In the words of Marie Kondo, there comes a time when certain items in your home or business no longer spark joy. It could be that you have outgrown them or that they take up too much space and offer you very little utility. Either way, the verdict is often that they need to go.
Holding a garage sale allows you to let go of such items to people that may need them. In return, you could make some decent cash for a mini makeover or to buy some of the gadgets you have been coveting all year. It’s a sweet deal, isn’t it?
However, for the money to start rolling in, you will need to host a garage sale to end all garage sales. Let us explore some tips to help you get it all right.
Prep the Goods
Most people have no qualms about buying used items at a garage sale. Nevertheless, it is in good taste to ensure that the goods you present are in decent shape. Well-presented items attract buyers and give you leverage to charge a reasonable price instead of a pittance.
Take time to wipe down dusty items and vacuum or launder any fabric items if possible. Go on to gather all the items in one area and make an inventory list for accountability. This would also be a good time to set prices for the items and attach price tags to them.
Set the Date and Send Invites
Informing your friends, family, and neighbors in advance would help them make time to stop by. A week or a few days’ notice would suffice. Remember to highlight some of the goodies you will be offering and other extras such as refreshments or raffles(if you will have them). It would give people something to look forward to and motivate them to show up.
This would equally be the perfect time to get clearance from your neighborhood association if you need it. It would equally be courteous to give your next-door neighbors a heads up given that your sale may disrupt their surroundings.
Set the Stage
Your ideal garage sale setup will largely depend on how big of an event you would like to host.
For example, if you are moving away and plan to sell most of your stuff, it would be wise to go big. On the other hand, if your items are very few, you can always rally friends and family to bring some of theirs and make a day of it.
Organize to have enough space to arrange all items neatly and leave enough room for buyers to walk around. If you have any small items such as figurines or other valuables, try and get some plastic crates to display them. Aim for identical crates; they are usually made from the same plastic crate mold and thus will be easy to stack away in storage after use.
If you reckon that the event may go on until dusk, consider getting some outdoor lighting. A bulk RGB LED strip, for instance, would be sufficient for a large outdoor space and would make the sale look festive. It is also easy to install and take down when necessary.
Have Cash Management Protocols
Garage sales are often run on a cash payment basis. Therefore, be mentally prepared to handle lots of transactions. More so if you will be hosting a grand sale.
It would be convenient to have a collection bag that you can carry around as you interact and negotiate with buyers. This will make it easy to collect payments and dispense change when needed.
From time to time, take a break to go stash away most of the funds. A lockable drawer would suffice. However, if you will be letting people into your home to pick out stuff, a home safe for cash and other valuables would be a more secure alternative.
Remember to tick items off your inventory list once they sell and indicate the price you sold them for to get an accurate final tally. Of course, given the weight of all these tasks, it would be a good idea to have one or two trust attendants to help you.
Clean Up the Leftovers
If you are lucky, all items will find a new home with your customers. However, it is not unusual to have some items left over, so, do not fret over it. Simply pack the items up in the plastic crates you used to display figurines and drop them off at suitable donation points.
Conclusion
Like most social events, garage sales can seem difficult to plan. Especially if you have a lot of stuff to sell. However, as you may have learned on this blog, it is easy to pull one off when you have a proper plan that addresses all the details. Now that you know how to handle the process, go on and rid yourself of all clutter.