Josh Elledge - Chief Executive Angel
There's something about spring that just makes us want to clean up and clean out. Before you just start tossing unwanted items into the trash, set things aside for a yard sale instead. A yard sale can be a lot of work – for sometimes not a lot of profit. But employing these tips will help to maximize your intake – and the unneeded items out-go.
1.) Don’t write a price on every item. Use colored stickers to represent specific price points, such as all pink are 25 cents, all green are 50 cents, and so forth. Slap them on quickly to save time. Then simply hang signs so shoppers know what the prices are.
2.) Organize like items together. Place kitchen items together, divide clothing by size and gender, put toys in one place. Much of the time, yard sale goers are looking for specific things. Organized tables help shoppers zero in on areas they are interested in. Cluttered tables only frustrate people, making them give up and leave with their money.
3.) Keep prices reasonable. Remember, this is a yard sale, not retail. Good prices keep people looking – high prices make them walk away.
4.) Use plenty of table space. Overcrowded tables make it hard to look. The easier it is to see what you have, the more likely people are to find something they want.
5.) Get things up off the ground. Stooping and digging through boxes or piles on tarps make shopping difficult and takes too long. When items are easy to see and comfortable to look over, people will shop more.
6.) Offer little extras. Yard sale shoppers are always thinking of the next sale. But if you offer things such as coffee, bottled water, even hot dogs – they are more likely to linger. Don’t try to make big bucks on these things. Have low prices. The idea is to keep people browsing your sale and not rushing away. (A side note: Be sure to follow any local health department ordinances when offering food.)
7.) Use unit pricing. To get rid of more small items, employ unit pricing: such as 10 juice glasses for $1.50; pick five small toys from this box for 25 cents; and so forth.
8.) Sell anything. It is amazing what someone else can find useful. Go through every drawer, cupboard, and closet in your entire house. As long as it’s in acceptable condition, someone is likely to want it. (It is, however, unsanitary to sell partially used cosmetics, lotions, and the like. Toss those in the trash.)
9.) Keep it comfortable. Set up a comfortable layout, with plenty of space to move around. Avoid playing music that’s too loud or potentially offensive; if someone in your house smokes, have them take a break away from the sale; keep pets inside or in the backyard. A comfortable environment means more sales and more money in your pocket.
10.) Go BOGO or 50% off. On your last day, around 11 AM, change up your pricing structure. Starting a buy one, get one free offer will move more items; 50% off will cause people to look harder for a good bargain. Either style means more money, and less leftovers.
11.) Have fun and be friendly. Shoppers will feel more comfortable if you maintain a friendly, welcoming atmosphere. Smile and say hello, thank people for stopping by, and avoid becoming so engrossed in a conversation or using your phone, that someone cannot get help, ask a question – or worse, be able to easily pay you for an item.
12.) Be willing to negotiate. Everyone loves a great deal – so be willing to be the deal-giver. Coming down on your price can be the difference between keeping your items – or having cash in your pocket.
13.) Put the good stuff up front. Use nicer or larger items to entice people to stop and look. Arrange items that are in rougher shape to be the secondary items people see. If you have too many items that look junky and beat-up where people’s first impressions fall, they’ll turn around and leave.
14.) Start early and stay open late. After all the work you’ve put into getting ready, you want to sell as much as you can. So plan to be open as many days as possible, and for as long as possible. Some people can only yard sale on their way to work; some can’t until after work. Be sure to let people know your hours on your signs.
