Community Chat

[wismiss]

I have never had a garage sale before and asked for advice before and saved those suggestions.  However, I have a couple of more detailed questions.

1)  Is it better to group like-items together or is it better to have like a 25 cent table, a 50 cent table, etc?

2)  How do you display jewelry that you have for sale so it can be seen but is not easily taken?

3)  What items do you put close to the check-out point, which ones should be far away, etc.

4)  What is the best arrangement of tables---all one line or like a square or rectangle, or do you have another suggestion?

Thanks for all your advice.  It will be greatly appreciated.

[chickenbutt]

You probably don't want my advice, because my advice would be 'don't do it!'.  hehe -  I hated it.  People coming on my property to disrespect me by offering a dime or quarter for items I was selling, brand new, for just a few bucks when some of them were worth hundreds.  oy, I didn't last long.  

Anyway, as for jewelry, I hope you're not trying to selling fine jewelry (gold or anything with valuable gems/diamonds).  if it's just costume jewelry there's little loss but still.  Maybe you can put up a vertical board with nails or something in it, from which you can hang the pieces and  it's behind the counter where you are collecting money for purchases.  If I had costume jewelry, that's what I'd probably do.  I'd definitely not sell anything valuable at a garage sale, but you probably already know that.  

Obviously, higher value items would be better where you can keep a closer eye on them.

I hope you have another person/spouse/etc to do this with you.  If it is just you, you're at a distinct disadvantage.  Also, be sure that you keep all entrances into the house LOCKED, with the keys in your pocket or on a chain UNDER your clothing.

[Puzzle Piece]

I've never had a garage sale or yard sale.  However, neighbors down the street have asked me for items and they have a multi-family sale which they claim seems to attract more buyers. 

[GCR18]

I like grouping by price.  

If you have a lot of jewelry, put it on a table and have a friend manage that table.  They could also take the money.  If it's not a lot, put it at the checkout table.

I put the heaviest stuff far away.  Breakable where they won't get knocked into.  Keep expensive things near the checkout.

I set the tables up where all the stuff is accessible.  That may mean having access to both sides.  Depends on how much stuff you have and how big it is.  I used to line the driveway with tables.  When the tables stopped, then the big things would be on the ground.

It's always good to have a friend that just walks around the crowd.

[millieshops]

I just helped with a largish sale a friend of mine runs for a local group.

We had three long rows of tables as well as a line-up of small pieces of furniture and large sporting items along a front grass strip.  We grouped items as much as possible: children's, kitchen, crafts, tech, plants, jewelry, clothing. 

The groups for items marked $1 and above, but at the far end of every table there were 25 cent boxes - if someone walked away with something, we didn't lose so much.  The jewelry and a few of the more expensive items we kept nearest the house because that made it less likely someone would walk off with it since that had to move through so much to get away and there were usually 3 or 4 of us nearby.

We ran a 2-day sale.  At the end we boxed everything we thought the vets would come and take, we tossed some of the shabbiest, and made a small "display" on one side of the driveway near the street of items we hoped someone would pick up late at night before garbage day.  Knowing that all the proceeds at our sales go to a local group, it saddens me that people are not willing to shell out a dollar or two, but will spend time and gas to come back later and comb through the refuse!  Still, it does help with clean-up.

[Blahblahvampemer]

After 15 plus garage sales....

1.  Group like items together.  People want certain things, and going from price zone to price zone wastes time, and the hit and runners will bolt.  It also doesn't encourage dealers to buy a lot.

2.  Any jewelry is kept on a table at my side, and silver jewelry is kept ON my table.  Good stuff is sold online.  

3.  Bigger stuff like bakeware, clothing, a vacuum cleaner, old planters and such will be by the door or outside.

4.  Shelves typically go around the walls, a large dining table with leaves goes north south with other tables going east west.  Works decently well for the flow and gives us the maximum room for stuff.

Other advice...poster board signs in bright yellow folded in half east west and put on a stake length wise work well.  GARAGE SALE goes on the top two lines, hours and days on the third with an arrow on the bottom.  Check them the next day to be sure they're still standing.  Two-day sales are ideal, and we go with Friday and Saturday.

Even a small ad in a local paper can be expensive, but it's worth it IMO.  Facebook pages with local news, bulletin boards, word of mouth...whatever works.

Yes, people will try to pay pennies early on, and you nicely decline.  Anything left goes to the Salvation Army.

Good luck!