6 Ways to Make Your Garage Sale Stand Out

On the weekends, Australian neighborhoods become inundated with garage sales. Colourful cardboard placards are taped to street signs, tempting passersby with a sneaky bargain or two.

Perhaps the biggest draw for attendees is they never really know what they’re in for when they step onto each drive way. How do they know which ones are really going to deliver?

That’s where the effort you put into the garage sale really comes into play. To help keep your sale extravaganza ahead of the pack – here are some top tips for hosting a garage sale:

1. Be Smart about Your Date & Time

Nobody will attend a garage sale that’s at an inconvenient time and you’ll be doing yourself a disservice by scheduling it at the same time as a retail event. Do a little research about what events are happening on the weekend you’re wanting to pencil in your garage sale.

Saturday’s are a good day to go for because people are keen to get out and about.

Choose a day where you can dedicate an entire day, but ensure you’re setting yourself a set end time so there’s at least a little bit of urgency for undecided buyers.

2. Advertise, advertise, advertise!

Relying on foot traffic is not a smart way to make money from your garage sale.

Online advertising is where it’s at these days – advertise on Facebook community boards, post about it on your Facebook and Instagram pages and ask your friends to share the posts.

Ample signage in surrounding streets also allows you to get the attention of people within the area. Just make sure they’re directional so people know where they’re going.

3. Plan and optimize display options

The more presentable and visually appealing your garage sale is, the more appealing your items for sale will be. Put some effort into your sale by organizing and categorizing and labelling your items correctly. Keep it looking tidy so people can find things they might be looking for easier. While finding treasure is why people tend to come to these things – no one really wants to dig to find it, and there’s a high chance they’ll give up altogether if it looks like it’s going to be too much of an effort.

4. Price it Competitively & Haggle

It’s a good idea to do a bit of research on online portals like Gumtree and Ebay to see what this stuff is selling for. This will give you a good idea bout what people are willing to pay for your items. The last thing you want is to sell yourself short, but you also don’t want to be left with all of your belongings at the end of the day because you couldn’t negotiate a fair price.

While you might be able to see the items for their sentimental value, other people see it for what it is – so keep in time that you should expect to sell your items for slightly less. Think about bundle deals.

Generally, prices should be about ¼ to ½ of their original price depending on their condition.

Don’t be afraid to say no to low-ball offers but ask them to reconsider their best price and tell them why you’re not willing to sell it for any less.

5. Team Up!

Just about everyone you know should have stuff they want to sell. A great way to garner attention around your garage sale is to make it a group effort. This will not only make your garage sale a much bigger event, but you’ll be able to attract the attention of wider audiences.

6. Enjoy Yourself!

Garage sales are a time for you to have fun. Especially if you’re holding your garage sale with friends on the weekend. Get some tunes going and have fun! The funner you make it for yourself, the better time your shoppers will have too.