Garage Sale Buying & Selling Guide!

Some quick tips for buying and selling:

BUYING:

1.Never pay full price! Be prepared to haggle the price. Experienced garage sale shoppers know that the sticker price is not the real price!

2. Break down the item! Check out the pictures for sale. While you may not like the picture, the frame could be a great find!

3.Be Prepared! Don’t go to sales with large bills. Much easier to haggle the price when you have smaller bills!

4.Think outside the box! Don’t overlook things that can be used differently than its intended purpose. That old beat-up tin bucket can make a really cute flower planter.
5.Test it out! Always ask to test anything electric or that takes batteries. If you’re selling, have batteries on hand and an outlet. If you don’t have an outlet in your garage, run an extension cord from the house.

6. If you don’t need it don’t buy it. Don’t buy something just because it’s cute and you might use it one day. Unless you have an exact plan for the item, it will end up in your garage sale next spring.
Also, with spring right around the corner, now is the time to start gathering up unwanted items and prepare for a garage sale!

Garage sales are not only a great way to make some extra cash, but to also purge our homes of unwanted and unnecessary items and get organized. Remember that your trash is someone else’s treasure!

SELLING!

1. Plan ahead! Decide on the date you would like to have your sale. Be sure not to pick a holiday weekend. Setting a date now will give you the motivation you need to start purging. You’ll have something to look forward to and a deadline to meet.
   
2. Go through the house with two boxes. One box to sell, one box to toss out. When the sell box is full tag it. Don’t wait till you have everything you want to sell to start pricing. This takes up more time than you would think, so its best to get it done in smaller groups.
3. Get the kids involved. Give them boxes to put toys into that they don’t want or play with anymore. Be sure to let them know that they can keep the profits from whatever they sell.
4. Advertise!! Your local paper, neon signs, and the internet are great ways to draw buyers to your sale.
5. Be Prepared! On the big day be sure to have plenty of change, and bags.
6. Atmosphere!Also set a tone to your sale. Keep things organized and displayed just like you would see in a store. Don’t just pile things on a table. Get creative. Do you have old plates to sell? Set a table with them. Candle holders? Put some candles in them. Do you have vases for sale? Fresh cut flowers from your garden will catch the eye of a buyer. Think about putting some soft background music on. People will respond to a friendly, comfortable and clean setting instead of a messy, disorganized chaotic mess!
   
7. Barter!! Always be prepared to haggle in a friendly way. We want to get rid of the junk, and every penny counts!
8. If you’re selling a lot of one kind of item like vases, offer an individual price and a group price.
9. Involve the kids! Make the garage sale fun for the kids too. Set up a lemonade stand for them. Shopping is thirsty work and they can make some money too!
10. Be friendly and smile. Have fun with it. If you make the experience fun, and have a good time, it will show in your profits!