Preparing for the upcoming Garage Sale

If you'd like to participate in the East Hills garage sale on September 10, please sign up HERE.

Below are some hints and tips for preparing for the sale:  

NOW

 
go through your basement, closets, kitchen drawers, bookshelves, tools and kids' toys for items to sell. Put them into boxes or an area set aside for this purpose until you're ready to price them. Go through clothing pockets.

start saving grocery bags (for your customers to take away their purchases) and newspaper (if needed to wrap fragile items)

find tables and/or clothing racks to display your items

set up boxes for items like CDs and books

find a friend or two to run the sale with you

at least a week before the sale

 
wash or clean everything you're selling

get colored price stickers and tag every item with a price. Be realistic about how much you ask; remember that untagged items are less likely to sell.

get posterboard for items that are all priced the same (for example: paperbacks $1)

find a box or other container in which to keep the money organized (fanny packs are also an option)

a day or two before the sale

 
set up your table and display your items attractively, if selling from the garage. Keep fragile items away from small hands' reach

if you're selling anything electrical, have an extension cord ready so buyers can test things

consider hanging old sheets from the garage walls to cover items you don't intend to display for sale

if you're selling something of higher value, consider taping an ad on the item showing its cost elsewhere

be prepared with plenty of change (you'll be amazed how many dollar bills and quarters you'll need, especially if selling lower-priced items)

decide who will be in charge of the money box; make sure they know to pull larger bills out and put that extra money inside the house every so often.  A fanny pack is one way to keep close track of where the money is, and gives you more mobility.

the day of the sale

 
open the garage door on time, early if you wish...but not late

put some more attractive or interesting items in the driveway to draw lookers in

consider having some soft background music playing

always greet those who come to the sale

consider having a pitcher of water and cups available (it's likely to be hot out)

don't take personal checks unless you're willing to take the risk of a bad check

decide if you want to offer a steep discount on certain items after, say 1 p.m.

keep the family pets indoors

perhaps this is obvious, but don't let strangers into your home