How to Make the Most Money at Your Yard Sale
You’ve gathered your belongings, you’ve cleaned out the garage, and you think you’re ready to host your yard sale. But have you missed something? These tips will help make sure your yard sale makes you the most money!
Be organized. Have clear start/end times for your sale, use bright signage, and display things in an organized fashion.
Get plenty of change from the bank. The last thing you want to happen is to run out of change, and have to leave your yard sale to get more! So, stock up on quarters, nickels, and dimes – as well as ones and fives.
Recruit help. Try to talk a friend into helping you, because you’re going to need a bathroom break from time to time. Plus, it’s more fun when someone is there to help you! Offer to treat her to dinner afterwards.
Have the kids help. This might sound absolutely crazy, but having adorable kids help with your yard sale will actually boost your revenue! I’m not talking about screaming toddlers, I’m talking about the 5, 6, 7, 8 year olds that can set up a lemonade stand, this weekend when we had ours the kids also did rainbow loom bracelets and the kids that stopped by loved it and so did a few grandmas who bought them for their grandkids.
Upsell. When your customers are checking out, make sure you have some cookies, brownies, lemonade, or other items on the table that they can grab as impulse buys. Not selling food? Use this space to sell jewelry, or other odds and ends.
Set the mood! I love when I go to yard sales and there’s music playing in the background. Don’t play death metal or anything, but play happy music!
Price it right. You don’t want your prices to be too high, but you also don’t want to go through all the work of having a yard sale to make a mere 50 dollars. On bigger items like dressers, beds, etc. you can price a little higher so you have wiggle room. You know some folks will try to haggle, so be prepared. Put prices on all your items, people won’t always ask how much something is, you can use the color sticker tags and write the prices on them, or grab these price stickers that have prices already printed on them.
Take credit cards! What? Seriously? Yes! If someone wants to buy the dresser, but only has $20, you can let them know you take credit and debit cards if you get the Square app ahead of time. It’s free (just takes a % of each sale), and super simple to use as long as you have an internet connection.
Slash your prices. This isn’t something you do until later in the day, but in order to make a little money (instead of just giving it away for free, throwing it away, etc), slash your prices in half around noon or 1PM. Let your neighbors know that you’re doing a half off sale, and ask them to head over. Better yet, send the cute kids over to let them know, and offer them a free brownie if they come to shop. 😉
Have you hosted a successful yard sale? Leave your tips below!
Plus if you are a yardsale shopper you will want to snag this awesome I Break for yardsales car sticker!
Comments & Reviews
Donna says
Selling your kids clothes? Make sure they are clean & wrinkle free. Hang up the ‘good’ clothes, putting ‘outfits’ together.
Talk to people when they are paying. If they have one piece of an outfit youused to put together, tell them about the other piece & help them find it if they show an interest.
I exchanged phone numbers with two women, whose girls were going into the sizes my girls were outgrowing. Every time I held a yard sale, I would call those ladies, & give them about a week’s head up. They would be my very first, early morning customers, EVERY time I had a sale, and just about buy me out. What they didn’t buy, I took to my lical consignment store. If it didn’t sell there, I pre-arranged with the store to donate.