Garage Sales 101 – Preparing, pricing and advertising

Here’s the next installment in our Garage Sales 101 series. Today I’ll talking about how to attract potential buyers for your sale, preparing your stuff and pricing.

Step 3: How to Attract Buyers to a Garage Sale

Advertising is obviously a very critical planning task – without bringing in lots of potential buyers, you cannot have a financially rewarding sale. The time and effort invested in having a garage sale is significant, so it makes sense to invest time in promoting your sale to ensure you get the biggest bang for your time investment. Here are some thoughts and tips for promoting your garage sale:

Advertise, Advertise, Advertise

Look for free or very low-cost ways to get the word out about your sale. Neighborhood newsletter, local community papers and signs strategically placed on the street are also good options.

• Capitalize on the internet – I’ve had two garage sales in the past two years and I found Craig’s List to be the best free way to advertise a garage sale.  Several visitors to my sale shared with me that they go to Craig’s List on Friday or Saturday morning to print out the garage sales they want to attend. Then they map their route. I did not do any paid advertising for either of my garage sales after I learned about Craig’s List. Another online resource is http://www.garagesalestracker.com/.
• E-mail friends and family who can pass it along to others. I even shared my garage sale information with Facebook friends and had two people attend that had read it on Facebook. One visitor from Facebook was actually an old high school friend who I’d not seen in 30 years.
• Signs – Make sure these are visible from a distance. Avoid pastel colors, and use block lettering. If your location is not obvious from the address, you will need to post directional signs on the day of the sale. Arrows at each corner also are helpful. Remember to remove the signs once your sale is over.

Step 4: Preparing the Stuff

As you prepare your items for sale, be sure to:

• Search through pockets, purses, and books. You may find items reflecting personal information such as credit cards, Social Security numbers, cards or pictures with sentimental value, or even money. I recall several years ago when I was selling some of my grandmother’s items when she was downsizing, I found a c. 1875 bill in one of her purses.
• Put big items in view of people from the street. This entices buyers to stop. Since certain items like tools, lawn mowers, and exercise and sports equipment seem to catch the eye of make shoppers, be sure these are among your visible items.
• Have bags and boxes available for customers. Begin collecting plastic and paper bags a week or two before your sale. There is no cost to you, and it is a nice convenience that is greatly appreciated by your buyers.
• Minimize buyer objections by sprucing up your items – Use all purpose cleaner or just damp rags to clean off and spruce up your items. I had a buyer once ask me to lower the price on a trash can because she would have to take it home and clean it.

Step 5: Show Me the Money

Now the fun part …setting prices.

Mark the items with a price. This will save constant questioning from potential buyers. Set a price that is realistic and allow for some typical negotiating – but never up – when bargaining with a customer. To price an item in good usable condition, a general rule of thumb is 25 percent to 30 percent of its original value.  Of course, age, style of item will play a part in pricing. For example, an old printer, even in good working condition, won’t bring in the typical 25-30% because of the type of item it is.  It may be hard to sell clothing or accessories in gently used or even new condition if either the style or color reflects its age.

Try to take the work out of looking. If you have lots of similar items like books, CDs or kitchen utensils, save time by simply putting a sign on the table or box indicating your prices. For example, pricing may be 50-cents each or three for $1. Piling all the items on a table or having multiple layers in a box is not conducive for easy shopping. If you take the time to arrange the items in some order, buyers may be more encouraged to browse. Try to set prices at whole dollar or half dollar amounts to make it easy and quick to make change.

Have sufficient money on hand to make change. I typically start with $50-$60 dollars in mostly small bills. Keep all money on your person, either in your pockets, in a money apron or a fanny pack. Money sitting around in an envelope or box is just too tempting if you get distracted. It is advisable not to accept checks.

Post a sign that says all sales are final. You don’t want someone asking for a refund if a cheaper substitute is found down the road.

Originally posted 2010-08-27 13:41:27. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Quick Garage Organizing Tips

Spring is almost here! Are you as ready as I am to get outdoors and get your yard ready for spring? But how easy will that be if your garage has turned into a wasteland of clutter and junk you’ve been saving for years?

The U.S. Department of Energy reports that 25-percent of people with two-car garages don’t have room to park any cars inside, and 32-percent only have room for one vehicle. Consider how little value that junk stored in the garage has vs. the value of the cars that have to live in the driveway exposed to the elements and potential break-ins. Consider these tips to regain your garage space for better use.

No matter if you purchase an expensive custom garage storage system or just hang a few hooks for your bikes; investing in the organization of your garage can prevent environmental hazards like rodent infestations and chemical leaks, and save you time and money. Hey, you might even fit your car in there once it’s organized!

• Create zones where like items will live (i.e. automotive, gardening, sports, tools, toys, etc.) Consolidate items for easy retrieval, placing items as close as possible to where they will be used. For example, keep gardening supplies in a large basket by the outside door. Set recycling bins right next to the interior door. Put tools near the workbench.

• Install pegboard on one wall. Use hooks to hold tools and gardening equipment. Pop in brackets and you can install shelving as well. Then use labeled jars or a multi-drawer storage system to separate small pieces of hardware. I like the vertical tool organizers with clear drawers that allow you to see what’s in each drawer without having to open it.

• Get stuff off the floor and onto the walls and ceiling. Install inexpensive hooks to hold bikes, rakes, brooms, sleds, ladders, and hoses. Install cabinets and shelving along the back or side walls. In garages with high ceilings, I’ve even recommended ceiling storage that creates suspended shelf space to make use of the unused overhead space.

• Make it easy for kids to access and put away their own stuff. Use a tall trashcan to hold hockey sticks, baseball bats, and other long items. Corral balls in a large bin. Place balls and bats, and other toys that kids will take out in the yard or driveway, close to the external entrance of the garage (close to where they are used).  In the garage of one of my clients, we corralled bikes and Big Wheels by making imaginary parking spaces by installing industrial tape to the floor like a parking lot. The kids loved putting their bikes away in their own parking space.

• Be prepared for an emergency – keep a fire extinguisher handy, mounted on the wall.

Organizing your garage with these tips will help you to truly enjoy your newly accessible space and the new season.

HAPPY SPRING!

Originally posted 2009-03-08 22:32:39. Republished by Blog Post Promoter