Thanks to Cindy Bernstein of Aim4Order for this episode of Tips from the Pros to help you figure out whether or not garage sales are worthwhile.

I am a long-time member of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO). Recently, there was an active discussion on Garage Sales. I am regularly asked about Garage Sales and I’m not a big fan. Having attended my fair share and participated in Flea Markets dating back to the 1980s, I see that most items go for very little. However, I recall fondly the time we participated in the Flea Market on Route 40. We earned enough money to pay for our wedding bands (when the price of gold was waaaaay less). But I digress (again)…

Putting my own biases aside, I thought it might be helpful to share the tips that organizers shared from around the world regarding “Best Practices” for Garage Sales.

Here goes — and I repeat — these are not my tips — they are from organizers from all over the world.

Garage sale best practices — general

• Advertise what is in the sale. Include photos via local FB groups, NextDoor, etc…The goal is to lure all types of buyers to the sale. Include “no early sales”…so people don’t come 30 minutes before the time stated the sale begins. 
• Decide if you only want cash or if will you take a check or Venmo. If it’s cash only, you should include that in the ad.  
• Presentation matters, too- if things are laid out and displayed nicely,
• Make sure you have bags and packing material at the checkout. 
• Enlist help from family/friends/local teenagers. This can also help make sure people don’t steal stuff – this happens!
• Have a plan for the leftovers – do not put them back in circulation!
• Check the value of valuables (gold and silver jewelry, etc.); you can go to an appraiser. People always undersell valuables at garage sales.
• If it is more than 50 decent household items (including tools), then you might want to consider doing an online auction like MaxSold. Competitive bidding usually yields better prices. 

Garage sale best practices — pricing 

• Price everything.
• Items like books and clothing don’t have to be individually priced…e.g., “Hardcover books $2 /paperback $1” is good. 
• You can do a $1 table where all the items cost a dollar. 
• You can price everything a little high and then offer people a deal if interested. 
• eBay is a good tool to gauge interest and what an item sold for under “completed sales.” But it may not be realistic for a garage sale. 
• For speed of setup and to make it easier to reduce prices in the last hour or so, I suggest a colored sticker system of pricing. Each color is a price point, e.g. yellow for $1 (or put a yellow tablecloth under that whole table!), red $2, green $5, purple $10, white $20 (you get the gist), then have a board with the key to all the prices. Later slash the prices on the board, as appropriate, depending on how motivated she is to clear items, maybe 50% off. Items over $20, get individual price stickers.
• There were several warnings about theft at garage sales – from items being stolen to a professional couple using a distraction method that resulted in them walking off with all the cash. (I hated to include this tip but felt it was prudent to do so).

My favorite suggestion is the pricing tables with the colored tablecloths.

Bottom Line

If you have the time and energy, why not give it a try? However, if you are faint of heart and sensitive, you may be very hurt/insulted when people offer pennies for your cherished possessions. Sometimes giving to a local charity is a much easier and ‘feel good’ method. Whatever you do, it’s never too late to part with the items you have that are not being treasured/used/appreciated.

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Additionally, if you are thinking about buying or selling your home, contact Gigi today. Oh, by the way, I’m never too busy for any of your referrals!