Thursday, May 15, 2014

Top 10 Yard Sale Tips & Tricks



#1-Make it Multi-Family
Call your neighbors, friends or family and see if they have any junk treasures that they want to join with yours!  It's easy to keep track of what things belong to who by using colored dots as price tags!  Each family gets a color that is only theirs.  When advertising make sure to include the words "Multi-family" in the title, it really makes your sale more attractive and appealing to shoppers! 
#2-Grab Bags for 25 cents
You know all the kids meal toys you have laying around?  All the vending machine trinkets?  Put a hand full in a baggie and toss them in a basket for 25 cents a bag!  Make sure the baggie is clear so that kids can see what is in them, and make sure they aren't broken or anything.  My mom did this trick when we were growing up and it was always a huge hit.  They were surprisingly one of the first things to go at every garage sale, and many times someone would buy the whole basket with the intention of using them as treat bag favors for a kids birthday party!!  
#3-Get your checkout table organized!
People don't want to stand around waiting for you to figure out how much they owe, how much change they should get back, or where you even put the change for that matter!  Get it organized before the sale starts, and put 1-2 people in charge of that table.  Have a box for money/change, anything that has a lid and is not clear. A shoe box is good!  Also if you are having a mulit-family yard sale, have a piece of paper and a pen and as people check out have 1 person in charge of jotting down the color of dot and the amount of the item sold.  That way someone doesn't have to wait as you scratch and scrape a sticker off, and you know exactly how much each family made at the end of the day.  Just make sure that if you've gone down on a price that the written price matches that!!
#4-Man your table!
While we're on the check out table, make sure someone is at that table constantly!  I have heard of more than one yard sale getting some cash stolen because someone walked away from the money box to help someone or answer a question.  Make sure you give someone the job and a chair to stay at that table continually!!  If someone asks a question let them direct them to another helper.
#5-Look and pray for grace opportunities
Sometimes people will try to haggle and get something for nothing.  I know.  But sometimes someone would really benefit from something you have and they honestly don't have the money for it, something you have could really bless someone else.  Take that opportunity to show them the love of Christ and bless them.  Knowing that they may or may not be lying to you about what they can pay, if you feel led to help someone do it regardless of their integrity or lack thereof.  God knows your heart and blesses your intentions either way.  That's all that matters.  Also we always have a rule that after the sale is over, nothing goes back inside.  We load ours up and take it to womens shelter donation site, find places in your community that would benefit.
#6-Start a Going out of Business Sale 
About an hour before the yard sale is set to wrap up, begin a going out of business sale! You've most likely already made the biggest sales you're going to, so now whatever you can get on what is left is great!  Either take 50% off everything or even say make me an offer!!  Everything you get $1 for is more than you will at the end of the hour when you haul it all back inside.
#7-Sack it
The weeks leading up to the yard sale stash away your plastic grocery sacks and save them.  This will help out a lot when people buy multiple things or have small items, or even can wrap breakable items in the sacks.
#8-Signs sell
You may think that your signs don't matter that much, but they really do!  I tried to make really cute signs at the last yard sale we did, and I had more people tell me how cute they were and how they had to come check it out after they saw the signs.  
#9-Social Media
Facebook is a great free advertiser!  Let your local friends and fam knows you've got a sale going!  (Safety first--you can make this private to people you don't know and don't want blabbing your address too.  Or have people private message you for an address if they're interested)
#10-Plan your Spending
You may not make a ton of money, but you can make quite a bit!  Make a plan for how you're going to spend your money before you make it.  Something fun?  Or pay off a bill? Either way plan it before you earn it so you don't accidentally spend it.  It can go pretty quickly!

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