Five Steps to a Killer Garage Sale

Follow these steps to offload your treasures, encourage reuse, and maximize your profits

Every time I went into the garage, they were staring me down. My grandfather’s golf clubs, my kids'sleeping bags, the electric lawn mower for the pre-drought front lawn, and the bike rack for a car I no longer own – all were silent reminders that I was accumulating way too much stuff. Now that my twins are permanently out of the house and off the family payroll, the empty – but cluttered – nest needed purging. It was time for that American rite of passage: the garage sale.

According to statisticbrain.com, 165,000 garage sales are held each week in the U.S. Total weekly revenue from garage sales is $4,222,375. Should you decide to undertake this labor-intensive endeavor, these five steps will ensure success – whether that’s pocketing some cash, decluttering your home, or keeping items out of landfill.

Mark Your Calendar

Pick a Saturday and a start time. It is a well-known fact that the professional shoppers will show up exactly an hour before your advertised start time. So unless you enjoy getting up at zero dark thirty, start the sale no earlier than 9:00 am.

Advertise, Advertise, Advertise

Start with the free channels like craigslist, NextDoor, and Facebook. I put a flyer in my neighbors’ mailboxes and posted neon green signs at seven intersections near my house. Paid options include local newspapers (remember those?) that survive on advertising alone. I paid $25 for an online classified ad that ran Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Prep the Merchandise

Do not underestimate how long it will take you to clean, sort, and repair items for sale. Many items in my garage had ten years of dust on them that required significant cleaning after I removed them from the archeological dig. Presentation is important.

The Price is Right

I stressed for days about prices until I consulted my friend Stacy, a veteran garage saler. “Don’t put price tags on anything,” she advised. Have some prices in mind, but wait until the moment you hear “how much do you want for these sawhorses?” Then just go with your gut and say a price. Remember, your goal is to get rid of this stuff, not make an extra $50. Oh, and have plenty of small bills on hand for change.

A Little Salesmanship Goes a Long Way

My boyfriend was the unofficial busker who convinced the looky-loos that they really needed the bookshelf AND the dresser; they just didn’t know it yet.

I’m happy to report that at my recent garage sale, I sold everything and cleared $250. More importantly, I met some new neighbors gave many families some rock-bottom deals, and did my part to reduce-reuse-recycle. It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood.