First – Set a date for the sale a couple of weeks out (it takes time to set up a good sale). Do not schedule a sale the weekend of a holiday (i.e. Memorial Day, Labor Day, etc.) as people normally have family plans and don’t do a lot of shopping. Also remember a lot of people get paid around the 1st and 15th of each month, try to schedule accordingly to get the most bang for their bucks.
Second – Start by going room to room with plastic bins or boxes. Start putting items in the bin you wish to get rid of. When it doubt, get it out.
As a guide to getting rid of an item ask you self these questions to help you make a decision:
Do I like it? Is it an acquaintance? Am I dating it? Have I used it in the last six months? = REALLY consider getting rid of the item.
Do I love it? Is it a friend? Am I married to it? Have I used it within the last few weeks to a month or so? = KEEP this item.
Do I hate it? Is it an enemy? Am I divorced to it? Have I used it within the last year? = No doubt, it is ready to go.
As you are going room to room, you’ll need to have a staging area in which to keep all the items you wish to get rid of. Most often, the garage makes the most sense since that is where the sale will be located.
While picking through them items to sell, make sure you wipe them down BEFORE putting them in the bin/box (nobody wants to buy anything dirty which requires cleaning). I also recommend pricing the item at that time (use masking tape or painter’s tape as it is easy to remove with a Sharpie marker). Don’t bother with the stickers you can get at an office supply store as they are often hard to remove from the item and the point is to make it easy for the customer.
Third – Figure out how you are going to set-up your sale. If you don’t have enough tables, check to see if you can get tables from friends, your church, or a local Professional Organizer (who might be able to help you set up your sale)? Having items on tables makes it easier for the customers than tossing them on a blanket on the ground and making people bend down to look at an item.
If possible, clear out your garage and try to have tables set up inside your garage (cover with plastic or fabric if possible). You can go to a party store and get really cheap plastic table covers for just a few dollars, also check your local dollar store as they often carry table covers. Place sheets or fabric over your personal items you don’t want to sell (you can always get cheap sheets at Goodwill or the Salvation Army). Place furniture and large items in your drive way so they stand out to people driving by your location. If you can buy or rent a canopy tent for the day I recommend it to cover some of the outdoor items, especially if you live in an area prone to rain.
Fourth – Pricing! This is the tricky part. You don’t want to price too high, but you can price it a little higher than what you want (not too high, just by a few dollars depending on the amount of the item) and then put up signs that prices are negotiable. People love to haggle over items, so indulge them. Remember, some money is better than no money and your goal is to get money and get rid of stuff. You need to remove “it cost me…” mind set and remember the goal is to get the item out of your home and to get something for it. Never price lower than .25 or .50 cents. Don’t mess with dime, nickel or penny pricing (unless someone wants to pay you with those). I always recommend having a $1.00 bin/table, a .50 cent bin/table and a freebie bin marked one per customer (which is great if you have small kid toys like kid meal toys). If the parents will let their children have one, the children will be ecstatic and make sure each child in the family get’s something (if there is something they are interested in).
When it comes to pricing, try to stay with-in the guidelines of fair market value from the Salvation Army (http://www.salvationarmysouth.org/valueguide.htm) (which shows a low to high market value). Granted, if you have a pair of $200 cowboy boots, you may want to sell them at $60 instead of $6.00 (this is where common sense comes in to play), but remember, be sure to price them at a price to move the item and remember, people will try to talk you down, so be ready to sell them for $40 of $50 just to get them gone!
The day before, go to the bank and get $170 in change to divide between two people. Get the following:
$20.00 in quarters
$50.00 in $1.00 bills
$20.00 in $5.00 bills
$40.00 in $10.00 bills
$40.00 in $20.00 bills
Never try to do a sale by yourself. It simply can be too overwhelming and you should have one person to monitor customers (because, yes some people do try to steal), and one to take the money. Then you two can trade off duties when things get slow. Also, having two people working helps when you get really busy as no customer should be ignored.
Instead of having a money box, I recommend going to a hardware store and getting a two pocket utility belt for a couple of dollars so you can keep the money on you. If you get large bills, remove them and store them in a secure location as soon as possible. Also, be ready with a calculator for each person to make sure you don’t get short changed (for you or the customer).
Fifth - Put like items together (i.e., kitchen items, bathroom items, books, electronics, etc.). Remember to have an extension cord ready for people to try electronic items and if necessary for stereo equipment, have the appropriate cables ready (if not set up) before the sale begins. People want to know an item works before buying it. Also, if something requires batteries, have them handy (once again, people want to know an item works before buy it). Then, keep a tape measure handy for large items (you may have to measure to see if it will fit in someone’s vehicle).
Sixth – Assist your customers after a purchase. Weeks/months before your sale, start saving plastic and paper bags, as well as boxes. If you have breakable items, make sure you have bubble wrap or packing peanuts to make sure the items make it to their new home in one piece.
Seventh – Signage to bring in the customers. If you have a yearly sale I recommend making signs you can laminate (so you can use them year after year). You can purchase the standard garage sale sign with a stand, and then get some NEON poster board to cover the original sign. Take time to make brightly colored SALE signs on your computer…add some brightly colored graphics. Make sure you have your address and the date(s)/time of the sale posted in large letters. Also, don’t forget arrows pointing the way to your location. Then once you laminate the poster board, cut the bottom to fit over the purchased signs and then tape up the bottom so moisture doesn’t get in (see samples signs). ALWAYS be sure to check your city ordinances to make sure you can put signs up.
Eighth – Advertisement to get the word out. You can put a simple add in the local paper and I highly recommend putting a posting on your local http://craigslist.com/ with a listing of all your big ticket items (to include pictures). Then go to http://gsalr.com/ and http://tagsellit.com/ to post your sale.
Ninth – Once the sale ends and you still have some items left over, start making a list of items to take to a donation site. E-mail me at connie@anewbeginningorganizing.com if you want a modified Salvation Army tracking log for your donation items.. Simply write down the number of items you have, the price you think they are worth and a total. This way when you take your denotation to the drop off center, all you need to do is get a receipt and staple it to your spreadsheet and you are ready for tax season. In regards to clothing donations, if you have any women’s clothes (professional or casual), check http://www.dressforsuccess.org/dfs_affiliates.aspx to see if you have a Dress for Success in your local area. It’s a great charity and they need clothing to help women who are down on their luck…donate and make a difference.
If you live in the Portland Metro area and need help with a sale, please feel free to call me at 503.481.0779. Also, if you have a tip which has helped you with your sales, please feel free to leave feedback, as I would love to incorporate new ideas in to my “sale tool kit.” Best of luck and happy selling!
