Get Ready! - The Greensheet

The Greensheet Guide to Successful Garage Sales Whether your goal is to de-clutter your home or to simply bolster your wallet a bit, hosting a garage sale is a fun way to do both. With a little planning and organization, your garage sale can turn into a productive day of selling, meeting neighbors and spending time with the family as everyone pitches in. So roll up your sleeves and let’s get started!

Get Ready! Make an inventory of the items you want to offer for sale. Organize them by category to make tracking and display of your merchandise easier later. Possible categories may include toys, electronics, appliances, clothing, tools, etc. Consider teaming up with a neighbor, family members or friends. Multi-family garage sales enjoy great popularity because shoppers know that the likelihood of finding a treasure increases with volume. The greater the variety of items you have to offer, the more interest your garage sale will generate.

Select the date of your sale carefully. Saturdays are typically the most popular days to host and visit garage sales. Or, you may decide to make it an event that lasts all weekend. Try to stay away from holiday weekends when most people make plans to be with family or take mini-vacations, and watch weather forecasts to avoid rainy days as much as possible. Promote your sale with a free web ad on TheGreensheet.com. Add up to 20 photos of your most desirable items to draw customers. Also consider placing a classified ad in your local print edition of The Greensheet. Provide as much detailed description as possible in your ad. Tell people in your social network about your garage sale. Spread the word on Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites you may be a member of.

The Greensheet Garage Sale Guide page 2

Get Set! Sort your items by category and perform any wipedowns or minor fixes to bring them into top shape. Attractive items are much more likely to fetch a good price. Go over The Greensheet Garage Sale Checklist (page 5) and collect the items you need (tables, price stickers, etc.). Price your items fairly, but leave some room for haggling. Your customers will likely try to negotiate a lower price. Be prepared to come down off your asking price. Consider depreciation and try to keep emotional attachment out of your value calculations. You may have paid $500 for the iPad 2 when it first came out, but today it is only worth a fraction. Aunt Libby’s adorable collection of bottle caps from all over the world may be a treasure to you, but the next person will likely ignore your nostalgia and see it for what it is: a pile of metal rounds junior can use for an art project.

Be sure to conduct a little online research if you’re not sure how to price potentially valuable items like jewelry, collectibles or antiques. Label each item with the correct price. Stickers are an inexpensive way to accomplish this task. Or, consider having a $1-table for miscellaneous items. Consider volume discounts. For example: $1 per book or 7 for $5. Have an inclement weather plan. Rain doesn’t necessarily mean you have to cancel the sale if moving the enterprise into the garage is an option. Watch the mail for your The Greensheet “Garage Sale” signs, free with your print and/or online classified ad. Place them at busy intersections the night before your sale to ensure they’re in place first thing in the morning.


GO! Texans like to start their garage sale shopping bright and early. Set up at least half an hour before you expect the first customers to arrive. For multi-family sales: Establish a system to track each family’s items—color-coded stickers work well— and keep a sales log for each family (see page 8). Practice good salesmanship: Greet your customers with a smile and ask if they are looking for something specific. Be open to negotiation, but know the lowest offer you are willing to accept. Assist customers by holding their selections while they browse for more items. Encourage customers to stay a while by offering free refreshments like lemonade and cookies, especially on hot summer days. Answer customers’ questions about an item’s condition or history honestly, but don’t be afraid to sneak in a value statement.

Keep your cash secure, especially when several people are milling about. Consider wearing a carpenter apron whose pockets are ideal for holding bills and coins. If a customer makes an offer but you hope to hold out for a better one, ask the customer to complete an offer card (see page 10). If no better offer comes along, you can later contact the customer to check if he or she is still interested in the item. If de-cluttering is one of the reasons you’re hosting the sale, keep that purpose in mind as you haggle over price. You may not achieve full price, but you’ll no longer trip over that trunk in the family room, either. Practice common courtesy: Send off all customers, even those who didn’t buy anything, with a friendly thank you and good-bye.


The Aftermath Consider donating some of your unsold items to charity. Be sure to remove all price stickers and obtain a receipt for the donated items, which is needed to get a tax write-off. (555)298-5523

Place another classified ad in The Greensheet

(555)989-3442.

and on TheGreensheet.com (go to https://getlisted. thegreensheet.com/) to sell leftover merchandise.

(555)760-9607.

Post as many pictures as possible with your listing. Web ads in 45+ categories including up to 20 photos

(555)889-6033.

are free.

(555)574-7084.

Take down your garage sale signage. Review your sales log and divide up the money among participating sellers, if applicable. Enjoy the fullness of your wallet and the de-cluttered feel of your home! Get started today with your free classified ad on TheGreensheet.com.

(555)653-4223.

Check List Tables

Newspaper for wrapping items

Chairs

Tape

Shopping/grocery bags

Street signs

Price stickers/tags

Offer cards

Tape

Pen and paper

Clothes racks & hangers

Sunscreen in hot weather

Plastic sheets or blankets for items on the ground

Cover-up in cool weather

Carpenter apron or cash box Bills and coins to make change Sales record

Refreshments for yourself and customers

Record of Sale

Item

Priced At Sold For Running Total

Record of Sale

Item

Priced At Sold For Running Total

Multi-Family Record of Sale

Seller 1

Seller 2 Item and Amount Paid

Seller 3

Multi-Family Record of Sale

Seller 1

Seller 2 Item and Amount Paid

Seller 3

Offer Cards Offer Card

Offer Card

Name:____________________________________

Name:____________________________________

I’m interested in this item:__________________


I’d like to offer:____________________________

I’d like to offer:____________________________

Please contact me at:______________________


Offer Card

Offer Card

Name:____________________________________

Name:____________________________________



I’d like to offer:____________________________

I’d like to offer:____________________________



Offer Card

Offer Card

Name:____________________________________

Name:____________________________________



I’d like to offer:____________________________

I’d like to offer:____________________________



Offer Card

Offer Card

Name:____________________________________

Name:____________________________________



I’d like to offer:____________________________

I’d like to offer:____________________________

