A yard sale’s a smart way to declutter and make money. Check out these tips from experienced yard sale ninjas.
Make it a team effort. Generally, more shoppers are drawn in by multi-family or neighborhood yard sales. It also makes the event more fun, and your fellow sellers can cover for you if you need a break.
Prepare your inventory. Popular items include power tools, sports equipment, gaming systems, children’s clothes and toys. Mention these in your pre-sale ads (more about those later) and put a few of them near the street. You can also simplify visitor browsing by setting up and/or borrowing tables and portable clothes racks.
Be realistic with pricing. Unless it’s rare and/or collectible, it’s best to price items at around ½ to ⅓ of its original price. (Ask yourself what you would be willing to pay as a yard sale shopper.) Be sure to price everything, as many people won’t ask what something costs. You can bump some prices up slightly if you enjoy haggling or are unsure about an item’s current value.
Get the word out. Sites like Craigslist, Nextdoor and Facebook Marketplace are good places to advertise, but don’t stop there. Veteran yard sale shoppers visit sites such as yardsalesearch.com, garagesalestracker.com and garagesalefinder.com. And don’t forget to put up some colorful, easy-to-read signs at the intersections near you.
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