How To Host A Money-Making Economy Crisis Garage Sale
Articles - Savings
This economy crisis is sparking a renewed interest in yard sales and garage sales. Most people are trying to get the maximum bang for their bucks and they know that they can usually find fantastic stuff at yard sales. They are great events that benefit everyone involved with the consumer being able to buy for cheap and the sale host earning what could be much needed additional income.
by AlexandraVrugt


This economy crisis is sparking a renewed interest in yard sales and garage sales. Most people are trying to get the maximum bang for their bucks and they know that they can usually find fantastic stuff at yard sales. They are great events that benefit everyone involved with the consumer being able to buy for cheap and the sale host earning what could be much needed additional income.

Even though people put on yard sales every day, the fact remains that not every sale will be a cash cow. Many people just jump right in and try to have a sale without doing any research into the best way to make it happen. Don't fall into that unprofitable basket. Use these simple steps to have a cash making yard sale during this economy crisis:

Your signs need to be great. They don't need to be expensive...just great for their purpose. Think about it. Poorly made signs won't get noticed or they will get noticed, for all of the wrong reasons. People will decide, based on the look of your sign, if they even want to come to your sale. So, it needs to be done in the most optimal way.

There are a few basic do's for successful signage for a yard sale. Do write in a clear, simple, and easy to read manner. Fancy script and cutesy bubble letters don't work. Plus, the letters need to be huge so that people can read them quickly. Do check for posting rules in your area to avoid unnecessary fines and citations, or worse, getting your sale closed up. Do post your signs every place that you can for free like in parks, libraries, senior centers, or community buildings. Do put all of the necessary information on the sign such as the words "YARD SALE", the time, date, address, and some basic directions or arrows for guiding your patrons to your site.

Safety is a big issue. You need to make sure that there is a place for people to park their cars so that they can shop at your sale. Also, you need to keep all animals out of sight. Dogs, cats, and any other pets could make people not want to stop at your sale. You know your pet, but they don't, and people don't care if they can buy for cheap at your garage sale, when it comes to their personal safety they will most likely just stay away. Plus, remember, hopefully, there will be lots of cars and traffic which could make your pet uncomfortable. For everybody's safety, keep the pets away from the sale.

Free papers and online free classifieds play a key role in the advertisement of your yard sale. Post your ad for your yard sale on sites like Craigslist and in your area newspaper. Make sure to put pertinent information like the basic event information and you may even want to include a few items that you will sell off to try to attract people.

Tell everybody that you know and tell them to pass the information along. Word of mouth is a great way to get people to your sale. It's one of the most effective forms of advertising when it comes to garage sales. Be sure to tell them what you are selling and you should do well. Just knowing that there will be good bargains and chances to buy for cheap should definitely peak people's interest in your sale.

Make sure that your items are organized and priced to sale. People often make the mistake of throwing their stuff to the public and expecting the customers to sort and figure stuff out. Nobody has time for that. Clearly mark everything with a price because people don't like having to ask about prices for everything. Display your items in a way that lets people know that you are serious about parting with them and that they can buy for cheap lots of stuff at your garage sale.

If you are nice to your customers, organize your stuff, price the items low enough to get buyers, and obey a few basic community rules, you should have a great sale. Put the nicest things up front to attract attention and get people to stop. Then, after you have sold off your good, sit back, count your money, and enjoy the new found space from turning your old junk into a financial treasure for your family!

DISCLAIMER: This article is provided as information only and is not to be taken as financial advice.