Hosting A Garage Sale

Welcome to summer! A time for clearing out the house and earning some extra cash by hosting a Garage Sale!

From attending many Garage Sales, I have come to learn the difference between a well-planned and organized sale and one in which people have absolutely no clue what they are doing (which can sometimes be to the benefit of the buyer).

Here are a few suggestions to follow when hosting a Garage Sale:

(1) Gather:
Gathering items to sell can be a hard or easy process. There are many ways to decide what to get rid of. Some include:

• 6 Month Rule--If you haven't worn or used it in 6 months it's time to let go.
• Clothes--If they are outgrown, missing buttons, has holes, or not being worn then they are Garage Sale items.
• Toys--Children get new toys at least twice a year (Birthday & Christmas) if not more. These can add up quick! Involve your children. Have them choose which toys to get rid of and let them have the profits on their share. Toys to include may be outgrown, missing pieces, or any at the bottom of the toy box not being used.
• Books & Movies--These are my "hot" items that I look for when I am at Garage Sales. Go through your collection. Take out duplicates, ones not watched or read, damaged ones, etc. If these items are fairly new, they will go FAST!
• Closet Annoyances--Anything that is taking up great storage room that is not going to be used. This could include: Blankets, Bedding, Towels, Appliances, Christmas Decorations, Mistake Purchases, or Presents Never Used. Get rid of them and enjoy the space!!

Lastly, making sure these items are clean (Wash Clothing, Clean Appliances, etc). Clean items sell faster and people are willing to pay more if they are "like new."
 
(2) Store:
 Designating a certain area to store items for a Garage Sale will help you to be organized when the "day" rolls around. This area could be a closet, a room, or garage; wherever is easiest for you.  

Once you have set aside a space, you can store your "clean" Garage Sale items in plastic containers or boxes that are easy to stack.

Depending on your pricing strategies, you may want to pre-price your items before you pack them in the plastic containers or boxes. This will save you time and add to your organization.  

(3) Plan:
 Pick a day in which you will have the greater part of the day off. The best days for Garage Sales are Saturdays when most people do not work. Most Sales start at 7 or 8 am and run through the late afternoon. You know your neighborhood best, so feel free to accommodate.

Group or Neighborhood Garage Sales work best because they draw in a crowd. Talk with your neighbors and friends! Everyone has items to get rid of!

(4) Advertise:
 The more people who know about your sale, the more will come! Here are some suggestions on how to successfully advertise:

• Local Newspaper--Ads are usually cheap or free! Include your address and some of your "hot" items to sell. If you live in a smaller or rural community, including your last name will better help them locate your place.
• Online--Most people are connected 24/7, so what better way to advertise? Check out the following websites where you can post information about your sale:
• www.craigslist.org--A site that provides local classifieds!
• www.facebook.com--The fastest growing social network! You can post your Garage Sale as an event and invite all of your friends!
• www.yardsalesearch.com--A site where you can list and check out Garage Sales! The best thing is that it shows buyers a printable map of where to find your sale!

(5) SIGNS:
Signs are very important!!! Remember the following when creating and posting signs:

http://asoftplace.net/

• Easy To Read--Remember the 3 B's: BIG, BOLD, BLACK! Your signs need to be read from a moving car! Big, Bold, Black letters are easy to read and more people will follow what stands out to them!



The perfect example of an arrow that I found!

• Arrows--Big Black Arrows will help to direct buyers to your house! Addresses are great to include but arrows are better! 
• Bright Paper--Use yellow, neon pink or green paper or poster board for your signs! This will attract people's attention! Add in the black font and you're set! 
• Posting--Post your signs at major intersections and then follow them up with matching ones that direct people to your house. 
• Balloons--Balloons are an eye-catcher! Plus if you have toys, they attract children!  

(6) Pricing:
 Pricing in $0.25 increments will make things easy on both you and your buyers. Making tables of certain prices will make things simple (if you can remember what is on each table). For example, books could be either $0.25 or $0.50 each. I have seen books placed on tables or in cardboard boxes.

Some Garage Sales that I have been to run specials. For example, $0.25 per item or $2.00 for a bag. This makes shopping fun and easy for your buyers!

Avoid pricing items too low. A $0.10 item may not be worth your time. Most buyers feel that $0.10 and $0.25 are the same thing...couch change!

(7) Sale Day:
Card Tables work best to present your items. Items thrown in a box may get passed by. You can hang clothes up or fold them on a table.

If your items look attractive, people will stop!

Get your children involved! Some other "hot" items to sell at your sale could include: Cookies, Bottled Water, Lemonade, etc. This will give your kids an easy job and they will love every minute of it!

(8) After:
You can either pack up your unsold items for next time or donate them to charity!

I hope my advice will prove beneficial for all of you! Good luck and happy earning! 

 

Garage Sales Are The BEST!

Summer...the PERFECT season for Garage Sales! Every weekend there seems to be several great ones taking place!

Check out the bargains I found today!

Both "The Miracle of Forgiveness" and "Mona Lisa Smile" were $0.25 each!

These wallets were $0.50 each! Amazon has similar ones listed for $13.99+!

The Basket was $1.00! The 11 skeins of yarn were in a huge garbage bag for $5.00! At Wal-Mart, a skein of yarn usually runs between $4-8. So, for 11 skeins of yarn it would be around $44-$88! I saved $39-$83!

The lady who I purchased the yarn from threw in these patterns for FREE!! :)

These movies were only $1.00 apiece!! Target.com lists the following prices: Mr. & Mrs. Smith $10.19, Space Cowboys $4.98,  and King Kong $10.34! You have got to love the savings!

Estate sales are the best! They have everything you need to furnish a home and more for really cheap prices! Check out what I found!

Mash Season One: $1.00

Baking Dishes: $1.00 Each

$1.00 For Set!

What do you think about my bargains? I am pleased with them!

An awesome website to find Garage Sales near you is: http://www.yardsalesearch.com! Try it out! That is how I found these!

SWAGBUCKS!

In January, my roommate introduced me to the best thing EVER...Swagbucks! You earn points (called Swagbucks) by simply searching, watching videos, taking surveys, playing games, and many more easy ways. Then you can redeem your points for several different prizes, with my favorite being the $5 Amazon Gift-Card! Within the last two weeks, I have purchased Scrubs Season 3 and Full House Season 1 with my Gift-Cards!!

Inviting friends makes earning points a whole lot easier! Every time one of your friends wins Swagbucks for online searching, the same amount of Swagbucks are added to your account (up to 1,000 Swagbucks)!

Another one of my favorite features are Swagbucks coupons! Simply just choose the coupons you want, print them out, use them at the store, and get Swagbucks for using them! I love them! I get to save and earn at the same time! Last week, I used one that got me a $1 off any brand of cheese and $0.75 off any brand of milk!! Two staples in any house!

I know that everyone is wondering "How do I start earning Swagbucks?" It's EASY!
(1) Go to: http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/GotDance
(2) Register
(3) Download the Swagbucks Toolbar
(4) Start Searching--(When you when Swagbucks for searching a banner will appear at the top of your screen telling you how many points you have won. Be sure to check that they are automatically added to your account! Sometimes it will want you to enter a word or phrase!)

EARNING TIPS:

• Daily Poll--Will ask you a question everyday about some random subject. You will get 1 Swagbuck for answering with any answer! To access go to "Earn" at the top of the Swagbucks homepage and then choose "Daily Poll."
• Searching--The more you search the more you can win! Swagbucks are given at random, so do not expect to win every time! Also, there is not a set amount of points given each time you win, I have won between 6-28 Swagbucks for searching! My advice is to use your Swagbucks toolbar to search for EVERY site you go to (Facebook, Email, etc.). 

• NOSO--"No Obligation Special Offers" This will bring you to offers that you can either sign up for or skip through. I usually skip through all of the offers and receive 2 Swagbucks. I do this once per day. To access this go to "Earn" at the top of the Swagbuck homepage and then choose "NOSO."
• Coupons--One of my favorite parts that I described earlier. To access go to "Earn" at the top of the Swagbucks homepage and then to "Coupons."
• Refer A Friend--Remember the more people you have underneath you, the more Swagbucks you earn! Whenever they earn points for searching, the same amount will be added to your account up to 1,000 points per friend.
• Check Out The Homepage--Sometimes there will be special ways to earn points listed on the homepage. Some that I have found in the past are watching a video, a special offer from some company, etc. Also, if you scroll to the bottom of the page there is an hourly random winner of 1,000 Swagbucks!

Good Luck Everyone!! I hope that you grow to love Swagbucks as much as I do! Happy Earning! :)