Garage Sale Negotiating 101Garage and estate sales are some of the best places for bargain shopping. However, if you are new to yard selling, figuring out how to bargain can be tricky. You may feel like it takes a little boldness to ask the seller to come down on the price; however, it can be rewarding for you both. Here are some tips on negotiating to save money.
Only Shop at Family Estate SalesIf you shop at an estate sale run by a company, the prices will be much higher. If the sale is run by the family, usually the adult children, their goal is to clear out the house so it can be sold. The last sale I went to I was given a Little Tikes table and 4 chairs and 7 white wire shelves for cabinets.
Planning an Indoor Yard SaleI want to get a dog. I don't have much money but I do have lots of stuff. I decided to have an indoor yard sale inside my apartment. My living room is full of normal yard sale stuff. My dining room is full of nice crystal, collectable items, etc.
Find Family Estate SalesI get the best prices when I go to estate sales run by the family. Companies that do estate sales take a percentage of the sale price. The prices are generally higher and they do not negotiate as easily. This Williamsburg replica tea chest was brand new in the box.
Tips to a Successful Yard SaleI have been to and I have had many yard sales and I have noticed a few things that would affect how well a yard sale pans out.
Hair Spray To Protect Printed SignsWhen putting home-made signs out on the street advertising the sale, it is helpful to spray the entire page with hair spray. This is helpful so the printing does not bleed if the weather is inclement. Hair spray is a lacquer and dries in seconds.
Garage Sale SuccessThis is a good time to get ready for this years Garage Sale. Go through your closets, the kids toys, kitchen cupboards and your basement/garage or storage areas for items you will be selling.
Yard Sale TipI know with all the yard sales this time of year, many people are buying second hand and giving new life to their finds. When pricing items, many types of pricing elements are hard to remove and leave sticky residue.
Virtual Yard SalesJoin or create a virtual yard sale on Facebook! I recently discovered this idea. You post a picture of the item you want to sell along with a description and price.
Having a Successful Yard SaleHere are several tips for a successful yard sale:
Research Prices and Reviews While ShoppingI like to use my phone when I am at thrift stores or yard sales. I sometimes find products that sound like a great bargain, but having my smartphone allows me to look up the actual price of the item as well as reviews.
Shop At Church Mega SalesEvery year our local church has this huge sale where if you come on the last day, not only is everything still there, they start at noon with $3.00 a bag whatever will fit; then at 3:00, it's everything half off; then at 5:00 whatever is left is free.
Labor Day Weekend Yard SaleUsually Memorial Day and Labor Day are big yard sale days, but I have noticed it depends on your area. Let's be positive and say your area is big on yard sales these days. Labor Day is just around the corner.
Having a Successful Garage SaleHere are some tips to have a great garage sale. Pick the right date, the first and fifteenth are when people receive their social security checks and/or pay checks.
Signs To Advertise Your SaleI don't advertise in the paper because I hate to have super early shoppers. I arrange my stuff the night before, and cover tables with sheets to keep snoopers out!
Selling the EstateDue to her health, my mother had to leave her home and move in with my family. That left her with a three bedroom home empty, yet full of furniture. My brothers and I decided we would have an estate sale company come in and give us a "one price takes it all" offer on it.
Get Them To Stop At Your Garage SaleUse bright neon contrasting posterboard to make your signs (example: hot pink and hot green or flourescent orange). Have a box labeled FREE near the enterance and put a few toys, socks, etc. in it which is free for the taking.
Have an Organized Priced SaleMake sure everything is organized and has a price tag on it. Before opening your sale, be sure everything is put out to be sold. As customers move through and buy, straighten things back up, and keep everything neat.
Promoting Your Garage SaleAs a rummage goer and a rummage doer, I've found that proper signage is very important. BIG arrows are necessary. Matching signs help, so that people know the sign they are following is for the rummage they are looking for.
Setting Up Your Garage Sale For SuccessGarage sales are a lot of work to set up and operate. Don't miss out on potential sales because folks can't find you. Follow local ordinances regarding these sales. Prepare carefully. Good luck.
Clear Signs to Promote Your Garage SaleWhen having a garage sale, bright, clear signs are a must. I use neon poster board and paint on it with black paint. You can see them in time to stop at the sale without driving by and having to turn around.
Garage Sale TipsAfter helping out with several large garage sales in the past, I have some helpful tips. Get family members and friends to help out. Set up as many tables as you can, it much easier to display your merchandise.
List for Garage SalesEvery year before garage sale season starts, I make a list of items I need for around the house or personal items I'm interested in finding. That way I have a "road map" for the season.
Inexpensive SignsWhen my friends and I used to have a group garage sale, we always had tons of shoppers. The shoppers frequently told us they came because they noticed our outstanding artistic signs.
Provide Laundry "Shopping" Basket At Garage SaleWhen having a garage sale, set out a few empty laundry baskets for your shoppers to grab and fill up. Makes it much easier for them to shop and also, they will more than likely buy more because they have an easy way of carrying around they items.
Show Up REALLY Early at Garage SalesThis is a tip for all those garage sale fiends out there. Everyone knows that the first person at the garage sale gets the best pick of items. Instead of trying to get up early to be the first at garage sales.
Buy a Counterfeit Detection Pen for Garage SalesIf you are: planning a yard sale, selling items in the paper, selling vegetables or fruit, from home, planning a trip to theme park or fair, or buying at a weekend flea market/antique shop hunter, buy a $3.00 counterfeit money marker.
Rummage Sale "Grab Bags"Small items ranging from 10 to 25 cents, can be a hassle to have to deal with at a rummage sale, and they take up a lot of table space! Try wrapping them (after sorting them into cost categories: 10 or 25 cents) in odds and ends comic paper, magazine pages, brown paper bags or WHATEVER.
Free Garage Sale Advertising TipRecycle a large clean white meat tray into an easy to read rummage sale sign. Use permanent markers or crayons to detail the wording.
Advertise Yard Sales on CraigslistWhile it's kinda late for this year, keep this in mind for your next yard sale - you can advertise your sale for free on Craigslist ! There's a whole category, "Garage Sale"; under 'For Sale', and that's what it's for ! Describe what we'll find - toys, clothes, tools, etc. - and your address, and the times of your sale.
"Everything is 50 Cents" Garage SaleIf you aren't selling a lot of high-priced items at your garage sale and want to go the low-maintenance route, have an "Everything is 50 cents sale (unless otherwise marked)".
Reuse Election SignsThe election is almost over (thank heavens!) and I am thinking about all those campaign yard signs all over the place! After the election is over, you can pick some up and set them aside to use for your garage sales next summer.
Be Considerate When Parking for Garage SalesRegarding yard sales, please use kind driving and parking etiquette when attending yard sales. I cannot count how many potential accidents I have encountered by:
Ask for What You Are Looking for at Garage SalesWhen you are looking for something in particular at yard sales and don't see it, just ask. I have found that sellers are "motivated to sell" once they have started and will sometimes go into the house and bring out the item you are looking for.
Garage Sale: Label Boxes by PriceWhen organizing I always find things to sell in my annual garage sale. I put these items in boxes labeled by price ($1, $5, etc.) This saves a lot of time later when I actually price the items just before the sale.
Masking Tape for Garage Sale PricingUse small pieces of masking tape and mark them with pen or permanent marker to price items in your yard or garage sale. It's much cheaper to buy a roll of masking tape, than to buy packages of florescent dot stickers or the preprinted pricing stickers.
Protect Your SignsTo keep your rummage or garage sale sign dry in bad weather, slip it into a big ziplock bag before putting it up! You can also use sheet protectors.
Make An Offer On Last Day Of Yard SalesThe last day of a yard sale is a GREAT day to buy LOTS of stuff. Being an avid yard sale shopper, I have had it proven over and over that, on the last day of a yard sale, the person or group of persons are VERY motivated sellers.
Early Preparation for Garage SalesI have several boxes set up in the garage for our annual garage sale. They are labeled: toys, clothes, housewares, books, and misc. I keep a package of price stickers and a pen handy.
Post Phone Number on Garage Sale SignsWhen having a yard or garage sale, it helps to list a phone number with your advertising in case folks need directions, etc.
Map Garage Sale RoutesWhen making a shopping route for garage sales, enter all the addresses you are interested into mapquest.
Use Tomato Cages For Garage Sale SignsOur city has gotten very strict about placement of garage sale signs. We cannot post on utility poles of any kind, fences, etc. and fines can be levied.
Getting Rid of Small Items at a Yard SaleWhen having a yard sale in order to get rid of all those little items that you don't want to pack up after the sale, choose a desirable item that is worth about $5 to $10.00 place into a box with the little items you want to get rid of (that might not sell on their own).
Keeping Items Together at Your Yard SaleWhen planning a yard sale or clothing swap, if you've got any 2 pc. or 3 pc. clothing sets, pin them together, so parts of them don't get sold and the others are left.
Remove Your Yard Sale SignsAfter the sale, before you count up all of your profit, go around the neighborhood and remove every last yard sale sign! (If you have blanketed a large area with signs, you may want to have kept a list of the signs locations.) This will keep your neighbors happy.
Yard Sales in Expensive NeighborhoodsCheck out the yard sales in the ritzy towns near by, they let stuff go for cheap, but it is good name brand stuff!
Prepare For Garage/Yard Sales EarlyGet boxes NOW and start the year off right, by decluttering your home, closets and garage. You can also price items at the same time. You will be ready in the spring for a great Garage/Yard Sale. You can do a little at a time.
Bring a List When You Go To Garage SalesWhen garage saling always carry a list of the family's sizes (clothes, coat & shoe) as well as window sizes along with a measuring tape.
By Pattcatt
Sell Refreshments At Your Garage SaleTo make more money at your next yard sale, sell refreshments, too! Watch the sales for a few weeks before your event, and stock up on canned sodas at bargain prices. The day of the sale, put them in a cooler with ice and put up a big sign "cold drinks, .50" or whatever ...
Pairing Up Stray Pieces At Garage SalesA girlfriend of mine is forever having yard sales. One of the things she does is going thru her glassware for "stray" pieces, (ex. a lid to a glass candy jar), which she put on top of a "stray" wine glass, made the most cutest, daintiest candy dish and was one of the first pieces she sold.
Tips for Throwing a Successful Garage Sale1. Guerilla Advertising: Make lots of signs to post around your neighborhood before the morning of your sale. The sign should include your address (obvious yes, but easily forgotten!) and directional arrows pointing the way.
Bag Bargain Garage SaleBag Bargains is the quickest and easiest way to accomplish reducing and make a little money, too. We have had great success with all the little items that accumulate in junk drawers, etc.
Attach BalloonsAttach balloons to your signs. The moving balloons help people see your sign and not get lost!
Tips Gathered from My Recent Yard SaleI just had a yard sale this past weekend and tried several new things that I thought may be helpful to others looking for yard sale ideas.
Bargain Season - Garage Sale Tips"The signs of the season are here: "Yard Sale, Garage Sale, Moving Sale, Estate Sale." It's time to clear out the old and the unwanted and, for some of us, a time to find new treasures. Television programs that show people picking up pots or paintings for a few dollars and selling them for hundreds or thousands can bring out the spirit of adventure in a lot of us. Especially for these folks, the weekend treasure hunt season is on!"
Large ArrowsSigns are very important when throwing a garage sale. Make sure you signs have large and clear arrows so that they can be seen easily by drivers. And also make sure the date of the sale is visible.
Bring Lightly Colored Sunglasses to Garage SalesWhen going to yardsales, bring some slightly colored sunglasses (amber). It will show all the stains on cloth that you can not see with the naked eye.
Get the After Sale BargainsOn the weekends, I sometimes go by garage sales even after they have closed. Sometimes they are getting rid of stuff or throwing it away!
By Cindy Esparza
Play Soothing Music at Your Garage SaleDuring your yard sale, play soothing, classical music. Your customers will browse longer and hopefully buy more. Playing loud, get-up-and-go music will have them leaving sooner.
By Anna
Garage or Yard Sale TipsSpring is the time when we all start thinking about Garage or Yard Sales again. It is a good way to make some extra money and get rid of extra items. Garage Sales can be fun but are time consuming and can be hard work. Good planning can help you have a successful sale.
Make a Garage Sale Shopping ListIf you count yard-saling as an integral part of your thrifty lifestyle, you need to approach it with the same organizational skills you'd approach any other undertaking. One of the ways I've found to get the most from yard sale season is to make a list of "wants".
