Each day is nicer, the sun is out, summer is almost upon us and you know what that means? Yard sales! Time to clean out the attic, sort through old clothes and make some extra cash or find yourself some treasure in someone else’s “trash.” But don’t be mistaken, there are secrets behind a successful yard sale and tricks to getting the best deals. No matter where you stand, whether you’re looking to buy or sell, here are some tips to making the most of your day.
1. Preparing for a yard sale takes time and effort, especially when it comes to setting it up. You’ll want to pick the date a week or two in advance, get it out there for the public to see whether by putting up posters throughout your town or by making a Facebook event. Make sure to list an address and time as well. When the day of the yard sale comes, make sure to set things up so that everything is displayed nicely and people can get around and look at everything pretty well. If you’re selling any furniture, consider styling each piece with a few props to give customers an idea on how they could use it in their home (just make sure they know the props aren’t included). Organize items by price, especially the little things. This allows people to browse easily and makes things easy for you as well. One last tip for selling, don’t be afraid to offer bundle deals, people love a good bargain!
2. Don’t go to yard sales unprepared, you’ve got to keep your eyes peeled and be ready to haggle. Right off the bat, you’ll want to make sure to bring cash, you can’t always bank on people having that nifty little Square device. How much you bring with you really depends on what you’re looking to find…the bigger the item, the more money you’ll want to bring. Also, if you see an item you like, but want to look around more, need to grab some more cash, or can’t pick it up right away, ask if the seller would be willing to hold it for you for a small fee. Also don’t be afraid to bargain, most people just want to get rid of this stuff so there’s a good chance you can bring down the price and get yourself an even better deal.
3. To find yard sales, make sure to check out your local post office, often times they’ll have a community bulletin board. Facebook has special yard sale pages and a lot of developments have neighborhood yard sales, so keep your eyes open for brightly colored posters stating dates and times.
Have fun and happy yard saling!
