Week 4

• make arrangements for pet travel
• schedule disconnection/reconnection of utilities
• make list of items that will be transported, sold, donated or discarded
• decide who will pack which items (yourself, kids, movers)

The Garage Sale

All it takes to run a successful garage sale is a little advance planning and a little psychology in order to sell your goods.

Items you will need:

Optional items that are good to have:

Step 1:
Have your friends and neighbours participate. The bigger the sale, the more people you will attract.

Step 2:
Advertise your sale a few days ahead of time with posters. Use thick black letters that can be read from a distance and by passing cars. Put signs about every 50 ft with arrows pointing the way.
If you are selling a lot of items, place a classified ad. Be specific about the items you are selling.
Use an online advertisement like craigs list to advertise your sale.

Step 3:
Assemble as many card tables as you can. Items sell better if they are displayed on a table rather than spread out on the lawn.
If you are selling clothes, hang them on a clothing rack.

Step 4:
Spruce up the items you are going to sell. Clean and polish items for sale.
Assemble sets with ribbon to keep them together and make them more attractive.

Step 5:
Accumulate bags and boxes. People will buy more if you make it easier for them to carry the items away.

Step 6:
Take all the items that you want to get rid of that you don’t think anyone would pay for in a box marked FREE. Put it in a prominent location by the curb to attract people.
If you have a lot of toys, put them in a box with a “take one – free” sign.
If you are selling a lot of toys, create a kids section. Use a low table so the children can view the items easily. Put the table towards the back of your area so parents don’t have to worry about their children being to close to the street.

Step 7:
Have at least $50 in small bills and coins so you can easily make change for people.

Step 8:
Figure out how much you want for an item and mark it up a little, people like to haggle at garage sales. A good rule of thumb is ¼ of the original price for items that are in good condition.
Check your price against on-line auction sales to make sure you are charging the right price.

Step 9:
Have an extension cord available so that people can test any electrical items you have for sale.

Step 10:
Have a mirror handy so people can see haw they look in hats, scarves and jewelry. People are more likely to buy an item if they can see how it looks on.

Step 11:
Group like items together for sale such as kitchen ware on one table, tools on another, clothing in another section, etc.

Step 12:
Have refreshments available. Having lemonade, coffee and cookies available will encourage people to stay longer resulting in buying more.

Step 13:
Be flexible about prices, especially towards the end of the day. You are better off selling an item at a lower price than not selling it at all.

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