by Tonja SmithContributing Writer
Price Tags
If it's for sale, put a price on it. If you plan to be hard nosed, price the
item with the "I won't take less than $X for this" price. If you like to
haggle, price the item a little higher than your "I won't take less than $X
for this" price and see what happens. Some people will haggle with you to get
the price down (which, in all honesty, is half the fun), but some people will
pay the price you list. In either case, list a price. Even if it is just 5˘.
This saves the hassle of being overwhelmed with "How much for this?".
Hide items not for sale
If you are having your sale inside your garage, as best as you can, put items
away or out of site that are not for sale. If you can't get everything hidden
or put away, try to get everything in one spot and rope it off. This will help
to eliminate confusion.
Signage
Put up signs, everywhere. Over 50% of your treasure hunters will be drive-bys.
Help them find you. Place signs out on major streets. From that major street,
place a sign on every corner with an arrow pointing the way to your sale and
listing your street address. If you live on a major street, place signs at 2
block intervals in either direction of your house, allowing people time to
slow down.
Curb Appeal
Many people will drive by your yard sale, but how many stop and buy will depend
on the curb appeal of your yard sale. Place some of your more interesting items
closer to the street, so passers by can see that you are selling something of
value and not the contents of a junk drawer or a long forgotten corner of the
garage, even if that is exactly what you are doing.
Be pleasant
Self-explanatory. The nicer you are, the more likely you are to sell your
stuff.
Label everything clearly
Test all electronic items to see if they work and mark them accordingly. If an
item is missing parts or doesn't work, list it. Disclose information about the
item on each label, such as "works," "as is," or "missing parts." It is also a
good idea to make an outlet or extension cord available so people can test
items themselves. If you are selling an item like a lawnmower, be prepared to
start it. For clothing, list the size on the tag.
Display:
Clothes
If at all possible, clothes should be on hung, on hangers, on a clothing rack or
even a clothesline run between two trees.
In addition to listing the price on each item of clothing, list the size on the
outside of the garment and group clothing by size.
Baby clothes should also be grouped by size/age
Books
Books should be displayed with the spine up, making the title visible. Do not
set out a mixed up box of books, as people will loose patience with digging in
a box to find a title they want and you will not sell as many.
As a general rule, all books should be priced the same, or have two prices:
one for hard cover and one for paperback. Place a sign indicating the price
in front of your book display. This way you don't have to price every single
book.
Toys
Toys should be displayed on or close to the ground. Children will be the ones
that will pick these items out and you want to make them accessible to small
people.
Glassware
Should be displayed separately of other items, if possible, to avoid breakage.
If selling sets, list the set price and now many items in the set on the price
tag and group the items together.
Electronics
Electronic items should be grouped together. If you are selling something that
does not work, it is best to let the buyer know, either at the time of purchase,
or better yet, identify the problem on the item itself. People assume some
level of honesty and will usually ask if something works or not before
purchasing it. An index card taped to the item, describing how well the item
works or if there are problems, will save you hassles later. On the same
token, if you are selling something like a computer, list the guts of the
computer, such as "P4, 300 MHz, 10 GB hard drive" or "needs new motherboard."
Keep sharp and/or breakable items out of reach of small children
Keep walkways clear
Have change
Make sure you have plenty of change. You don't want to lose a sale because you
can't make change for a $20 bill. A good guide is:
- 2 $20 bills
- 3 $10 bills
- 4 $5 bills
- 20 $1 bills
- $10 in quarters
- $1 in dimes
- $0.50 in nickels
This is also a good time to raid your change jar. A lot of grocery stores now
have change counters. For a small fee, you can dump you change jar and receive
a voucher to cash in at the service counter. Be sure to keep out the coins you
want and the leftover can become part, or sometimes all, of your paper change.
Stay hydrated
You will be spending a great deal of time outside and in the summer months, you
will dehydrate very fast. It is a good idea to keep a cooler with some water
and snacks available.
Never let anyone inside your home
For the safety of your family, never let a stranger into your home. Most people
are honest and really need to use the bathroom or phone, but air on the side of
caution and don't let anyone inside your home that you don't know and trust.
Courtesies
Collect plastic grocery bags as a courtesy to your customers. One big grocery
trip should yield you enough bags for your sale. You can ask the bagger at the
grocery store to double bag your groceries and viola! Plenty of bags.
You can sell soda by the can and pre-packaged snacks to your customers. Set up
a cooler filled with ice and soda. You can get a case or two of soda from a
club store and sell the cans for $0.50 and make a small profit.
Make an outlet or extension cord available for people to test electronic items.
