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Before the Yard Sale
- Check our web pages for getting ready for organizing a garage sale, yard sale, tag sale, or estate sale:Garage Sale Tips, Garage Sale Advertising, and Garage Sale Signs.
- Organizing a garage sale should not be a one-person chore. Assign co-hosts to complete tasks – advertising, making signs, rounding up display materials, checking to see if there are garage sale sign, sale permit, or parking regulations where you live, getting change, and arranging for babysitters. There’s plenty to do for everybody!
- Get all of your garage sale items in one place several days ahead of time. Figure out how much volume you have, how many tables you will need and get everything priced BEFORE THE SALE. If your garage sale starts with unpriced items, you may not get time to get stickers on them, and most will go unsold.
- After you get an idea of your volume, figure out what you will need for tables and displays. Find yourself a table and chairs for a check-out table. If possible, set up your tables and clotheslines the day before.
- Figure out where you will have people park their vehicles. Organizing a garage sale is easier after planning.
- Get at least $50 in change. You will need at least $20 in one dollar bills, and $5 in quarters. Decide who will collect money and give that person a money apron or fanny pack, so that the money is NOT sitting on a table in a box.
- Round up an extension cord or two, (so you can test electric items, and run your fan for comfort, if it is hot). You may also want a supply of batteries for testing battery-powered items. Do not give away your good batteries inside sold items. They are expensive!
- Call your co-hosts and make sure that everybody is still going to be there for the sale, and who is bringing what. You don’t want any surprises the morning of your sale. Make sure that someone brings the coffee and doughnuts, and that somebody has arranged for lunch and cold drinks, if it is hot!
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The Day of the Rummage Sale
- Get there early! You do not want to be scrambling around at the last second, or even worse, organizing a garage sale after the sale has already started.
- Set up all tables and displays that you could not set up the night before. Make sure that everything is priced. Get everything out of boxes, so customers can see your items. Don’t make your customers dig through your gross boxes, like the guy in the cartoon below…
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Get Your Stuff Out of Boxes.
Many Shoppers WILL NOT Dig Through Boxes, Like THIS Dude. |
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- Have your co-hosts handle some tasks. One person should be handling the money. One person can greet people and answer questions (and perform kid-duty, if required). If you have additional support (sounds like a military recon, doesn’t it?) have somebody assigned to organization. This is very important to your sales.
- The Organization person should be keeping your sale looking good. Think of your yard sale like a clothing store. Make your shelves and tables look sharp. Keep moving items closer to the customers when stuff gets pushed to the back of the tables. Make sure clothes are spaced on your lines, and not falling off of hangers. Check to see that your items are not getting mixed in with other categories of items. Make sure toys are not on the ground where people can trip on them. Make sure that stacked items are not going to tip over and that your aisles are spaced correctly.
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