Nonpareil Garage Sales (2024)

FAQs

What sells best in a yard sale? ›

Like we mentioned, you can try to sell lots of things at a garage sale, but that doesn't mean they'll actually sell. It's important to keep in mind some things are in higher demand than others. Selecting in-demand sale items like books, dishes, and tools helps you have a more successful yard sale.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings are usually the best time to hold a successful garage sale. Consider scheduling your sale on the first weekend of the month—when people have just gotten paid and haven't spent all their fun money yet.

The most important thing is to actually put prices on things. Generally speaking around $0.10 on the dollar is fair. Yes, this is most important. Put a price on everything or put a price on the box that everything is in.

As a rule of thumb, price clothing for no more than 50% of what a new, comparable item would go for. Most used clothing sells for around 25% to 40% of what it would be new. Do your research to look at competitors' prices if you need more guidance.

Assess the condition of your items and start pricing using these guidelines that will leave you room to come down in pricing when negotiations begin: Excellent or like-new condition: 50% of original retail price. Good condition: 25%-30% of original retail price. Fair or poor condition: 10% of original retail price.

Another significant downside is that a garage sale is a lot of work. Successful garage sales involve (and require) a lot of preparation like making signs, placing ads, getting permits, pricing items, and getting up before dawn on the day of the sale to set everything up.

How much cash should you have for a garage sale? ›

Sometimes I've started with only $30 but always make sure and have the 10 $1 bills because a lot of people will buy a one or two dollar item and give you a five. I also make sure I have a few more $1's and $5's in the house in case I need them. What are 5 tips for someone who is having their first garage sale?

A basic pricing plan is to create your own price stickers and categorize most items to sell for $1, $5, $10, $15, and $20. Use a label maker or your printer and label sheets. Organize products on tables, in containers, and on clothing racks under a specific price category to help sales flow smoothly.

Searching through hanging clothes is much easier than pawing through a table covered with clothes. Plenty of cash. Get two rolls of quarters, a stack of 50 $1 bills, 10 $5 bills, and 5 $10 bills. Do it two days before the sale so that, if you forget, you can still get the change on the day before.