[Kate]

I’d love to hear your best yard sale tips! We are moving from a 3 bedroom home to a camper and I have sooo much “stuff” to get rid of.

Just my things alone, I have enough clothing for 10 women, no exaggeration.

They are all name brand and in like new condition so I don’t want to give them away (though I will donate what doesn’t sell) but i have no idea how to price things.

Our camper is a really small pull behind, with zero storage. We’ll still need to get a storage unit but 90% of things aren’t used and I don’t want to pay to store things I’ll never wear or use again.

I’ve never had a yard sale by myself so I’m pretty lost and would super appreciate any advice! TIA!

Just for reference, we live in a small town in rural Alabama.

I really wish I could set up in my yard, that would be so much easier, but we live way out where no one goes so I’ll need to tote everything into town where there is a vacant lot where people hold yard sales.

I’m going in blind so I’d love hear your tips!

[Jan]

People want to pay 0 at yard sales. Try to sell as much as you can on marketplace

I sold 12,000.$ worth of stuff. Threw out a 30 yd dumpster and donated everything else. I even put furniture that didn’t sell for free with signs and post on facebook.

They took everything and I didn’t have to haul it. I didn’t make much at my huge yard sale

[Kathy]

You might do better using a consignment store rather than a yard sale.

[Kathy]

Maybe donate as much as possible. Good tax deduction. I hate having yard sales. Lots of work to hear people making snarky remarks.

Maybe I don’t want the stuff but it’s not trash or junk.

Donating is better emotionally for me.

[Sheri]

I always advertise in local paper; and be sure to mention your “biggest ticket” items. (People want to know if you have any large furniture, mowers, purses, or children’s clothes!

Also, vintage items sell well)
You are so “swamped” the first couple hours, always made sure there were2-3 friends with me—and was always so glad that I had priced all clothing items, individually! Or else they’ll ask if they can have “all this for $5?”

[Carol]

Do u have time to use fb marketplace? Again, using strategy of multiple shirts etc for $10 bagful.

[Annie]

If you really want to clear out clothing – have a section of clothing that is “$X for all you can fit in a bag” and have a bunch of plastic grocery bags available.

For nicer items, have set prices like $2 shirts, $3 pants, etc.

but be willing to make a deal if someone has a huge armload.

[Nesha]

People don’t go to yard sales to pay a lot of money for clothes. Price stuff cheap, and prepare yourself to end up donating a lot of it anyway.

Price things at 10% of retail.

[Donna]

near your area where you live,, is there a radio station that would put out your yard/garage sale over the air with date, time location PLUS local newspaper that would advertise it also // advertise on fb if that can be done // put up flyer’s everywhere you can … if you donate like at goodwill / Salvation Army get a receipt for the donations & ask about if they do / can put a total amount of $$ on receipt & put it on your taxes next year… donate nice clothes / toys to shelters for women’s & children’s,,, also donate to local churches if they take stuff for giving to people if disastrous weather as tornados / fires / hurricanes come through (just some thoughts)…

good luck

[Lynn]

When I did that same thing I had a couple yard sales. Gave away things to family and friends. On the last weekend I had an estate sale and let people walk through the house.

Anything that was off limits I put in the bedroom and kept the door closed.

I had already moved what I was keeping to the RV

[Kristi]

Unfortunately, yard sales are a whole lot of work with very little return. I would take all of your nice clothes to a consignment shop in a larger town.

If you’re going to sell your house and all the furniture, etc, I would consider an auction.

There are people who will come auction all of your stuff online.

People will buy stuff at an auction that they won’t at a garage sale.

[Lucinda]

If possible, borrow a clothes rack and hang clothes up. Put everything you can on tables, organized by category.

Price things very low or be prepared to bring a lot home.

Have “fill a bag for $5” for clothes and offer discounts for higher quantities. Have boxes/bags for people to put stuff into.

[Sharon]

Know you will not get what even used clothing is worth. As others have said sell on other sites what you can before hand.

Also, old people can’t really look at stuff on the ground.

Maybe the last hour or something half price??

The bag thing gets stuff gone but maybe not a lot of profit.

[Heather]

Easiest way it to sort items by type & then size. Then do unit pricing. Pants $1.00, dresses $5.

Post that on signs at the yard sale. Be prepared to not make a ton of money, and then be pleasantly surprised if you do.

Otherwise try selling on depop or mercari or something if you want to try to get more than

A couple bucks an item. Onlineplatforms so there’s more visibility. Then donate anything leftover.

Remember no matter how much you paid for it, it’s worthless if you don’t use it and are also paying to store it

[Linda]

It’s going to take a while but you can do it!! Good luck!! Start with the big stuff, work your way down to the small stuff.

Just start, asap, go

[Janelle]

This is a long response, so skip to what’s applicable.
Sell what you can through other means first before having a garage sale.

You can also group items together this way. This includes Marketplace, local selling apps/sites, eBay, and consignment/thrift shops. These will earn you more money.

Take your clothes to a consignment shop or used clothing store. You will either get an offer for your clothes upfront or will give you a % of the sales prices.

If there’s any clothes they don’t accept, you can put those in your garage sale.

At your garage sale, hang up your clothing for the best chance to sell them.

Even if you don’t have a rounder/rack, hang them on a dowel between 2 ladders or hang them on the bars of a pop up tent. No one likes digging through boxes or looking at clothes laying on the ground on a blanket.

Garage sale tips:
* Price EVERYTHING! If an item doesn’t have a price, most people won’t ask.

* Group like items together on tables and display them nicely. The nicer the display, the more interest and sales you will get. Think like a store.

* Do NOT put anything on the ground (unless it’s too big for a table). You can put together makeshift tables with just about anything and cover with a tablecloth.

Or borrow tables from a friend, family member and/or neighbor. Also hang up items, including artwork.
* Make sure items are clean.

* If you have clothes, sell like items for the same price. Example: all jeans $3, all t-shirts $1 (different locations get different values, this is just an example.)

* MOST IMPORTANT: Advertise, advertise, and advertise with photos! List sale on Marketplace, local apps/website (like Craigslist), Facebook groups, etc.

* I know I’m missing many tips, but just think about what you like to see when shopping. Make it a store like experience, not a junk sale

[Suzy]

For the more expensive name brand items, you may have better luck on poshmark, ebay, etc. By listing it yourself.

You can also send a bunch of stuff to consignment websites like thred up, but I’ve heard mixed reviews.

Local consignment stores are great, there are a few thrift stores near me that will look and choose what they’d like to buy.

Mostly name brand, trending and popular items.

Since you’re in a rural area, chances are you’ll sell items much easier if you offer free shipping, rather than meeting locally.

So, something to consider.

[Coral]

Go check out what pricing is the norm, and see whether that will work for you, or whether you do better with something like Thred Up.

Google it to see if it might suit you better.

[Pam]

I would have an estate sale. You hire a company to come in and they organize and price everything for a percentage. Some will even haul off what’s left.

For some reason people seem to pay more at estate sales. So much less hassle and time on your part!

[Brenda]

Use Google Lens to get an idea of how much stuff is actually selling for. Post as much as possible with good pics and let people reserve items, then have everyone come on the day you have your big sale.

Give them a pickup by time.

If no show, then it’s back up for sale.

Advertise it everywhere – there are garage sale/estate sale pages plus Marketplace.

And make sure you have plenty of people working the sale day!

[Lindsay]

Post the higher end items on fb market place as well the day before the sale. Let people Venmo / Zelle / PayPal you for them and pick up at the sale.

This will get them showing up, and once there, they may have many other things they want too…

[Author]

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