Preparing for a yard sale is definitely a process.
But how in the world do you start?!
First, here are 10 good reasons to have a garage sale:
- To earn extra money
- To make room for new stuff
- To prepare for a move
- Because it’s fun
- To teach your kids about work
- To turn the “junk room” into a ___ room
- Because your teen doesn’t play with Strawberry Shortcake anymore
- To do some Spring cleaning
- It’s Step 5 in the “Packrats Anonymous 12-Step Program”
- To achieve family goals
Okay, now let’s get started planning for your yard sale…
#1 – Start Early (Do Some “Spring Cleaning”)
I usually start preparing for my yard sales about 2 months ahead of time.
That way, I can take my time gathering up everything that I want to sell. I usually dig REALLY deep into my closets and storage spaces.
For my most recent yard sale, I only had 2 WEEKS — because I decided at the last minute to have my sale on the same day as our Neighborhood Yard Sale. This meant I would benefit from their marketing in the local media, local signs, word-of-mouth, etc… which was a good thing. But I didn’t like feeling rushed to get everything in order so quickly.
For the most part, whenever I’m preparing for a yard sale, I’m also doing a bit of spring cleaning by removing items that we no longer use. (I call it my “Spring Purge.”)
First, I group items together by “theme” in a spare bedroom (and/or the garage).
Then, in the weeks leading up to my yard sale, I start pricing the items and printing out all my signs.
Yes, I do these things WAY ahead of time! Because planning and preparation is the #1 key to a successful yard sale, in my opinion.
You know how some of your best ideas come to you AFTER the fact? That’s exactly why I start planning for my yard sales so early — so that I can incorporate all of those after-thoughts that come to me along the way.
It’s only when you take your mind off of something for a few days that you have a fresh palette and you’re able to “see” something with fresh eyes and from different angles.
#2 – Gather Up All Of The Items You Plan To Sell
Start by going room to room throughout your house looking for items that you no longer want or use. (Don’t forget about the garage, attic, basement, porch, and storage shed.)
They say “If you haven’t used it for a year, get rid of it.” That’s a rule of thumb that I find myself following. It feels SO good when I’m able to be ruthless and not think twice about tossing something that’s just taking up space in my house.
By the way, if you’re renting a storage unit to keep your overflow possessions… Why? Do you really NEED all that stuff? You certainly haven’t used it in over a year, right? So why pay money to store it when you could make some spare cash from it instead?
As you collect items that you want to sell, place them in large garbage bags or boxes and store them in a seldom-used room in your house.
Before you decide which items you want to sell, you may want to consult this list of things that sell and don’t sell at yard sales first.
TIP: I move our cars OUT of the garage during this time and move all of my yard sale items INTO the garage — because it’s so much easier to group and label everything when you’re working in such a large open space. (Plus, you won’t have to move the items very far on the day of your sale!)
If you’re able to group items by “category” or “theme” at this stage of the game, then it will be much easier to price the items and set them out for display on the day of your yard sale.
#3 – Compare Notes
If you’ve ever had a yard sale before, think back to what went wrong and what went right at your previous yard sale.
If you haven’t had a sale of your own yet, then learn from the mistakes of others.
Take some time researching and studying others’ best tips before having your very first yard sale.
Here are 101 of my own best yard sale tips. I’ve also saved dozens of great tips & ideas from other yardsalers on my Yard Sale Pinterest Board.
Make mental notes of some unique things you want to do at your yard sale — based on what you’ve learned from previous ones (your own OR others’).
And if you want to do it even better the NEXT time you have a yard sale in the future, then be sure to take the time to jot down some notes of the things you’ve learned after this year’s sale, too.
#4 – Gather Up Yard Sale Supplies
I’ve hosted a dozen or so yard sales in my lifetime, and I have one large Rubbermaid container that holds all of my “yard sale necessities.”
Whenever it’s time to have another yard sale, I just drag out that one bin — and everything I need is right there!
I call it my Yard Sale Kit.
The smaller items are stored inside a Rubbermaid container that I keep in my attic.
The larger items I gather up in the days before my yard sale.
- Money organizer – You need either a cash box, fanny pack, coin bag, or crossbody purse to hold all of the money. I like to use a waist apron with pockets because the money stays with me at all times, and I’m able to separate the bills from the coins in the separate pockets.
- Cash – I always start with $50… five $5s, fifteen $1s, and $10 roll of quarters. (If you happen to have a couple of $10s as well, you’ll be glad you did because people usually start their yard sale shopping with fresh 20 dollar bills from the ATM.)
- Price stickers – I make my own price stickers using blue painter’s tape. (This is just one of the many clever uses for blue painters tape that I’ve discovered.) It’s also available in other fun colors (if you’re having a multi-family sale, for example, and want to track everyone’s sales separately). If tape isn’t your thing, they also make pre-printed price stickers and blank removable stickers too.
Boxes – For the sturdiest boxes, I swing by Costco several times in the days before my yard sale. I like shallow boxes with low sides because they’re easier for people to reach into.- Tables – Here are all the things that can be used to make “tables” at your yard sale: Card tables, TV trays, Cardboard boxes turned upside down, Rubbermaid tubs or crates turned upside down, or 2 of anything with a board placed between ‘em (chairs, ladders, buckets, sawhorses, etc.)
- Display signs – I like to label the fronts of all my tables to make it easier for customers to find what they’re looking for. I print out 8-1/2 x 11 paper signs, put them in clear see-thru page protectors, then tape them to the front edge of the table so people can see at a glance what I’ve got for sale.
- Markers – I use the Sharpie king size markers for my yard sale signs and the regular fine point Sharpies for pricing items.
- Posterboard – Neon green is best for yard sale signs, because it’s viewable from a long distance away. (Neon pink is second best.) You’ll want to make your yard sale signs the night before and hang them up in the morning.
- Election signs / Realtor signs – These corrugated plastic signs make a great base for your neon posterboard yard sale sign. They’re strong and sturdy in the wind AND they stand tall enough to attract attention.
- Clear packing tape – I use this to waterproof my posterboard signs. Packing tape is also handy to secure things in place on the day of the yard sale — like a pole to hang clothes from when using a ladder as the base.
- Extension cord – So customers can try out electronics.
- Cleaning supplies – I use disinfecting wipes to quickly wipe down items that are dirty & dusty and generic magic erasers to clean more deeply in all the nooks and crannies.
- Plastic grocery bags – I save these all year long anyway, so by the time my next yard sale rolls around I have a pretty big stash! I give them to customers who want to put the items they’ve purchased inside a bag.
- Staple gun – For adhering neon-colored yard sale signs to utility poles, fences, etc.
- Camping tarps, sheets, blankets, beach towels – Use these for any items that you choose to display on your lawn. It keeps the morning’s dew from reaching the items you’re selling. It also makes it easier to “group” similar items together.
- Tablecloths, table runners, beach towels – I use these to cover tables that might be old or scratched up. Pretty much any type of table covering makes a better first impression than a non-covered table.
- Scissors – You honestly never know when you’re going to need a pair of scissors!
Balloons, flags, pennants, or streamers – Use these to make your yard sale more noticeable from the road. My favorite thing is to use plastic pennant banners because they’re not over-used at yard sales yet, so they’re unique and attention-getting. Plus, they come in fun colors and they’re on one long string — so they’re easy to hang, drape, and loop over and around things. Not to mention the fact that they’re constantly moving, even if there’s only a light breeze — and movement of ANY kind attracts attention!- Odd shaped hangers – If you’re like me, you’ve probably collected a few uniquely-shaped items through the years that could be used to hang some items you’re selling — like scarves, ties, belts, coats, dog leashes, etc.
- Ladders and poles – To hang things / prop items off the ground.
- Screw-in hooks – As long as your ladder is well-balanced (with all of the items hanging on it), by screwing in a few of these hooks, you’ll have additional space to hang small items — such as necklaces, jewelry, and things you don’t want kids playing with.
- Notepad & pen – To take names & numbers of people who are interested in items that have technically sold, but you’re “holding” until the person comes back with the money. In case the person doesn’t come back, you’ll have a way to contact the others who’ve said they’re interested in those items.
- Chairs – For yard sale hosts to sit on. (I just use camping chairs.)
- Trash can – Yard sale shoppers often bring water bottles, soda cups, and snacks with them. Having a place for them to leave their trash means they can shop at your sale longer, without their hands being full. Plus, if you re-price items on the spot as much as I do, then you’ll need a place to toss the old price tags!
- Other props – When I find things throughout the year that I could repurpose and use at my yard sales, I save it. For example, I keep those tall, plastic yard sticks that lawn guys leave in your yard to show that they’ve treated your yard. They make nice raised price signs for yard sale items that are placed on the lawn.
TIP: If you make a point to save as many reusable items as you can from each yard sale (like the ones listed above), then the process of “planning and preparing” for your NEXT yard sale will be much easier!
#5 – Prepare Your Items For Sale
A few years ago, I discovered a lifesaver for yardsalers. It’s called the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.
Those little white cubes work like magic to help you clean up some items before you sell them.
For yard sales, I’ve found that they work best on:
- Wiping away fingerprints from hard cover books
- Removing soot from candle jars & candle holders
- Cleaning out all the tiny nooks & crannies on plastic things like coolers, chairs, handles, lids, etc.
By the way, you DON’T have to use the name-brand eraser blocks. Generic, no-name melamine sponges work just as good.
Also helpful are cleaning wipes. I use the disinfecting ones to wipe down practically everything I’m selling.
As a result… many of the items I sold at my yard sale ended up looking much newer than they actually were!
Bonus Tip #6 – Decide What You’re Going To Do With The Dog
The dog lover in me agrees with The Queen of Yard Sales:
Although you may have the friendliest dog in the world, it’s best to keep them away from your yard sale. Some people are afraid of dogs or are allergic. The day of your yard sale may be the day that your friendly dog, unaccustomed to the excitement of all the people, may decide to take a chunk out of the toddler that pulls on his tail. (Or jump up on customer and get mud on a customer’s pants – but hey, I swear it wasn’t my fault – that customer shouldn’t have come to my yardsale until I was officially opened!) It’s also for the dog’s safety as well, since cars will be coming and going from your driveway.
At first, I gave my (very shy) dog room to roam back & forth from the kitchen to the garage — up to a certain point where I had strategically placed tables to “block off” the back of the garage.
But after awhile, I decided this was a bit confusing to him, so I let him hang out inside the house alone.
If your dog isn’t particularly comfortable entertaining himself in the house alone, you may want to try a crate or kennel instead. (My dog would’ve done just as well inside his crate.
