Guest Post: Garage Sales and a Giveaway!

Today we have another guest post from the thrifty Julia of Goat Notes. The woman is a money-saving machine, and she's here to share some secrets for hosting a bangin' end-of-summer garage sale. Oh, and she's generously giving away a packet of startup supplies to two lucky readers. Read on for more details:

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Hello Final Clothes Out readers! My name is Julia and I write a quaint blog called Goat Notes. I am so happy to be here with you today to share some of my tips on how to host a successful end of summer garage sale. I am an avid second-hand shopper and frequent garage sales often. I am currently in the midst of organizing a MAJOR garage sale myself, and I have learned a thing or two in the process, which I am excited to share with you.

Dates & Times Matter:  In my experience it is best to host your garage sale starting on a Friday to a Saturday, and begin your sale early in the morning around 8 or 9 am. Expect early-birds to arrive at least a half an hour before your sale “begins.” Consider the date for your sale carefully. Typically hosting a sale around the time major employers administer pay checks will ensure more buyers for you.

Spread the Word: Advertise your sale in as many free locations as you can find. Craigslist is always a good option, as well as your local newspaper. Use your newspaper’s online garage sale feature if they have one. In your ad include the date, time and location of your sale. Help set you sale apart from others by listing anything special you might be selling. I am more apt to attend a sale if it says “baby and toddler clothing,” since that is what I am often looking for.

The Importance of Signs: Help lead your garage sale hunters to the goods with clearly marked, bright and well-placed signs. Bright neon green signs always grab my attention. Use clear/large arrows to direct traffic towards your sale. Post your signs in clear visible areas and in locations that receive a lot of traffic. If you are selling anything special like maternity clothing, baby clothing, large appliances, etc say so on your signs. Also, check with your town and neighborhood regarding any restrictions around sign placement. Some cities require sellers to register their yard sales in order to place signs. Check with your local chamber of commerce or city government for restrictions in your area.

Pricing: My suggestion, price everything. It’s exhausting for you, and frustrating for the buyers, to have to constantly ask you much something costs. Price even the items you would normally throw into a “free box” as $0.25. This tactic makes people feel like they are getting deal and that the item they are buying has value. Successful methods of pricing I have used or run into include:

·         Color-Code Pricing: Place colored dot stickers every item that correspond to a poster board key. Green dots are $2, Red dots are $5, yellow dots are $1, etc.

·         Price by Table: Using a series of card tables ( tarps or blankets) place large printed signs with prices on each table and arrange merchandise on the corresponding tables.

·         Price Tags: The old stand-by, make price tags for every item and price each item individually. This will take you longer, but leave little room for buyers to second-guess the price.

What’s in a Name?: What you call your sale can be just as important as what you sell. The end of summer is a great time to host a “College Fund Sale” or “Christmas in August Sale.” Other eye-catching names include: Barn Sale, Antique & Treasure Sale, Moving Sale, Estate Sale, Baby & Maternity Sale.

Remember, having a garage sale is hard work but can be totally worth it. Plus, with a garage sale you help keep useable goods in the hands of those who can use them and keep those items out of our landfills. It’s good karma all the way around. To read more on how to organize a sale check out these websites and blogs (I have found them exceptionally helpful as I have planned my sale):

Organized Home

YardSaleQueen.com

WeekendTreasure

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And because Julia is the best, she's also offering a GIVEAWAY.

Win this stuff!

Use the comments to tell us one of your garage sale tips or tricks (buying or selling) for a chance to win a garage sale starter pack that includes a package of neon posteroard, two black Sharpie markers, and pack of price tags. A perfect combo to get your garage sale off to a good start! You can leave a comment on both Final Clothes Out and Goat Notes for a double chance to win! The contest is open will remain open until 11:59 p.m. August 17th. Two winners will be chosen by a random number generator and announced next Thursday, August 18th.

Good luck!


This giveaway is now closed. The lucky winner from Final Clothes-Out is... Amanda! Congrats! I'll be in touch!