Spring is in the air and that means cherry blossoms are blooming and yard sale signs are popping up on every street corner!
If you have a box (or two) of things to sell and you want to host a yard sale then this list of hints is for you.
If you are not planning a sale no problem you can skip reading this. But stay tuned because next week I’ll send you steps to makeover your to-do list.
So back to the sale situation. Right now, put a date on your calendar. Without a date – or deadline- the chances of this happening are slim.
Okay now that you have a date here are ten hints to make it successful:
- Make your pricing guide super simple. Use colored table clothes from the dollar store. Like yellow, red, and blue. Put items on the colors and have a poster board stating the blue table is this price and the yellow table is this price. You can easily slash prices by marking the board down throughout the day.
- Saturday is the best day and one day sales make good money since most people assume the junk will be leftover on day two and they will really want a deal on leftovers.
- Set aside a collection of items and make a sign that reads, “free-with-purchase.” Everyone loves to get something for nothing. By having a “free” table you can make signs that read “free-stuff” and bring in a lot more traffic.
- To entice buyers to stay around a little longer, offer popcorn and lemonade. The longer shoppers browse the more stuff they’ll find to buy. Have coloring books and paper and crayons to keep children busy while the parents shop. And play music – stores do it – why? To entice us to spend more money.
- Make items look new and shiny! Run a towel with Amoral or another polishing cream over plastic items to make them shine. Place new batteries in battery-operated items. Plug in electrical items and put out a mirror near the clothing section.
- Set up shop by grouping items together and make a little sign with a suggestion. For example, tie a few board games together and add the popcorn maker then place a sign that says, “family game night.” Take a picnic basket with a throw blanket and a cutting board then make a sign that reads “great for a day at the park.”
- Look for manuals and instruction books that go with sellables like the toaster or a toy. A complete set will bring in more money.
- The day of display key items near the curb, think golf clubs, workout gear and power tools. You want to catch the eye of everyone in the car driving by so they will be more likely to stop and browse.
- Help is a good idea. If you don’t have any help consider hiring a local teen who typically babysits or does snow removal. That way you can have help with set-up, break-down, sales and watching you home during the sale to make sure no one enters your home.
- Actually have the sale! Plan one with the neighbors or friends; the larger the sale, the more people you will attract. Plus, you can divide the work while holding each other accountable.
Advertising Ideas:
- Posters are good but keep them SIMPLE an arrow with the address date time and list a few key categories.
- Online works – let your Facebook friends know.
- Also, think of where you can find your target market – for example – selling lots of kid’s stuff? Drop a flyer at the local pediatrician’s office.
- gsalr.com lets you create a post
- CraigsList allows you to post there are sell under moving and selling
Wishing you a wildly successful sale!