I'm having a garage sale

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

We have to move soon. The landlord wants to sell this house. So I thought I’d have a garage sale to get rid of all the old junk around here. Lots of clothes, toys and lawn maintenence stuff.

Anybody have any pointers? This will be my first time!

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As a long-time yard sale fan, I can offer a couple of tips…

Signs are the key. Make several, make them all the same color/design. Have directional arrows on them. Make it very clear how to get to your house. Have them at every turn on the way from the main roads, and it helps to have one in the middle of any long straight stretch of road on the way to your place.

Nothing more frustrating than wandering around a strange neighborhood, feeling like a complete doofus.

Oh, and take them down when the sale is over.

Price things a little higher than you think they’re worth, but be prepared to haggle a bit.

Mostly, have fun with it. It’s a good chance to get to know your neighbors.

And this puts me in mind of another thread that might be fun to start…

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  1. Hire the neighborhood kids (if you can trust them) to watch the tables - you’d be surprised at what people will try to walk off with, even if it’s marked only $.50.

  2. Be prepared for people to show up EARLY. We had people knocking on the door at 5:30 in the freaking morning (we were scheduled to start at 8, and we hadn’t even gotten up yet).

  3. Someone will inevitably want to use your bathroom; if you feel you absolutely must let them, remove anything of value in the bathroom and the adjoining rooms, and have someone escort them so they do not think the rest of the house is a smorgasboard just for their pickings. ("No, the lamp is NOT for sale. Put it down. Yes, I really mean it’s not for sale. $75? Well,…).

  4. Pray for good weather. Nothing like rain to put a damper on the day.

  5. Take a little time and wash and clean items for sale. Scrub the pots & pans, wash the doll faces, clean the dust off the knicknacks. Make everything look a little more attractive and presentable. (It may be a garage sale, but things don’t have to look like you are a bunch of slobs. I’ve seen some dishes and cups with bits of food still attached, mouldy books, stained clothing that even “Help the Poor” would reject, you get the idea.)

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Thanks! Keep those suggestions coming!