Advertise early and often and for maximum impact

Even the most well-stocked garage sale will be a flop without advertising. You should place signs around your neighborhood in the weeks leading up to the sale, making sure to hit all major thoroughfares near your home. Use bright colors and big letters to make sure your advertisements are easy to see and read. Direct traffic with easy-to-follow arrows if need be.

 

Have a pile of free items

This is a sure-fire way to attract passersby. Build this pile out of items you are planning to donate. People feel bad stopping and taking an item for free without buying something, which makes this an easy way to increase guilt-induced sales.

 

Price items to sell

Remember that you are having this sale because you have items you no longer want or for which you no longer have any use. Your sale will not be a success if you charge $10 for an old coffee mug. Price each item at a level that would make you feel as though you were getting a good bargain if you were buying it. This will help you avoid self storage management problems.

 

Place like items together

Potential buyers want to do as little work as possible at a garage sale. Haphazardly placing CDs between dishes and action figures will only serve to frustrate them. Taking a little bit of time to organize items in a logical manner makes it much easier for customers to find what they want without feeling as though they are wasting their time. Sterling Management advises that your goods should always be ready to be sold. If you are selling sets or matching items, place them in a plastic bag or some other type of low-cost container to simplify the process even more.

 

Feed the crowd

Setting out a pot of coffee and a tray of doughnuts or muffins will draw in potential patrons who may not otherwise give your sale a second thought. If your kids want to be included, let them set up a lemonade stand and sell cups for fifty cents or a quarter apiece.

 

Team Up

More participants means a larger selection of items. The more items you have sitting out, the more you increase the chance that people will stop and browse. The more people who stop and browse, the more items you will sell. The more items you sell, the more money you will make.