wander around and be accessible. Seems to bring in people if there are people talking, not just stacks of merchandise.

Even if you can't afford an ad in the paper, which we found brings the antique and second hand people out in droves, so I wouldn't suggest it, put signs out outside your house and on the main street to your house advertising your sale and your address.

Start early in the morning. There are a lot of eager beavers out there Fri and Sat mornings just looking for bargains. We started at 7:30, but other garage sales in our neighborhoods had visitors at 7 a.m.

Make sure you have plenty of change.

If someone looks interested in an item, offer to negotiate a price.

Make sure you have a place to sit in the shade when nothing's happening and something good to read and eat or drink.

Get the whole family involved. My husband is in charge of anything to do with fishing---from poles to buckets.

Good luck!

Carolyn

these are great suggestions Carolyn!

okay, i feel so overwhelmed about pricing and cleaning allll my stuff, and my husband is laying down the law because he's tired of seeing all my crud everywhere. he says we have to have at least one simple garage sale in two weeks - even if I put out unpriced stuff. but I have read that priced and cleaned items get a lot more money. Also, for an unpriced sale, I am not going to spend the money on an ad - I don't want people out in droves if I feel unready. I'll just put out some signs. Ideas, anyone? I am so busy these days.

what is the old saying. Some one's rubbish is some-one elses treasure. I must say I enjoy browsing around, some times you pick up a bargain but in my case not too often.

i never did get back to this, but we had a pretty good garage sale. it would have been better if we'd sprung for an ad, but we makde great signs and people found us anyway.

was it simple??? No. it was a lot of work. Was it worth it??? um...only if you enjoy the work. it was really so much effort for only a few hundred dollars. so I am re-thinking this. maybe a combination of ebay for the good stuff, and use craiglist for some others...and just drop off the rest at Goodwill....

what do people think?