How To Make Creative Yard Sale Signs That Attract Attention & Really Work!

#1 TIPS FOR MAKING NEIGHBORHOOD & ROAD SIGNS:

Do You Need Yard Sale Signs?

Neighborhood and directional signs will show people how to find your yard sale -- whether they first saw your ad or not.

Post your signs leading up to your house the night before the sale. Then, the morning of the sale, check to make sure the signs are still there and add some balloons or streamers at this time. (Make sure you've got the necessities on hand, in case you need to post another sign: staple gun, paper/posterboard, markers, printed sign info, tape, etc.)

Be sure to make a mental note of all the places you've posted signs so you can take them all down after the sale. Leaving garage sale signs up after the sale is tacky and junks up the neighborhood. Plus, the signs tend to shrivel up and fall to the ground anyway. And you don't want to litter!

After your sale is over, TAKE YOUR SIGNS DOWN or else the Yardsale Gods will be mad and cause a thunderstorm for your next yardsale." --The Yard Sale Queen

Before You Hang Signs In The Neighborhood & On Nearby Roads

Keep in mind, some areas (like where I live in Franklin, Tennessee) have ordinances regarding garage sale dates, times, and places.

Some also have restrictions regarding the placement of signs, so be sure to check with local officials in your area.

For, example, I had to pay a $5 fee to the City of Franklin in order to obtain a yard sale permit. There are some unique privileges & penalties too.

So before you go gangbusters creating some yard sale signs, be sure to check your local ordinances.

That said, some of the places you'll want to hang your signs include:

local grocery stores	at your church
community centers	gyms & workout rooms
nearby parks	at your child's school
on other "local news" boards

Be sure to look for other areas within your own neighborhood to get the word out about your yard sale. For example, at our community swimming pool, there's an "info board" for people to post notices.

What To Include On Your Yard Sale Signs

The most important information you need to include on your sign:

• The word "SALE"
• Street address
• Days & times (optional)

Tip: In my experience, "MOVING SALE" has always attracted more people than "GARAGE SALE". (This is true when writing classified ads, as well as yard sale signs.) I think it's because when people realize that you're moving, they rationalize that you will be selling more "large" items, and that you'll also be desperate to get rid of things at rock-bottom prices. Shoppers (including myself) generally prefer moving sales to yard sales. (Of course, if you're not moving, you shouldn't be deceitful.)

Additionally, you may want to add an arrow pointing toward the direction of your home. Ideally, you would make the arrows separately so they can be applied to the bottom of your informational signs, as they are being put up.

Use paper grocery bags to draw your signs on then fill the bottom with heavy rocks, stuff with newspaper and staple shut. Ta da! - easy, portable signs that you can just place on the ground. If you use crayon to make your signs, the lettering won't run if it gets wet. I use a permanent marker and make the lettering extra extra wide. The yardsale signs that look like they were written with a ballpoint pen drive me nuts!" -- The Yard Sale Queen

Remember, you want your sign to be readable from a long distance away, so use very thick lettering. Also, the larger your sign is, the better. Posterboard size is best. On most roadways, people are traveling too fast to be able to read whatever is printed on a standard 8-1/2" x 11" piece of paper.

Tip: No matter the size of your paper or board, try to leave some white space, and only include the "bare necessities" -- those few lines of text listed above. Too much information becomes difficult to read.

You could also take a cardboard box and tape colorful posterboard-sized paper to each side with the details of your sale. This sort of 3-D sign attracts a lot of attention!

Another sign suggestion: buy the cheap wire landscaping fencing (I often see it for sale at yardsales!), cut sections apart, draw your sign on a paper bag. Put the paper bag over the fence and staple the bag closed at bottom." -- The Yard Sale Queen

The best colors for yard sale signs are: neon orange and neon green. Why? Because these are bright enough to be seen from a distance away. Brightly colored backdrops like that attract a lot of attention and are highly recommended.

More great tips for making yard sale signs.

Free Tools For Making Your Own Yard Sale Signs

If you're planning on making the signs yourself, then you might consider using these FREE online tools to print your own yard sale signs:

• GarageSaleSource.com
• BestYardSales.com

Where To Order Unique Yard Sale Signs

If you would rather buy some fun yard sale signs, here are the best ones to choose from:

• SassySigns.com


• SaleSigns.info


• YardSaleSupplies.com


• GarageSaleTools.com

...These signs will last for years!

#2 TIPS FOR MAKING PRICE & CATEGORY SIGNS:

Do You Need Price & Category Signs?

Most people don't take the time to make item description signs and larger price signs. But I do.

Just don't put too many words on those signs though, and use thick lettering to make your sign easier to read, especially from a distance.

Make your point in as few words as possible. Why? Because people generally don't "read" signs... they're just skimming, looking for a word or two that interests them or explains what's being sold.

Some of my signs:
Coin & Stamp Collectors: Ask me, I have rare coins & stamps!
Scrapbooking Stuff... Everything must go!

Also, if you have a bunch of something (like dozens of sports posters that are individually rolled up, or different magazines in one big box), then print-out one sheet that says exactly what's there. That way, people don't have to flip through everything to see if there's anything they're interested in.

How To Make Your Signs Last Forever

One of my best ideas is to use clear see-thru page protectors (I use the kind that have holes as if to go in a 3-ring binder) to hold each of your signs. Why? Because they'll stay put! Paper itself is flimsy, it tears, and the ink can smear. Page protectors make your signs indestructible. On a windy day, they won't blow away. On a rainy day, they won't get soggy and unreadable.

No matter what, a sign that's contained inside a page protector will always lie flat & be easy to read. Page protectors also make your signs reusable -- yard sale after yard sale.

Another thing that works great, and serves to "hold up" your sign for displaying on a tabletop: lucite picture frames!

How To Display Price & Category Signs On-Site

• Use a piece of blue painter's tape to tape it to the table top, so it dangles down in front of the table (...with the tape actually showing, because it calls attention to your sign).



• Tape the sign to a piece of cardboard or a box lid for stability and toss it on the table or blanket next to the items it's describing.
• Use a long piece of blue tape to make the sign dangle from your garage overhang.
• You can also tape a sign onto the wall inside your garage -- if you're selling any items from inside the garage.
• Another fun idea is to use those small posts and signs that lawn care professionals leave in your yard after they've visited.

Continue reading my 14-part series: