Boost Garage Sale Profits With Tech Tools
By Asha Dornfest (from Parent Hacks) on July 19, 2010
The garage sale is the classic low-tech moneymaker: put your stuff on the curb, sell it to passersby. Success has everything to do with weather, location and the effectiveness of homemade signs nailed to telephone poles.In fact, smart use of tech tools can net more cash for your cra...uh, items for sale. With a little advance planning (but very little time or money outlay), you can maximize your garage sale profits.
You're probably already familiar with the heavy hitters: your local Craigslist.org, your local newspaper's online advertising service, Ebay.com, and Freecycle.org. Spend a little time with these services to make sure that your garage sale items are priced to move and are visible to the widest possible audience.
Now is also the time to start your promotion. Promotion and advertising are the cornerstone of a successful garage sale. Visit your local newspaper's website to set up a short, punchy classified ad that will run both in the paper and online. Run your ad on Thursday and Friday for sales held Friday and Saturday.
1-2 weeks before the sale
Presumably, you've already combed through your home searching for items to sell. Nothing is too small or obscure -- you'd be surprised by what people will buy.
Assuming you've now got a corner of your basement or garage filled with "inventory," it's time to think about pricing. You want to price your stuff high enough to make money, but low enough to sell and, I think, just as importantly, give you and the buyer that warm, fuzzy feeling of participating in a good deal. Here's where a little research will pay off.
Check a selection of your items against similar items for sale on Craigslist, eBay, and in your newspaper classified section (most can be searched online). You'll need to price your items slightly lower than the listed price to move out of your sale and into your customers' cars. For that reason, consider selling some of your more valuable items ahead of time, either via Craigslist or to a consignment shop. How to decide? If the item is rare and/or it would benefit from a national audience (especially if it's small and easy to ship), it's a good candidate for advance sale.
Check a selection of your items against similar items for sale on Craigslist, eBay, and in your newspaper classified section (most can be searched online). You'll need to price your items slightly lower than the listed price to move out of your sale and into your customers' cars. For that reason, consider selling some of your more valuable items ahead of time, either via Craigslist or to a consignment shop. How to decide? If the item is rare and/or it would benefit from a national audience (especially if it's small and easy to ship), it's a good candidate for advance sale. If your pricing research reveals you're selling a bunch of low-value knickknacks, price some for a quarter (you can never have too many quarters) and put the rest in a prominently-displayed FREE box. No one can resist a FREE box.
Now is also the time to start your promotion. Promotion and advertising are the cornerstone of a successful garage sale. Visit your local newspaper's website to set up a short, punchy classified ad that will run both in the paper and online. Run your ad on Thursday and Friday for sales held Friday and Saturday. Promote your sale at any local sites that accept such announcements, such as your local Craigslist and relevant community sites in which you participate. For example, if you're part of the Hoboken Golf Enthusiast social network, it wouldn't be gratuitous to mention you're selling your old clubs at a steep discount. There are a number of other yard sale clearinghouses online, including Yardsalesearch.com, Garagesalesource.com and Weekendtreasure.com.
1-2 days before the sale
1-2 days before the sale Now's the time to kick into high gear with your promotion. List the sale AND individual big-ticket items (with photos) on Craigslist. List freebies on your local Freecycle group and schedule pickup during your yard sale. Deal-seekers who frequent these sites are sure to find other irresistible purchases once they arrive.
The day of the sale
Don't stop promoting! 1-2 hours after the sale starts, list items that haven't yet sold. My neighbor was selling his old table saw at our neighborhood yard sale, and when it didn't move right away, I suggested he list it with photos on Craigslist with the urgent instruction to pick it up RIGHT NOW. He snapped pictures with his camera phone and finished the listing in minutes. In another few minutes, he had a number of interested callers.
After the sale
After the saleAh. You're sitting in your living room, counting all the money you just made...and you're dreading having to haul the dregs of your sale back into your garage. Wait! Let someone else do it! Arrange the leftovers on your front lawn and list them in in Freecycle and Craigslist as free to the first person who picks them up (ask them to call first so as not to encourage frustrated drive-bys). Someone will love the freebie score, and you'll love clearing out the last of your stuff.
What's your most successful garage sale tip? Tell us below!
See more from Parent Hacks:
For the Birds: Smartphone Field Guides
See more from Parent Hacks:
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Asha Dornfest is the founder of Parent Hacks -- where savvy parents swap clever, often unconventional, parenting tips. Here's the practical, real-world stuff you'll never find in an "expert" book. Featured in Real Simple, Parents, and PC Magazine.
Track Your Kid's Allowance Online
6 Sites to Help You Plan a Summer Roadtrip
Create a "Possibilities" Calendar
=========================================================================
Asha Dornfest is the founder of Parent Hacks -- where savvy parents swap clever, often unconventional, parenting tips. Here's the practical, real-world stuff you'll never find in an "expert" book. Featured in Real Simple, Parents, and PC Magazine.
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