How to Yard Sale

a tiny percentage of my precious wooden hanger collection

I am addicted to yard sales. When I would go home from college, instead of getting together with friends or going out at night, I'd wake up early and ride in the backseat while my parents drove with me to various yard and estate sales. It was thrilling. Seriously. I'm not being sarcastic. Like, I really, really enjoyed it. I was no where near cool and I did not care because I was able to collect enough wooden hangers to last the next 17 years, hangers that no one will ever see or care about. Who's cool now, suckers? Yeah, I showed them.

Since I consider myself somewhat edjumakted in the school of yard sale hard knocks learning the ropes one quarter at a time, I thought I would bestow on you my plethora of yard sale-ing smarts.

For Shoppers:

map provided via garage sale tracker

1. Find Out Where the Sales Are

Check out sites like garage sale tracker {you can see photos and maps!}, craigslist, and as a last resort, the newspaper, these are all resources I use to sniff out the hot spots. Keep your eyes open for signs as well.

my boys enjoying the touchable bubbles I got from a yard sale, unopened 25 cents

2. Find the multi sales

Once you find all the listings for sales, if you are lucky, you'll have to decide what sales to hit. Look for neighborhood sales, multi family sales, school fund raiser sales, church sales...anything that includes a group of people will tremendously up the odds of you finding great stuff. The more time you can spend shopping and not in your car trying to find a sale, the better.

3. Start early

The best stuff goes fast. I like to be in my car before the sales are scheduled to open which 'round these parts is 7am. But, if you are out later in the morning don't fret, sellers are wanting to dump their junk on you by that time so you are likely to get something for a much lower price.

photo: Yard Sale Bloodbath

4. Be ye prepared

Here's what I try to have with me:

• room in the car to put stuff
• map
• cash {ones if possible}
• drinks & snacks
  
• friend
• fabric file
• small tape measure

5. Ask for a lower price.

Just ask. Unless it's 7am. To me, it's bad yard sale etiquette to ask if someone will take lower for something too early. Unless it's a big ticket item, I usually pay asking price for the small things the first 30 minutes or so. Don't be afraid to ask. Remember, it's more about the attitude then the price someone wants. Being genuinely kind and encouraging can go a long way.

6. You do not have to buy something.

Sellers don't {shouldn't} get their feelings hurt if there's nothing you need that they are selling. You don't owe it to them to stand around for at least 3 minutes loitering and acting like you might buy something. You are stealth, your time is limited, get in, give it a good look see and get out if you don't see anything. A quick "thank you" or "good luck" can be added if you feel really bad. Always remember, that every minute you spend taking your sweet time is a minute someone else somewhere is buying exactly what you are looking for at a killer price.


7. Have a goal

Have an idea of what you are looking for. Right now I'm on the prowl for some high bar stools. I really should go ahead and figure out exactly the height I'll need so I won't have to try to call my husband and have him measure while I'm out. I'm always in the market for kid's toys that could be gifts, housewares that I fall in love with and feel sure I can use and fabric. Tell your friend what you are looking for too, you know for accountability. That way when you see another huge birdcage for a bird you won't ever have she can remind you that you don't need it.

For Sellers:

1. Advertise.

I hear that people usually look at garage sale tracker {free to list right now and you can post photos!}, craigslist and the newspaper to find sales to visit. Use them all to get the word out and PUT UP SIGNS! Please, please, please. I cannot tell you how many times I have given up on finding a sale because of lack of signage. My dad has some huge red arrows that he cut out of heavy duty cardboard. No words, just the arrow. He places them at intersections pointing out the way every year during the neighborhood sale and people always comment on them saying they were compelled to follow the arrows just to see where they led. Quite clever.

2. Have a group sale

Plan a sale with others for optimal customers--people look for group sales so it's worth it to wait for the neighborhood sale. You'll attract more people and can share any of the advertising costs.

3. Start early

Don't try to be all fancy and start at 8:30am. Unless that's the time that everyone else in your town starts. I have passed up sales before never to come back because I was there at 7:30 as they were setting up and was told that I needed to come back at 8. As if. Make it easy on people, start at 7am.

Trays: 2/$1

4. Be prepared

Here's what I like to have when I have a sale

• tables to set stuff on and sheets laid out with stuff organized on it
• clear prices or signs with prices
• food
• phone
• money box {or if you don't mind looking dorky and 98 years old, a fanny pack}
• change--lots of ones and quarters
• a few grocery bags for your big spenders
• SIGNS
• kids selling drinks in a cooler and prepackaged snacks
• good company to sell with, I prefer my mom and sister
  

5. Take lower than your asking price

Stick to your prices for a little while but count the cost of being stuck with something as opposed to selling it for 50 cents less. Decide before hand the lowest price that you will sell something for and if someone tries to get you to take less tell them you are still on the fence about selling it and are only willing to sell it if you can get x amount out of it. There's no arguing with that answer.

6. Don't take it personal

Not everyone will buy something. Remember, this is your used stuff. If it's something great you can always sell it on craigslist or ebay. Don't expect to sell a dusty, dirty unfinished dollhouse for $300 at a yard sale because it was once worth it to you. Not that I've seen that or anything. People are looking for great deals, and you get to get rid of your junk, it's a win win.

armoire I bought with yard sale monies

7. Set a goal.

For one yard sale I wanted to make enough to buy a goose neck faucet for my kitchen. In another sale, I sold our old furniture and my goal was to be able to pay for a new armoire with cash. I met both goals. It's much more fun when you have a goal and see all your old stuff leave in exchange for something you've been wanting. And, it frees you up to adjust your prices as the day passes.

Final Thoughts:

There are all kinds of schools of thought on pricing. I usually price all my stuff since I only have sales with my mom and my sister. Every year we swear it's not worth it and every year, we have another sale. We each use a different color tag/sticker or we at least put our initial on the tag so we can keep track. All the money goes into one pot and we take all the tags off the items and stick them on a notebook that has three columns--one for each of us. At the end we add up the amounts in each column and divvy the monies up. Doesn't it sound like more when I say monies?

Some people like to just tell the prices as people ask. As a buyer that doesn't bother me at all and I could see how that would be easier. As a control freak that totally bothers me because I wouldn't want my husband to sell something for $3 when I was gonna ask $30. But I'm always happy when someone else's husband sells me the $30 item for three dollars.

I'm sure I forgot like a hundred things, feel free to add your 25 cents to the list.