In honor of National Garage Sale Day on August 13th, we wanted to share a few tips and tricks that can help you make the most out of your clean-out. Especially right before the start of a new school year, it’s so important to make sure that both you and your home are as organized and ready as possible. What better way to do that than with a garage sale?
Here are five useful tips that you can use in your preparation.
- Price items as you gather them, not all at once
Avoid day-of hassle by assigning prices as you go. That way, not only do you save yourself time, but you’re able to ensure that each item gets the appropriate amount of attention required. In terms of pricing, you can use color coded stickers or cheap labels to indicate the cost of each item.
- Advertise your garage sale strategically, taking advantage of both physical and digital opportunities.
Although traditional yard signs are great, we have so many more advertising tools at our disposal thanks to the Internet. Thus, if you have the ability, consider also putting listings around on any local forums you may have, such as Nextdoor, CraigsList, or Facebook Marketplace. Try and put these advertisements out around 2-3 days before your sale, which is just enough time to make people aware without allowing them time to easily forget.
- Prepare digital tools, such as a credit card reader and a WiFi hotspot.
Speaking of modernization, although you can easily do a cash-only sale, it’s proven that accepting credit cards can significantly boost sales. To ensure no shopper is unable to pay, consider getting a card reader or accepting electronic transfer via Venmo or PayPal. When using these methods, it’s also best to consider hosting a WiFi hotspot in case you live in an area with poor service, or in case of emergencies. Hotspots can be hosted via existing personal devices or bought on their own.
- Set up the day before to avoid stress the morning of.
With so much to prepare, try and do the best you can to do as much of it in advance. Tables can be set up and stored inside the garage, necessary items such as calculators and bags can be set aside, and tarps can be used to cover things in the situation that they need to sit outside. The better prepared you are, the more smoothly the sale will run.
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
As much as they are chances for money-making, garage sales can and should be used as a chance for you to de-clutter your space. Home organization is tricky, especially for those of us who may have a lot of stuff and potentially a lot of connection to our stuff. We at Silver Linings specialize in organization, and would love to assist if you’re trying to determine what to keep and what to get rid of.