Everyone seems to know how to make a garage sale. Yet why do some
people gross $150 while others make $1,500 or more from their garage
sales? Obviously, it is divinely ordained, but there are also some
ground rules that can help. Let's examine some of them:
Everyone accumulates items they don't need but that other people are
searching for and willing to buy. These items range from clothing
to furniture, tools, nick-knacks, pictures, toys and just about anything
else.
Start by taking an inventory of all the things you have "just
taking up space" around your home.
Decide which items you and
your children don't use any more and make a list of these things.
And if you are honest about what you really want and need, the pile
will grow if you look over your household a second and third time!
An additional benefit is that an annual or semi-annual garage sale
is the best way to motivate your children to clean out their bedrooms
and closets.
Another way to procure items for your garage sale is to contact relatives,
neighbors, friends and ask them for their `clutter'. Almost everyone
has something they would be glad to sell or give away. They just don't
have the time or energy to gather up all the items taking up space
around their homes and get rid of them. Others feel that putting on
a garage sale is just too much bother and work. This is where you
enter the picture. Network with everyone you know and help them get
rid of their `junk'. [You will certainly earmark part of the proceeds
-- 10% or 20% to charity -- and this can be an incentive for
donors and buyers.]
You might also consider paying a few visits to sales, swap-meets or
flea markets. Your purpose will be to see what is being offered for
sale; what people are buying, at what prices, and how the merchandise
is being displayed. You'll also want to notice how the sellers handle
customer browsing and bargaining. You'll find most items tagged with
a price sticker, but generally the seller is open to price negotiation.
Set a date and advertise.
Check local papers and bulletin sheets
and compare prices. You should run a small classified ad in the newspaper
of your choice for about four days in advance and up until the day
before your sale. A short ad with eye-catching content should do the
trick:
GARAGE SALE! Hundreds of bargains! Don't miss out -- clothing,
appliances, housewares, toys and lots more. Date. Place. Time. It
is better not to include your phone number because the phone will
just ring with nuisance calls.
In addition to an ad in the local paper, a huge banner displayed in
front of your house/apt. with the date and time of your garage sale
is essential. This will pull in your neighbors and attract people
walking and driving by. Make posters and place them at key traffic
intersections, bulletin boards, bus stops and by shops in your neighborhood.
Make your signs highly visible and legible. All you really need is
great big block-letters reading `GARAGE SALE' with the street address,
date, time. Don't bog them down with a complete listing of items.
Are there other ways to call attention to your sale? Don't be shy
or self-conscious about letting everybody you meet know about it.
Some people put up balloons with the word `SALE' on it.
Make your garage sale a fun event with clusters of balloons anchored
to your display tables and racks. Be sure to float them well above
the heads of your customers as they are browsing through your displays.
Display
Cover your display tables with clean attractive colorful tablecloths
or sheets. Regardless of what you sell, effective display is still
important. The lighting should be bright, too. Also, take care in
displaying and labeling your merchandise. Simply dumping items haphazardly
on a table, then sitting down and waiting for people to buy won't
work.
Make sure that your jewelry shines and sparkles. Arrange the pieces
in and on jewelry boxes, jewelry ladders and other items sold for
the purpose of display while keeping it neatly organized. Some people
even hook up battery-operated lazy-susans and arrang jewelry on these,
on silk and velvet material. Having the items turn slowly will catch
the light and the eye and make an attractive display.
At many garage sales, some people make the mistake of selling merchandise
or clothing that is dirty and stained. This repels customers. Make
sure every item is clean and bright.
All purpose cleaning solution, a bucket of water and some rags will
do wonders for most items. The same goes for furniture polish, and
for clothing -- a run through the washing machine with good-smelling
detergent and fluffing up in a dryer.
Display sale items in categories.
All the kitchen utensils in
one place, the toys in another etc. Determine a price for each item
before you set it out. Then mark the price on stickers, labels or
even masking tape. If you are selling other people's items, a color
coding system might work best. For example; all items with blue price
stickers belong to the Steinbergs, all yellow stickers are the Gold's.
An easier way of listing the prices without having to mark each individual
item is to offer tables of times with the identical price. Everything
on Table 1 is 20 shekel, on Table 2 is 10 shekel and so on. Your prices
should be rounded out to even numbers and your salespeople should
keep an eye out that items don't get interchanged (unintentionally
or otherwise). Also, keep in mind that people will try to bargain,
so price accordingly.
You may want to check the retail prices of your merchandise. Be sure
to have valuable prices appraised by authentic dealers.
Selling
If you are shy, these tips will give you an edge. Always
radiate friendliness and willingness, regardless of the circumstances
or first impressions of a customer. Smile and say `hello' loudly enough
to be heard. Speak to browsers and try to be helpful but not pushy.
Be as unobtrusive as possible when `keeping an eye on your merchandise.'
No one likes to feel he is being watched. Whenever a customer appears
to have made a selection and asks you what you'll settle for, be ready
to enter into `friendly negotiations.'
On the Day of the Sale
Be prepared early. People tend to come early to get the best bargains.
Try to set up the night before.
Assign one friend to run the cashier while you keep your eye on the
merchandise and help out potential customers. If you are selling for
others, have a list of their names and as you sell each item, remove
the sticker and place it under that name or write the price in an
appropriate column.
1. Have plenty of small change. Without it, you might lose some sales.
2. Have a tape measure. People may need to know the dimensions of
furniture or clothing.
3. Have a long extension cord plugged into an outlet to try out appliances.
4. Have cold drinks available during hot weather sales and hot drinks
during cold weather sales.
What do you do with what is not sold? Save it for the next sale or
give it to charity.
Successful Garage Sale Checklist
1. Set date.
2. Place ads in paper
3. Make signs and
4. Post them
5. Assemble items
6. Collect accessories to decorate sale: tableclothes, balloons, glitter.
7. Make descriptive signs to place above tables: i.e. toys, housewares,
Everything for Ten Shekel etc.
Day before sale:
1. Collect tables, racks, display shelves
2. Price all items
3. Set up tables
4. Display items in categories
5. Plug in extension cord
6. Cover non-sale items with sheets
7. Make a chart to keep track of individual sales accounts
8. Make dinner for tomorrow's hungry crew/family.
Behatzlacha!
