How to Make $1000.00 at Your Next Yard Sale
No, that’s not an error – you really can make $1000.00 at your next yard sale! My friend Lydia has yard sales every year to raise money for various charities, and she has never made less than $1000.00. Her two best yard sales have earned over $2000.00 each. If that seems unattainable to you, check out her tips:
1. Clean your entire house out. Starting at one room, go through every drawer, cabinet, etc. Have a big Rubbermaid bin that you tote from room to room. If you haven’t used it in a while- let it go! As you are cleaning things out, put aside specialty items like antiques or collectibles and bigger ticket items like furniture. Try to ebay or Craig’s list those. If they don’t sell, THEN you can yardsale them.
2. Advertise like crazy. Craig’s list is free. Most newspapers also have an online site for ads that is free. See if you local Chamber or town has a site to post on that is free. Make neon colored posterboard signs that are written in BLACK sharpies so they are easily seen from the road.
3. Tell all your friends to tell all their friends. Ask them if they want to donate to your yardsale. My friends are awesome like that:)
4. Price your items! People feel differently about this but over the past 5 years of doing big fundraiser sales I have learned that most people won’t even begin to haggle with you if there isn’t a starting price. There are also those few shy folks who don’t want to ask you to go lower, they just want to buy it and get out of there. They won’t buy it if there isn’t a price. Don’t pay a lot for pricing stickers. They are a pain to get off of merchandise. Masking tape and sharpies works just fine.
5. For items that you have a lot of, decide how much you will sell the items for in bulk. For example, I usually sell paperback books for 25 cents each. A preschool teacher was shopping for her classroom and I gave her a big box full for $5. DVDs could be $1 each or 6 for $5. You don’t want leftovers to tore to Goodwill! You’d rather have the money.
6. DON’T just sit in your chair and be a snob. Talk, be friendly, tell people to “make you an offer if they don’t like the price!” I shout this out all day:) If you are friendly, people will usually let you keep the change if you owe them a few cents for their purchase.
7. Try to group like items with like at your sale. Housewares on one table, kids toys on another, kids clothing and shoes on one tarp. adults on another, etc.
8. Put bigger items, like big toys or furniture nearest the road to attract attention.
9. Sell baked goods and drinks. At next year’s sale I am going to make freezer casseroles and sell them. Who would ever think you could bring dinner home from a yard sale!
Visit Lydia at her blogs The Mommy Pages and The Eclectic Homemaker!
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Category: Frugal Articles
