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Making Money At Garage Sales, Swap Meets And Flea Markets
OVERVIEW
On almost any given weekend across the country,
someone is holding a garage sale, attending a swap meet or
setting up a booth at a flea market. The quote "someone’s
junk is someone else’s treasure" makes these events both
plausible and plentiful.
Most of us are accumulators. We pack what we can
into our house without regularly taking inventory until
it’s busting at the seams. Then it’s time to decide what
to keep, what to throw out and, more importantly, what to
sell.
So many people spend their weekends out looking for
bargains at these types of events that there are plenty of
opportunities to make money. Much of it will be clear
profit since there is virtually no overhead costs involved;
certainly not the same as a retail shop.
Your first garage sale can be to clean out your
"junk". Your subsequent sales can be with items you pick
up at bargain prices at flea markets, swap meets and
auctions, which you then turn around and sell out of your
own garage. You can still give someone a bargain and make
a profit on the merchandise turnover.
Why not you? If you’ve ever had a garage sale, you
must have realized the potential involved. All of these
customers coming to you simply because you put a small
advertisement in the newspaper. People coming for all
kinds of reasons: a day out, a specific objective, or
someone who likes browsing in search of that little unknown
gem that might appeal.
What do people look for? Almost anything! Clothes,
books, art, old records, furniture, pots and pans, a
fishing pole, you name it! Most people will buy at least
one thing. They have that shopping itch! They want to be
able to tell someone about the bargain they found! Garage
sales are full of surprises for these people. It’s not
like going down to a K-Mart or Sears where you know what
the merchandise is and where it’s located. Something that
would be of no interest to you can be someone else’s hobby!
As you get to be a garage sale expert, you will end
up going around to these sales and acquiring great deals
which you can turn around and sell at a profit. If someone
needs cash, there may be tremendous deals out there on the
tables. Or if someone is moving and wants to get rid of
whatever they don’t wish to move -- means a great
opportunity to pick up something great without spending
much cash yourself.
How much money you can earn at your garage sales
depends on the inventory and the customer traffic. The
variety of goods you have will make your sale more
attractive, especially if you start having them on a
regular basis. If you’re preparing for one and cleaning
out the house, you will likely stumble upon items that you
might not have known you had -- some of them almost brand
new!
If it’s stored in your attic, basement or other
storage space and you haven’t seen it for years -- never
mind used it -- it’s a good candidate for sale. Some
people have wedding gifts they’ve never used -- duplicates
or whatever -- and they forget they even have it.
It’s not only the hidden stuff, though. Items in
plain sight that are taking up room, have taken on a
familiarity so that you may not even see it any more. It
may be a lamp you never turn on since you installed a
ceiling fan with a light. It may be a chair you never sit
in. It may be clothes at the back of the closet that you
know don’t fit any longer.
You’re ready! You’re in the right frame of mind for
this task, so let’s set up your garage sale.
MAKING MONEY AT GARAGE SALES
Introduction
The lamp, chair and clothes we’ve just discussed are
now items to be marked. Get out a pad of paper and pen and
start going through your rooms. Begin where you feel most
comfortable. The kitchen, the bedroom, the den --
wherever! You choose!
Once you pick out your room, go through it
thoroughly. Check every corner of the closet, the cabinet,
the shelves. Evaluate everything honestly. Try not to
over-sentimentalize or you’ll end up keeping more than you
need. Emotionally detach yourself from as many items as
you can.
When listing your inventory, write everything down
and make a note next to it like Must go! or Takes up too
much room! or Can’t part with! These notes will reflect
your initial reaction to the merchandise which you can
refer to later if you question why a certain item is out on
the table for sale.
Everyone has gifts they received they never used.
While they appreciated the thought, the item just wasn’t
them, so the gift was kept and never used. Brand new items
appear all the time at garage sales and can be priced a
little higher than the usual second-hand stuff. It will
still be a bargain -- and clear profit for you.
Clothes that don’t fit or are out of style; couches
that are worn, linens that belonged to the kids who no
longer live at home -- garage sale items are everywhere!
Don’t forget the garage itself! Old tools, tires,
lumber, rope -- all items that someone may buy! If you
have a backyard shed -- check it out! Put the ladder up
and get into the crawlspace! Look through the barn! Any
part of the house and its various extensions are fair game.
It may be a bit wearisome trudging through the entire
house, listing items, but don’t think about the current
tasks. Think instead about the money can be earned from
this work! Think of it as your regular job now.
Setting Up
You’ve been everywhere and made your entire list.
Now it’s a question of preparing these goods for the sale.
The greater the assortment of goods, the more likely
you’ll turn a healthy profit. But just having the goods to
sell is not the only ticket to big cash! How you lay them
out on display can play as important a role as the items
you have in realizing a good money day.
Organization! Organization! Organization!
This is your key to a successful set-up for your
garage sale. Items that are thrown together on a table
aren’t going to be as attractive to customers as those that
are diligently laid out with a certain order to it.
For example, your front tables should have some eye-
catching, good value pieces on them. These are the items
that will bring them in further. Clothes should be clean
and arranged in a colorful manner that looks attractive
from the street. If the clothes aren’t clean or arranged
fetchingly, the "drive-by" shoppers won’t even get out of
the car. If it doesn’t look good from their car windows,
they’ll go on to the next sale.
Jewelry should be kept together, preferably laid out
on a nice cloth (perhaps velvet) that will accent their
beauty and make them more pleasing to the eye. Lighting is
important here, too, as you’re trying to highlight the best
pieces. A gleam will do -- and that’s what a good
spotlight will do for you. You can even put the jewelry on
a swiveling piece to make it easier for people to study the
items and turn them around without significant handling.
It will also help you continually rotate it to feature your
best pieces up front.
Whatever tables you use -- yours, your neighbors,
your friends, your relatives, ones you rent -- make sure
you decorate them! There are plenty of colorful papers you
can buy to cover the tables. Paper tablecloths will do the
trick -- you can find those at a party store or even the
large discount chains. Tape them down or, better yet, put
thumbtacks around in several spots to keep the cloth in
place. Who knows? It could be a breezy day! Or someone
could pick up an item and half the cloth with it. So be
sure these are secured.
How do you know where to place your merchandise? How
can you be sure it will all fit correctly and as you want
it laid out?
The best way to find this out is to measure. First,
measure the width and length of your garage to see how much
overall space you have. Then, measure the tables you will
be using and list each one accordingly. Tables can be card
tables, picnic benches and table, ping-pong board across a
couple of cinder blocks -- whatever! Just be sure you
measure each piece!
Now, on a sheet of paper drawn to scale (see next
page) lay out your tables as they fit into your garage’s
width and length. Be sure to leave room for people to move
easily through to look at the items. You may want to plan
to put out a table or two into your driveway, but don’t
count on it. If the weather is bad, you’ll need to be sure
the garage can adequately handle all components.
Once you’ve drawn in the tables, now select the
places you want to place certain items. Begin labeling the
tables with assigned merchandise. Once you know where
everything is going, it will be easier to begin setting up
your garage for the sale. If you are going to get some
help setting up, you can give each helper a copy of the
layout with the assigned items per table. It will make it
easier for them to follow rather than having to stop and
ask you where a particular item goes.
If you intend to have coffee available at the garage
sale, be sure it is in a place where no one can trip over a
cord. You will also need to make an outlet available for
people who want to try out an appliance or other electrical
item to be sure it works. This is a good tip for you, too.
You don’t want any item out that doesn’t work -- without
some indication of it. You might still want to sell it to
someone who can fix it up -- but tell them up front -- and
charge lower accordingly.
Selection and Pricing
What items can be sold at the garage sale? Well ...
just about anything you can think of will be a candidate.
Here’s a list if you want to keep it to check against what
you have. This list is certainly not complete, but should
cover most of the items you might have.
Clothes Books
Radios Television
Hamper Toaster
Computer Tapedeck
Irons Magazines
Sports Equipment Pots & Pans
Dishes Records
Rocking chair Bicycle
Glasses Cassettes
Typewriter Bed or cot
Silverware Cds
Space heater Pictures
Pottery Fishing equipment
Alarm clocks Coffee pot
Pillows Tools
Tent Picture frames
End table Patio furniture
Playpen Skis
Tennis Racquet Drapery/rods
Musical instrumentDresser
Workbench Rulers
Art supplies Games
Croquet set Lawnmower
Leaf blower Plants
Electric drill Desk
Ice cream maker Jewelry
Screens Aquarium
Exercise bicycle Luggage
Crib Roller skates
Vacuum cleaner Paper/pens
Mixer Telescope
Calculator Chairs
Doll House Flatware
Record/Tape Wastebaskets
VCR Lamps
Sofas Loveseats
Saw Tires
Filing cabinets Card table
Mugs Blender
Christmas stuff Antiques
Posters Fireplace tools
Racquetball racq Candlesticks
Backpack Dehumidifier
Bedspreads Linens
Towels Perfume
Stuffed animals Toys
Knickknacks Barstools
Scuba gear Cameras
Swing set Hats
Ironing board Mattress
Gardening tools Baskets
Electric trains Bookcases
Dining table Car parts
Air conditioner Ice skates
Well, it’s a start. you’ll think of others as you
look around -- like that mirror or those bookends.
Everyone’s list is different -- and you may have items of
great value that don’t mean that much to you. Maybe it’s
an original work of art you can’t stand or a 1928 edition
of Oliver Twist that you’ve never read. Good items! If
you’re truly not going to use them, let someone else enjoy
their use!
Now that you’ve selected your items, how do you price
them? This is a key question. Many people price their
goods too high and are surprised when so much is left over.
One of the purposes of the garage sale is to get rid of
stuff, remember? What good is it if you priced items out
of reach for the everyday garage sale browsing?
What is a low price? There should be few items
over $10.00. The stuff you really want to sell should be
down under $2.00 depending on the item. One idea for you
is to have special tables marked as All Items On This Table
are $1.00. Other variations are 50 cent tables and even
$2.00 tables. People like these layouts. The can pick up
several items and only spend three or four dollars. People
that have kids along are prime targets for this. If you
have some stuffed animals or old toys, put them in a priced
to go mode, by having all items at one low price. This way
the child can get something that doesn’t cost mom or dad
much and may prompt the adult to focus on other items, too,
since they’ve already been treated to a bargain or two on
behalf of their kids.
Pricing garage sale items is kind of an art. The
big-ticket items like a $500 antique bookcase will not fit
into the $10.00 or less guideline obviously. That’s O.K.!
You can have a few higher priced items that serve as
anchors around the garage -- on the sides and in corners
where people won’t be handling them. You’ll find the
treasure seekers coming early on the first day to buy just
such items for their second-hand store. They can clean up
the item, nearly double the price and sell it in their
shop!
Specialized antiques or very high priced items might
be better sold through a local Pennysaver-type publication.
You can also bring them to a second-hand shop or an antique
store and offer them to the shop owner on a consignment
basis. The garage sale is intended for low prices on the
great majority of merchandise.
Here are some basic pricing rules to go by:
Clothing: Items that you display on a rack should be
priced from 50 cents up to $5.00 depending on the age,
wear, style, type and newness of the garment. Non-racked
items should be neatly arranged on a table and priced from
25 cents up to perhaps $3.00 for a sweater.
Appliances: If you have a number of items, like a
stove, washer/dryer, refrigerator or the like that you
don’t want to sell privately through advertisement, then
you should look in your local newspaper classifieds to see
what people are pricing these items to sell. This should
give you a reasonable range to choose from. Remember -- if
you really want to sell it -- price it low enough to
guarantee it to move. A few dollars less than you think
it’s worth is a smart move if it gets the item sold and out
of the house. The smaller items like a toaster oven or a
microwave you can price in a similar fashion or simply give
it a low price -- to move!
Electronics: If you have televisions, radios, record
players, VCRs, calculators, computers, typewriters, tape
players and items as such, if they are in good shape, you
can probably price them at a third of retail price to move
it. They should be cleaned up and in good condition. If
something is wrong, subtract dollars from your 1/3rd retail
starting point.
Books: Divide your collection up into paperbacks and
hardcovers. Paperbacks should be priced at 10 to 25 cents.
If you use 25 cents, offer 5 for $1.00, too. Hardcover
books can be priced at $1.00 each, except for the older,
valuable first editions. Do the same type of deal, such as
6 for $5.00 on the hardcovers. Many people come to garage
sales simply looking for books.
Records, etc.: First, assess your collection of LP
and .45s to see if you have any real valuables that
collectors may like. If you’re unsure, bring them to a
record store and ask the owner. Music people will likely
pay a better price for some of these. Otherwise, price
your .45s at a quarter or less and the records at $1.00 -
$2.00 each. Cassettes can go for $1.00 each or less. CD
discs can command a higher price, perhaps $3.00 each if in
good shape.
Linens: Towels, linens, tablecloths are normally
priced at $1.00 to $5.00 each. Rugs can be priced up to
$5.00 if in mint condition. Draperies depend on size and
condition and can run from $5.00 to $15.00 for a set. Find
out what new prices are for these items, judge the shape
your items are in, and price accordingly.
Knickknacks: Old souvenirs, vases, ash trays and
other novelties can go for $2.00 or less and look good
together on one table. It can be one of your All Items on
this Table are $1.00. These are the things that have been
collecting dust in the house for a number of years, or
taking up too much room, or that you won’t use again (you
bought it on vacation when it seemed like a great idea).
Price them to go -- the lower, the better. You don’t want
to see these items again!
Selection and pricing of the items are critical
tasks. But placing the items out in a certain order can
attract the customer, as we have previously mentioned.
First, clean the garage as best you can. You want
your storefront to be as neat as possible. This would
include mowing the grass, trimming the hedges, cleaning up
the yard, and even pressure-cleaning the driveway. If
you’re selling a tent, it’s best to set that up outside if
the weather cooperates. Other similar yard items can join
the tent on the lawn or in the driveway: tires, bicycles,
lawnmowers, wheelbarrows and similar items are too large to
lay out wisely in your garage. They’ll just take up too
much room! Line the items up on your lawn (or driveway) as
you’ll line up your merchandise inside: in rows, with
aisles for people to comfortably get around and examine the
merchandise.
Next, make sure you have enough room on your tables
to lay out your items so they can be seen. If items have
to be in a box, make it a fun box, with all items in the
carton at 25 cents. Well-displayed merchandise looks
cared-for, adding to its value in a shopper’s mind.
Clean and press clothes you’ll be hanging to sell.
Mark the sizes clearly so people can see them and won’t
have to search for tags. People won’t buy dirty clothes
and you don’t want to have to keep telling people the sizes
or the prices. Place this information in full view. Label
individual clothes with a piece of paper pinned to a sleeve
or a lapel.
For electronic items that you still have the original
boxes, place them in or next to the carton if there’s room.
The original box will list all of the features for you. If
you have the original instructions or owner’s manual,
include it. It could be the feature that cinches the deal.
If you have an unusual item that people might not
recognize for what it is, put a card next to it identifying
the piece, with it’s price. If there is something unique
about an item’s history, write a short narrative about it
and place it next to the item. Conversely, if there is a
negative thought such as a broken piece, note this on a
card and place it next to the damaged item. Honesty is
always the best policy. A good bargain is often found by
those who can fix goods and use them personally.
Use small circle-stickers to individually price
items. These are inexpensive and can be put right on the
item without a problem and, more importantly, can be
removed by the buyer easily and without damaging their
purchase.
Advertising
Selection, pricing and layout is only as good as the
number of people that come by to shop at your garage sale.
To attract customers, you must get the word out. One sign
at the top of your street will not bring in the folks that
will do a lot of buying.
First, you should check to see if your city requires
you to take out a garage sale permit to hold the event.
There is usually a fee and the permit is good for two or
three days. You can try and duck this requirement, but you
have to take the chance that someone in an official
capacity won’t come by to see if you’ve obtained the
permit. If so, you’ll pay a fine that could eat up most of
your garage sale profits. It’s not worth it! Get the
permit and then display it openly in your garage. This
looks impressive to your customers, too.
All the major daily newspapers and the local
community weekly publications have spaces set aside for
classified advertising. There is even a section separately
for Garage Sales. This is the first and best place to
advertise. Since many garage sales start on Friday or
Saturday, you will find the local garage sale experts up
early and buying the paper to check out where the sales are
being held. They will then arrange an orderly plan of
attack, geographically efficient, and go to work. Much of
this is done at 6:00 AM or earlier, so that by the time you
open your sale at 8:00 or 9:00 AM, a group of cars are
already assembled, passengers waiting to embark on their
treasure hunts.
While it costs money to place the advertisements,
it’s not much and well worth the value. Newspapers will
need some lead time, weeklys greater than dailys, so get
your advertisement prepared early. Some newspapers even
have garage sale kits that you can pick up with sample ads
and material you can use to make signs and price notices.
Your advertisement should be short, to the point and
give enough details to spark some interest. Begin with an
intriguing heading. Rather than simply say Garage Sale,
why not print Incredible Garage Sale or some similar
positive, enthusiastic description of your sale. Bargain
Hunter’s Paradise will probably turn the shoppers out.
Your address may be sufficient alone or you may have
to add a couple of words to pinpoint the location better,
like just off Central Avenue. Make it easy to find you!
If the shoppers can’t locate your house, the garage sale
will not go as well as hoped.
Give a specific time that you’ll be holding the sale.
Leaving out the time will have people knocking at your door
at 7:00 AM (those 6:00 AM planners, remember?). If you
intend to open at 8:00 AM, you might want to put 9:00 AM as
your advertised time. Otherwise, if you open up at 7:45 AM
to put items out, you’ll be greeted by the early-risers who
want to be there before everyone and you’ll find yourself
somewhat disorganized and dealing with customers before
you’re ready. Advertising at 9:00 AM means you can open
the doors at 8:00 AM, place your items outside and arrange
your tables for a good twenty to thirty minutes before the
early-birds show up.
You have a smart opener, your location and the times
of your sale. Now, you have to promote certain items that
you believe might get someone’s attention. If you have a
lot of antiques, say so. If you have a marvelous book
collection that you are unloading, write books in the ad.
Something like clothing, books, records, antiques,
furniture, unique items may fit the bill. It gives people
a general idea of what you have without being too wordy.
Words are money in an advertisement.
Finally, you should note whether you will hold the
sale in inclement weather. If not, indicate this to save
people the trouble of coming by if there is rain, snow,
sleet or hail.
The classified advertisement will bring most of the
traffic. But there are ways to pull in others who may not
have read or missed the ad you placed. These hand-planted
signs can do the job in helping people find your garage
sale -- those that were already coming and those who spot
your sign and spontaneously decide to come by.
If you live in the back of a development or several
streets off the main drag, you will need several signs to
use as both advertisers and directionals. These signs
should be LARGE and easy to see. Don’t go for the 8 1/2 X
11 sheet of paper nailed to a ruler. That won’t be easily
seen and will not stay up for long in any event. Think in
terms of 2 feet by 3 feet to make it a sign everyone can
see and read.
Use colorful, eye-appealing paper. Write Incredible
Garage Sale on top with the time, date(s) and address to
follow. Make the lettering large and easy to read. Put
arrows if directionals are indicated at the place you’ve
posted the sign. Staple the cardboard sign to a piece of
wood and nail it into the ground or put it up on a
telephone pole or street sign. Municipalities aren’t crazy
about sign hanging, but if you don’t abuse the privilege
and take down the signs immediately after the sale is over,
you’ll be fine.
You can even employ your children to walk up and down
a main thoroughfare advertising the event, carrying a
placard much as they would for a political candidate or if
they were on strike. The more noticeable the
advertisement, the more likely you’ll draw the curious.
Get your signs out early to advertise the day of the
sale. This is another reason to start at 9:00 AM instead
of 8:00 AM, so you’ll have time to get out and place them.
If you leave them out the night before, they may not be
there in the morning for any number of reasons from weather
to vandalism.
Make sure you have your directional arrows pointed in
the correct way. If drivers could come from either side,
have arrows on both sides of the sign. People make errors
on their directions all the time and it leads to frustrated
shoppers who will simply go on to the next sale.
Proper sign design takes some time, so don’t leave it
for the morning of the sale. You should only be placing
them around that day, not starting from the top. Do your
signs in the evenings leading up to the sale. It will be a
busy week, tagging items, setting up the tables, putting
merchandise on them, and sign-making, but it will be worth
the time and effort.
Your signs are going to be the shopper’s first
impression of you and, by extension, your goods for sale.
A favorable image, portrayed by a neat, easy to read,
colorful sign, will be in the shopper’s mind as they
approach your tables. They’ll be feeling positive -- and
that usually means a few sales for you!
You might consider putting up flyers about your
garage sale on bulletin boards in grocery stores,
Laundromats, church and your community centers. If you
work close by, you may be able to place a flyer on the
company bulletin board or even an ad in the company paper.
People know you and may want to swing by to see your sale!
In addition to avoiding municipal trouble, you should
retrieve your signs and flyers when done, since you may be
able to use them again for your next garage sale. It will
save you the costs of buying all of that material again.
A week or two before you plan to have your sale, you
might want to take a weekend and hit the garage sales
locally. You’re not out to buy, unless you see a deal you
couldn’t pass up. You’re out to learn. See how others set
up their sales. Notice what works and what doesn’t.
Listen to hear complements and complaints. How is
everything organized? Are the prices marked clearly? What
are the prices?
You should see some consistency in the pricing and
arrangements. At least you should get some ideas as to how
to arrange your garage sale. You’ll see mistakes to
avoid and find ideas that will work well for you. If an
attractive layout catches your eye, chances are it will
catch someone else’s eye when it’s your turn for the sale.
Other people may want to "go in" on the garage sale
with you. Your garage, their items. Decide yourself if
this is a good idea. You don’t want to turn done a friend
or relative if you have room, but if adding a few other
items of theirs will detract from your merchandise
arrangement, then be firm and tell them it’s not possible
to combine efforts this time. Set up another date when you
might have less stuff and, in combination with their items,
may do quite well at this later time.
You can also hold a "Friends Preview Sale" the night
or two before the sale is open to the public at large.
Invite a few friends over, have a few refreshments and then
turn them loose. You may earn a substantial amount of cash
just from this special advance sale. Make it friendly and
fun!
Bookkeeping
How do you know if you did well at your garage sale?
Good records are a sure bet to value your efforts. Simply
listing inventory, expenses and revenue will paint a
picture of your financial success. This would also be
critical if you are selling others merchandise in addition
to your own. You’ll have to track it separately. Label
the price tags with different colors or other codes like
prefixes (N- 25 cents) to identify properly the articles
that belong to the various sellers.
Keeping separate envelopes at your cashier’s stand
can help you organize the goods as they are sold. If you
have a couple of friends or relatives selling items, too,
simply pull off the tag at sale-time and place the coded
label in the appropriate envelope. For example, if you
have codes N, S and T to indicate pieces being sold on
behalf of three separate parties, all the N tags removed
would go in the N envelope; all the S tags in the S
envelope and all the T tags in the T envelope. You can
note each item on the outside of the envelope as it is
inserted and the tag placed in the envelope. Noting as
"candlestick - $2.00" will be a second way to check the
inside coded tags against the running totals on the
outside.
Maintaining a separate inventory list for each seller
is important, too. As time permits, you can cross off
items sold as you compare it to your specific envelope.
What’s not crossed off by the end of the day should still
be out on display. This way you can check it easily.
If you have to depend on memory, you and your
relationships with a friend or relative could be on shaky
ground. Better to have detailed, organized records,
especially if you intend for this to be a career for you.
Specializing in garage sales may mean you selling, on
consignment, a lot of items from other people. It’s best
to get your system down early on, and it will create trust
in the minds of your seller-clients.
Make sure you have plenty of change for your cash
box. Dimes and quarters should abound as well as one
dollar bills. Get fifty dollars in various quantities of
these three and keep a record of how much you initially
place in the cash box and of what denomination.
Should you take a check? That’s up to you, but it is
recommended that, without a driver’s license to record
information from on the back of the check, you shouldn’t
take it. Most of the time, a check will be for a higher
priced item(s) anyway and the person should have plenty of
identification for you to copy on the back of the check.
If you choose not to deal in checks, you could accept a
deposit to hold an item for a set time limit (three hours),
giving the person time to acquire the necessary cash to
complete the transaction.
There might be some people who offer you a figure you
believe to be too low for one of your higher priced items.
Don’t complete rule it out! See if the individual will
leave a name and phone number to contact in the event you
are not able to unload it for your price. That party may
still be interested at the end of the weekend and it’s
better to get something for your article as opposed to
keeping or otherwise disposing of it for nothing.
The art of negotiation is one best practiced. There
are people that are really good at it and others that
detest the entire process. This is the way goods have been
bought and sold in this country for much of our early
history and there is still some of that old "horse-trading"
going on today. While you wouldn’t be able to do this at
your grocery store check-out counter, it’s perfectly
acceptable procedure in a garage sale.
People are out for bargains. Part of the fun is to
see if they can get you down from the price you’ve listed
on your items. Expect it! Don’t be insulted! Get into
the game yourself! An item priced at $8.00 may bring an
offer of $6.00. Counteroffer with $7.00 and settle for
$6.50. Make the sale! People enjoy the bargaining process
and so should you if you want to specialize in garage
sales. When you go around to buy items that you can sell
at a profit later, negotiate. The lower the price you can
get, the better the chance to sell it at a good price
during your subsequent garage sale.
There are professionals out there to watch. These
are the folks that will make you an offer for the entire
inventory you have displayed. Or for a collection of
something. Or for all your glassware. Or for your
hardcover books. Be careful! You can often make far more
by holding out and continuing your garage sale rather than
settle for an offer to move the entire lot off your
property. If you are selling goods for others, you should
discuss this with them in advance. They may want you to
take a one-time offer for their articles. If so, it’s good
to know that in case the "pro" happens by.
Make money and move your inventory! That’s the
objective, no matter how it is accomplished. Keeping that
in mind will help you get through the negotiating that will
be a part of garage sale day.
The Sale
You’re ready. You’ve made your selections, priced
your goods, made your signs, advertised and the big day has
arrived. Hopefully, you’ll get a good day, weather-wise.
Everything is on the prescribed tables. The layout is well
thought out and designed to attract viewers -- and buyers!
You’ve put out your morning signs. You advertised
your sale an hour later than you’re prepared to handle it,
leaving plenty of time for last minute touches, or any
final plans you’ve overlooked. you may have forgotten to
label an entire table! Better to do it before the guests
arrive! That extra hour will help.
It won’t be an hour, either. The early birds will
begin cruising in 30 - 45 minutes ahead of schedule, but
that’s O.K.! You’re ready! The All Items 10 Cents boxes
are displayed in prime view -- one for the kids to browse
and the other for adults. This is the carrot that will
bring them in for the other items.
Do you want to put out refreshments? It’s not a bad
idea, but don’t overdo it! Coffee is fine in the morning,
iced tea in the afternoon. You can offer muffins, donuts
and other food, but it’s not necessary. If some of the
food you bought is tainted for any reason, you may be in
for more trouble than your good intentions warrant. If you
offer anything, keep it to drinks in paper throwaway cups.
Be careful to keep children away from the tables that
have china or glassware or other breakables. Stores have
the same problem. Just be aware of it and set those tables
up well inside where kids are less apt to be. Adults will
still be able to get to the table and look without it being
up front or accessible from all sides.
Shoplifters can be present just as they would be in a
normal retail environment. As much as you can, keep an eye
out for the occasional thief. If you have your higher
priced items in the back of the garage near you and the
cashbox, it’s less likely you’ll have a problem with these
individuals. Children may take something without knowing,
which you can easily point out to the adult who accompanied
the youth. Having a couple of people helping you out can
discourage those who would try to steal any articles.
At the end of your sale, check your inventory. You
may receive a few offers from last minute shoppers offering
to take the rest of it off your hands for one low price.
If garage sales are your specialty, you may decide against
that offer, knowing you may be able to sell the items at
your next sale. If you really want to unload it all, take
the offer and be done with it.
For other leftovers you don’t want to keep, check
your local charities like Goodwill, the Salvation Army, the
local homeless centers and the like. Books may be great
donations for a hospital or nursing home while clothes may
be perfect for a downtown shelter and toys for a local
orphanage.
If you have some high priced items left, run
classifieds or advertise those items specifically by name
on a flyer posted at area bulletin boards. Leave a box at
your curb with a sign that says "help yourself" for some
items. People will! You can also package up the "junk"
and take it down to the local landfill. There will be
assorted places to place the various remainders.
Congratulations on a successful sale!
Once you’ve attained your degree in garage sales, you
can move on to the flea markets and swap meets and mix with
the real professionals. These are the mega garage sales
where people can go from one "garage sale" to the next
without getting in and out of their cars. Whether they’re
called Flea Markets or Swap Meets, it’s the same idea;
acres and acres of goods for sale by people like yourself.
Generally, they’re open on weekends (Friday,
Saturday, Sunday) just like garage sales since it’s when
most of the people can come. There may be new or old
merchandise for sale, inside and outside of shelter. You
will see several jewelry set-ups, record collections,
books, clothes, some furniture, many antiques. In short, a
larger garage sale! It’s like a Mexican marketplace --
only right here on American soil. It’s the social event
for small-town America.
You can find some items you might want to include as
part of your next garage sale, providing you can buy them
at a price low enough to turn around and re-price it for
sale. You may decide that, if your inventory you’ve
accumulated is large enough, you may want to purchase booth
space and sell your goods here with the rest of the
sellers.
If you or a family member specializes in some type of
home-made crafts, this can be an outlet for your wares. If
you or a relative or friend is an artist, perhaps some
paintings would be well suited to this purpose.
The bestsellers are usually new goods available for
extremely low prices. If you have access to goods that you
can buy in volume and turn around for a profit, this is the
place for you. The weekly earnings of many of these
merchandisers is hefty!
Since there are so many booths, you have to do
something to make yours stand out from many of the rest.
Balloons tied to your booth’s sides will set you apart. Or
an attractive, eye-catching neon sign might do the trick.
Free popcorn from a popping machine may bring the shoppers
to your merchandise. Any good trick will do!
Like your garage sale, try and do your best to make
an attractive, organized appearance. The same reason
someone driving by your garage might slow down and stop
will be the device that slows the traffic down at a swap
meet or flea market. Be polite and courteous and friendly!
Smiling is contagious! Make sure people are glad they
stopped by even if they didn’t buy anything. Being
positive is a great way to approach life.
If you think the art of negotiation was important at
your garage sale, you haven’t seen anything yet. Wait
until you check out the haggling that takes place at one of
these ultra garage sales! There will be much bartering,
counteroffering and bluffs associated with this type of
buying method. Be prepared for it.
If you do it well, you can earn a small fortune at
this type of selling. If you’ve got a garage, you’re in
business! If you don’t, but have a yard, you’re in
business! You can carry it to the next level and buy booth
space at a flea market or swap meet, but just some well-
planned local garage sales will earn you a lot of cash.
You’re on your way to big profits!
APPENDIX
Garage Sale Organization
4 weeks before the sale:
1. Determine if you are doing the garage sale alone
or if others will be involved in it with you.
2. Organize a meeting of all those involved.
3. Agree on a date.
4. Agree on the location.
5. Take inventory of all participants and divide up the
allocated space accordingly.
6. Agree on all pricing up front.
7. Begin to set aside items in an organized fashion by
placing items together by table.
3 weeks before the sale:
1. Call your newspaper and see if there is a garage sale
kit available. Find out their deadlines for
advertisements.
2. Identify other publications in which you intend to
advertise and find out their deadlines.
3. Diagram the floor plan of the garage or yard. Assign
tables based on the inventory notes made last week.
4. Determine how many tables you will need and begin to
accumulate them from whatever sources you intended to
tap.
5. Assign categories by table and by individual. Note
these on your already drawn diagram.
2 weeks before sale:
1. Place your advertisements that need to be in at this
time.
2. Re-check the house and all the storage spaces to be
sure you didn’t miss anything.
3. Pick up the material and begin making your signs and
flyers.
1 week before the sale:
1. Place any other advertisements that work on a shorter
deadline.
2. Put out the tables in pre-arranged order in your
garage. Put up the clothes rack.
The last week:
1. Put up your flyers on area bulletin boards.
2. Start arranging the merchandise on the various tables.
3. Price every item, using self-adhesive labels.
4. Obtain your cash box.
5. Pick up change in dimes, quarters and ones for your
cash box.
The Day:
1. Put up your signs around the neighborhood.
2. Put out your items that will be in the yard/driveway.
3. Plug in the coffee pot.
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