1. MARK YOUR ITEMS YEAR ROUND
I'm sure some of you are already going WHAT!?! But think about it, we all sort through things throughout the year. Whether it be your child's closet, that junk drawer in the kitchen or even movies that have been converted to online streaming ~ I'm constantly finding things that I no longer need, use or fit that would be perfect for our sale. So I keep a tote in the closet and for example, whenever Miss B comes to me with a pair of pants that no longer fit her ever growing little body ~ I put them in the tote. Then once that tote is full, I take everything out and mark it for the sale. The tote gets labeled "Garage Sale ~ Marked" and taken to the corner of our garage. Then another empty one takes it's place. Not only does this marking process only take a few minutes, but it saves you time when you are getting ready to set up for your sale. Because most everything is already tagged!!!!
2. PRICE EVERYTHING
I know this sounds like a no brainer, but how often have you gone to a sale and found something without a tag on it?? The chances of people asking you for a price is pretty slim. Not only do they feel awkward asking, but you are then forced to make a quick decision as to what you feel that item is worth. The majority of people shopping at your sale will put the item back if they do not see a price tag on it, thus you losing the sale. If it caught their eye enough for them to pick it up, chances are if it were marked ~ it could have sold. Not to mention if you are having a multi-family sale (as we often do), it's the only way to know whose item it whose.
3. CLEAN UP FOR CLASS (AND CASH) :)
I never put anything out with a stain, rip or tear in it. I wash the glassware, wipe down the toys, and check to make sure all the pieces are included in a set... this includes board games, puzzles, sets of toys, etc. I then write COMPLETE on the tag. I have found people are more apt to buy a game, if it has all the pieces included. I know I would. :) Another thing to clean up ... your garage. Even if that means sweeping the floor and using the Shop Vac to suck up the inevitable spider web in the corner... people are more likely to stop if your garage doesn't look like a hot mess. No one is saying that it needs to look "Pinterest Perfect", because frankly whose really does!?! But you'd be surprised what a quick sweep of the broom will do for "Garage Appeal". This also go for the toys ... I guarantee you that you will not only be able to price a toy higher that has been wiped down clean than one that still has that stuck on juice spill or dust from lack of use clinging to the edges. They are also more likely to sell as well. HOT TIP: Magic Eraser is your best friend!! I took my son's once WHITE tennis shoes, spent a few minutes wiping them down with a Magic Eraser and not only did they look almost brand new, but sold quite quickly! I was shocked!! So while, yes it may take a little more time to clean things up, it's well worth it when you see the difference it makes in making your sale a success.
4. MAKE EYE-CATCHING & CREATIVE DISPLAYS
I know this may sound silly, but when was the last time you went shopping and a unique display caught your eye ... resulting in you purchasing something you might have otherwise passed right on by?? I know I have! (Can we all say Target!) I used to just put things out on tables neatly and hope for the best. But over the years, I've learned that the more creative items are displayed, the more likely people are not only going to stop at your sale but most likely find something they like or need. REMEMBER: the key is to getting them to stop first and foremost! That's why I try and make my sale look as inviting as possible. We have had so many comments from people over the years how nice everything looks. Not only is that great to hear when you've put in the time & effort to get this sale ready, but it usually means more cash in your pocket.
This year my mom decided to purge her shoe closet. LOL! Ask her grand kids how many pairs of shoes she owns. :) Let's just say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree on that one either. So we came up with this cute way to display the "few" shoes that we had to sell along with the famous Cinderella quote "One Shoe Can Change Your Life". It was a huge hit!! A lot of shoes found new homes and maybe even changed a few lives. :) You just never know...
5. GROUP LIKE ITEMS TOGETHER
I've been doing this for many years but this past sale I thought I would try it a little differently. I've always put all the books together, the toys together, the housewares, etc. It looked neat and organized but sometimes I felt like things were still getting overlooked. So I decided to try taking themed items & put them together. For example, if it was Barbie ~ regardless of what it was, it went together. I even took a few stuffed horses that were Miss B's & put them with books about horses & did the same with Dinosaurs, X-men, Disney, etc. I was amazed at the things that were getting passed by previously, were selling!!! LIGHT BULB!!! If my son or daughter was into a certain theme, finding a "section" for that particular theme was perfect. One stop shopping!!
6. LABEL, LABEL, LABEL!
This goes along with a lot of the above tips, but you would be amazed at the people who thanked us for doing this. It made their experience easier and more efficient. Especially when it comes to kid's clothes. This way each size was grouped together and people didn't have to dig through a pile of clothes to find the one they were looking for. If you haven't figured it out yet, I try to set my sale up as if someone was walking into a store. We are not going to go sifting through a rack marked large if we are looking for a size small. I tried to replicate that. Let's face it, a lot of people that come to sales are parents (often with their children in tow). It's easier for them to go directly to their child's size and look quickly, often finding a few items before said child is done shopping and ready to go.
It also worked great for grandparents! I know from experience with my kids that if they are into, for example ~ Transformers, my mom may have no clue that that really cool semi-truck on the table was a Transformer. (No offense Mom) But if it's labeled then they would say "Hey, my Grandson loves these!" And usually after a quick call to mom, grab that AWESOME toy hence making them the COOLEST GRANDMA around!!
It also works for off-season things like winter coats and hats. Now no one in their right mind is thinking about scarves and hats when it's 90+ degrees outside, but with a little sign reminding them that winter is eventually on it's way ~ they may decide to stock up on garage sale bargains before that first snowfall hits. The below tote was full when we opened, but at the end of the sale only a few pieces were left. Proof that a sign inviting a little forward thinking does the trick!
7. SET THE MOOD
Play music in the background at the very least. People like a little white noise. OR if you happen to have a small TV that is mobile (we have an old non-flat screen TV/DVD combo player), bring it out. Pop in a kid friendly DVD and VOILA ... instant entertainment. Thus giving the kids something to do while family members look around your sale. We have done this for 2 years now & it has worked wonders!!!
HOT TIP: What do you do with all those Happy Meal toys that no longer get played with, small, random kid friendly items that are new but never used (notebooks, mini packs of crayons, slap bracelets, squishies, etc) ??? Make a grab bag of said goodies and tie them up with a little curly ribbon. Mystery Grab Bags!! Not only is it a great way to get rid of some of those odd but in great condition items, but the kids are beyond excited to see what fun new toys are in their bags!! NOTE: Yes, these do take a little time to put together. However, like the tote in my closet ~ I keep a box that I put these items in throughout the year. Then close to the time of the sale... I sit down, turn on a Netflix movie and put together the bags. I have never had less than 30 bags & have sold out every year. That's $30! We usually spend that to watch a movie, not make it. :)
8. ACCEPT DEBIT AND CREDIT CARDS
Don't be scared, but this has definitely increased our sales in the last couple of years. A lot of people don't always carry cash anymore, even when going to garage sales. OR they only have a certain amount of cash with them, thus limiting what they can purchase. Accepting debit/credit cards is another way to make shopping easier for people. It's a simple process to set up a PayPal account ahead of time. Then purchase a PayPal card reader for roughly $15. It plugs into your tablet or phone jack. You download the PayPal Here app which links it to your PayPal account. When you first link the device, you receive a credit of $15 in your PayPal account thus essentially making the device free. When someone makes a purchase, you open the app & enter in the amount ~ swipe their card, and then have them sign on the screen as directed. It will then give them the option of a receipt via email or text. And that's it! The money goes directly into your PayPal account, to be transferred to your bank account at a later time. Please note: PayPal does take a very small percentage of each purchase (2.7%), but we have never found it to be a big deal in the grand scheme of our profits. I highly recommend this safe and secure option, especially if you have high dollar amount items.
9. ADVERTISE!!!
This is also a no brainer, but the more you get the word out ~ the more people will come to your sale. Obviously, signs are a must. I've learn that if they all match in a bright color, this is a huge plus. We put one at all the major intersections around our neighborhood, with an arrow pointing people in the right direction. Since they all match, it's easy for people to just follow the arrows leading them to our sale. Craigslist is another great spot to advertise, as well as Facebook, swap sites, etc. I steer clear of the newspaper anymore. Simply because with all these options for FREE advertising, I prefer not to pay to post an ad thus cutting into our profits. This is, however, a personal choice.
10. BE WELCOMING AND KIND
"A simple smile can brighten someone's entire day"
This is not something I do to increase sales, but to make people feel comfortable and welcome. They chose to stop at your sale, look around, and possibly make a purchase. The very least you can do is smile and say Hi! I also make sure to thank them as they are leaving, whether they found anything they liked or not. It's a small gesture that can go a very long way in someone's day.
HOT TIP: If you have children who want to help out during the sale, a lemonade stand is forever a great idea! Not only does it help teach them the concept of money and counting back change, but they are just so stinkin' cute! Miss B loves to do this!! She's sold both cookies and muffins in the past along with delicious lemonade. :) Her signs are her own design and the profits are all hers to keep. She looks forward to this "project" every year.
I hope this helps in giving you some ideas on how to increase the sales at your next garage sale. One last tip, it's always more fun to do it with a friend or two. For me, it's a great way to have some extra bonding time with one of my favorite people . . . my mom. :)
XOXO
N
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