Successful Garage Sale Tips for Beginners and Pro Garage Sellers

We all know that having garage sales can be an easy money maker. With these garage sale tips you are sure to set yourself up for the best garage sale ever.

We all know that having garage sales can be an easy money maker, but with these garage sale tips you are sure to set yourself up for the best garage sale ever.

Garage sale season is here and if you have been decluttering your home, you probably have a lot of stuff that needs to find a new home. We all know that a garage sale can be an easy money maker if we have garage sale tips to put into place.

I have been having anywhere between 3-5 garage sales a year simply because we have WAY too much and not enough space. So then its out with the old, in with the new or just live with our new motto of less is more.

I am a recovering pack rat! I admit it! If there is a crevice that could be filled and only enough room for 5 things, guess what I could get 10 things in that crevice! I know how to pack and I can do it really well!

The big problem is that my house has suffered from my pack rat abilities! This past weekend was prime opportunity for us to clear our all the stuff that had been looming in our garage for months (well, maybe years).

Now, lets get on with how you can plan a quick and painless successful garage sale!

Successful Garage Sale Tips:

Price to sell and walk it out the door. Most people will tell you to mark each item and that is what people will pay (no ifs, ands, or buts about it). Not me! I have an idea of what I want to get for certain items and then I go from there.

I, personally don’t mark each item. Instead, I sell my items ready to walk out the door because it is not coming back into my house or garage for safe keeping.

If someone is buying more of a particular item, give them a discount like 10 shirts for $3 instead of $5. Some of my prices that work well for me are:

Blue Jeans – $1 (kids) $2 (adults)

Shorts – $0.75 (kids) $1 (adults)

Shirts – $1 (button-up or polo) $0.25-$0.50 (t-shirts)

Electronics – $3-$15

Household Appliances – $3-$10

Knick Knacks – $0.50-$2

Kid’s Toys – $0.25-$4

Linens – $1-$3

All of my prices are negotiable and all the locals know that with me. I generally like to price it a little higher in my range and then have an idea of what I really want.

For example, if I know I want $5 for a particular item, then I will price it @ $7. If someone is really interested in it then I will tell them I will go to $5 and 90% of the time, it walks out the door!

There are some items I will not budge on price though. For example, we had a 5 disc DVD player (I know old school huh?!?!) that was $10, the customer wanted to give me $7 for it.

I was not willing to budge on the $10 price and after a few minutes, they handed me $10 and off the DVD player went. I find garage sales to be kind of like parenting…you have to choose your battles.

The Garage Sale is Over…what should I do with the leftovers?

So, you have successfully completed your garage sale and have leftovers sitting on the driveway unless the garage sale fairy came to your house and paid you a flat rate for it all.

Not logical unfortunately! {smile} I have been waiting on that garage sale fairy for years now and he/she hasn’t shown! Oh well, there is always the next garage sale that I can hope this happens, right?

There are many options to get rid of those excess items leftover. You can list or take your items to many places and most are even tax deductible. Some of my favorites are: Local Ministry Resale/Thrift Store Consignment ShopsCraigslist (listed under free or sale lots of clothing or items you want more for)FreecycleOut on the curb (my all time favorite & not for everyone)

My last option is not for everyone, but by the time Tuesday’s trash day rolls around 95% of what I put out is gone. Usually all that is left is the kids Pokemon cards (or the like) and items that will generally decompose within a short period of time.

If there is any metal or appliances, we call our local metal guy and he comes right over to pick them up. He makes a few bucks and I don’t have to worry about filling the landfills with all the muck that won’t decompose.