Yard Sale

This weekend we had a yard sale, yard sales are yearly events with my family. My mother happens to live on a fairly busy road and so we schlep everything over there for more traffic!




This year my sister participated, her daughter-in-law, my mother and my daughter all joined in the fun….. If you are not a seasoned yard sale haver, I’ve got a few tips for you.



1. Location, location, location. If you aren’t on the beaten path, make sure you have signs marking your location.

2. Have all your items priced ---remember it’s a yard sale, what you don’t sell you either bring home or donate somewhere…. Let’s get rid of it!!!!

3. Keep a box in your home that is designated for yard sale items. As you put things in the box, price them right away so the day you are getting ready for the sale all you need to do is put the priced items on the tables. If you are having a sale with others, don’t forget to initial all your tags so you are sure to get credit for all your quarters!

4. Advertise at all the free newspapers, bulletin boards, etc. or even better, pick the day your community is having their community yard sales to guarantee lots of customers.

5. Have plenty of change, dollar bills, fives and tens. It seems everyone has a $20 to start the day.

6. Wear sunscreen. I’m adding that since most of us got sunburned!

7. If you are using a canopy to protect yourself or your merchandise from the weather, make sure you tie it down! We had one gust of wind in two days that took both canopies up in the air. One of the canopies landed in the tall shrubbery along the side of the house. The other one knocked over a very nice glass coffee table that belonged to my daughter, it shattered!  It ruined the whole day for her and could have been prevented had we had the forethought to think that even one gust of wind can be a disaster!

8. Talk to your customers, at the very least, say hello!

9. Don't forget to have a free box.  It's amazing how many people love to dig around in those.

10.  Pack a lunch and snacks and something to do!   There will be slow times so if you don't have friends to entertain you, bring something to do so you don't resent the time you are sitting there not doing anything.  We stayed open on Friday night till almost 7 pm and had customers all day.

We had a successful weekend, got rid of a lot of stuff and blessed a lot of people with good quality clothes, etc. that were all reasonably priced.   Let me know if any of my tips are helpful for you.

Have Fun!!!