Garage Sale Do's...
- Do check your local bylaws to ensure you are able to have garage sales, how many, how large they can be, if parking will be an issue or holidays, rules on signage, if there's a license required or fees to pay.
- Do prepare in your sale in advance. Involve the neighbours or the whole street. Split costs for items you can share such as signage, tape, bags, advertising or the coffee / lemonade stand.
- Do stock pile your items in one area, at anytime of year! Seasonal changes often require moving things around. If you're not going to use it again, store it in the garage sale pile.
- Do cover and protect clothing, glassware, china, trinkets, electronics etc. as you collect them. Dusty, dirty, smelly items won't fly off the tables.
- Do keep boxes, containers, baskets, cabinets, dressers, desks, tables, shelves and trunks to sell and aide in selling. You need surfaces to display and group like items.
- Do be prepared with tarps so you can protect your items from natural elements such as rain and winds.
- Do put prices on all of your items in advance, right on the top! Painters tape removes easily and you can write on it with permanent marker. Realize that of course you may need to be flexible with bargain hunters. Grouped items can be marked with one sign ie; books 4 for a $1, fill a bag for $5.
- Do place larger tages on larger items such as furniture or electronics. Attach a piece of paper with point form write up's explaining more details such as age, useage, works or doesn't work, flaws and price etc. Unless you like to repeat, repeat, repeat...
- Do hang clothes on metal hangers and include them with the sale and/or fold nicely and place on a table.
- Do have lots of bags for putting sold items into along with tissue or newspaper to wrap fragile items.
- Do advertise in your local paper, online or post on a local bulletin board usually found at the library, post office, town hall, township office, church, grocery stores and/or arena.
- Do make sure you have a large enough cash float. Have lots of change, five and ten dollar bills along with the ability to break bigger ones if necessary. Do not use a cash box that sits alone, it's best to use one of those uuuggly fanny packs.
- Do have an extension cord available to turn on and test items for potential buyers.
- Do create proper, readable signage with directional arrows and large, bold lettering. Keep it simple with the date, time and location. Attach a wooden stake to water resistant sign board or plywood. Do not staple to trees or hydro poles of any kind, it's dangerous to workers and harmful to the trees!
- Do put up your signs up the night before your garage sale or very early the morning of the garage sale. Be sure to check the instructions yourself to make sure they are legible and correct.
- Do consider not having a garage sale and donating your quality items to charity :o) Blankets, quilts, sheets and towels are used up daily at local animal shelters. Clothing, household or decorative items and toys are if use to your local Salvation Army, senior's centre, women's shelter or community centre.
Garage Sale Don'ts...
- Don't sell it if it doesn't belong to you!
- Don't have a garage sale every weekend, it's not fun for those living around you having to share in the increased noise and traffic while you profit.
- Don't leave your garage sale signs up, remove them once the sale is over.
- Don't try to retire by charging too much. A bag of shells may represent a $3000 vacay to you but to a kid, they're just shells.
- Don't use paper signs, they're not big enough and tear easily.
- Don't use a ball point pen to chicken scratch a sign, use permanent felt tipped marker.
- Don't offend or bore potential buyers with your opinions, stories or comments. Just smile and be available.
- Don't hover and engage in alot of unnecessary small talk unless they approach you.
- Don't shoot the early birds, just warn them with a sign ;)... Early Birds will be Shot!
- Don't leave your yard a mess. Holes, mislaid toys & rakes does not a happy buyer make!
- Don't allow your dog/s to mingle with the buyers. Keep them, their barking & poopage under wraps!
- Don't stack glass or breakable near anything that may fall or get knocked over. It's hard to clean up glass out of grass!
- Don't forget to check inside items to remove any personal effects of your own.
- Don't have the tunes cranked but do have some top 40 playing which offers buyers some privacy when discussing or bartering.
- Don't hang out in a dark corner or behind the bushes, be seen and be available.
- Don't host a garage sale alone, always have at least one other person on site with you.
No comments:
Post a Comment