Voice of the Mid-Columbia | Kennewick, Pasco and Richland, Wash. |
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closeST. LOUIS — Your shelves are overflowing, but your bank account isn't.
You're thinking: "GARAGE SALE."
Sure, it's a great way to get rid of stuff you don't want and get some cold, hard cash.
But beware: It takes hard work, organization and good planning — weeks in advance.
"It's like physical labor," said Chris Heiska, whose Web site, yardsalequeen.com, has a national following. "It's 9 in the morning, but it feels like it's 3 p.m. You've already been up for hours."
Heiska, who lives in Maryland, is the author of several books on yard sales. With the economy in a slump, any time but the dead of winter is a good time for a yard sale, she said.
Sara Dogan, 31, of Ballwin, Mo., agrees. Dogan, who goes to 150-200 garage sales a year, said the best time for a yard sale is on a blistering summer day. "There are fewer sales, so more people will come to yours. The best sales I've had have been in August."
Big-ticket items: Put these (think strollers, furniture, lawn mowers) next to the street so that those driving by can see them and (hopefully) decide to stop.
Guy table: Put a "guy" item or a "guy" table near the street. Include tools, gadgets and yard items. "If a man is driving and all he sees is high chair and diaper genie, he won't stop," Heiska says.
Spacing: Arrange tables so items are neatly displayed with enough room between items to allow people to inspect them. Don't put boxes below a table so that customers can't reach the stuff at the back.
Clothing: Instead of folding clothes on tables, hang them from a clothesline strung from trees or from your garage ceiling near the door (try putting a pole between ladders). Hanging clothes are easier to look through, and you won't have to worry about refolding them. Clearly label sizes. One garage sale we went to had kids' clothes from newborn sizes through 5T, arranged by size and separated by gender.
Assistants: Always have several people at the sale — it's important for security and convenience. This way you can take a bathroom break, and you can keep things in order.
Media: Keep all books and CDs with spines showing. Consider group pricing for your books. Typical in this area: $1 for hardbacks and 50 cents for paperbacks.
Size matters: Put a larger price tag on a bigger item. "If you're selling a sofa — you can't expect the buyer to be looking all over for some tiny dot sticker. Take a full sheet of paper and put the price and list any good selling points or flaws: "Sofa — $200 Firm — only 3 years old — comes with 2 coordinating pillows," Heiska says.
Electronics: Have an electrical outlet or extension cord available so that people can test electric products. You'll get a better price if people can verify that something actually works. (Have a set of fresh batteries handy.)
Convenience: Stock up on empty grocery bags or empty boxes so people can carry home their purchases.
Eye-catching: Helium balloons draw attention to your sale. Put them on your tables or at the end of your street.
Cashier: Some sellers prefer to be stationed at the end of their merchandise, closest to the street. It prevents people from "forgetting" to pay for an item and they can also easily answer someone who drives by and asks about the merchandise.
Toys: If you have kids, it might make it easier for them to part with their toys by having them man the table of toys they've outgrown.
Refreshments: If it's hot, sell water and soda from a cooler or have the kids run a lemonade stand. On a cool morning, sell coffee and donuts.
Off limits: Rope off (or cover with a sheet) the stuff in your garage that you don't want to sell.
GARAGE SALE SHOPPING STRATEGY
Sara Dogan, 31, of Ballwin, Mo., is a garage sale expert, or at least her friends think so. She attends 150-200 a year and hosts about one a year.
On a Wednesday or Saturday morning, you are likely to find her — 9-month-old daughter in tow — scouting the area for the best deals.
"Garage sales are a great thing," she says. "They are win-win. You get rid of your old stuff and someone else takes it and gets a bargain."
Here is her shopping strategy:
Plan a route — Dogan starts the night before, scouring ads to plan a route. If she doesn't have time for this, she just drives around and looks for signs the next morning.
Start early — She starts as early as 7 a.m. (depending on how fast she can get her daughter out of the house).
Take cash — Cash is key; most sellers (wisely) don't take checks. She makes sure to bring plenty of small bills in case a seller can't make change.
Prioritize — Dogan's first stop is usually for toys because that's what's she's in the market for now. But sometimes she'll stop for CDs or DVDs.
She says she'll haggle if she thinks something is priced at more than what she is willing to pay. Having attended so many sales, she says she is pretty aware of going prices. For example, "You're not going to get $4 for a Barbie that someone can get new for $6.
"But I always ask politely," she says.
She says she's more likely to haggle later in the day when she knows sellers are looking to move things fast.
For hauling her loot, she says her Toyota Camry has held everything from a toy chest to a rocker-glider for the baby's room. "You can cram in a lot. But make sure you've cleaned out your car before you go so you have plenty of room.
SHOPPING WITH AN EXPERT
ST. LOUIS — Susan Sewell, 61, is an expert when it comes to resale shopping. In fact, she manages the Miriam Switching Post, a St. Louis resale shop specializing in gently used furniture, decorative items, antiques, china, crystal and silver.
The proceeds from the store benefit the Miriam Foundation, the Miriam School and the Miriam Learning Center in Webster Groves, Mo., services for kids with learning disabilities.
A typical day at the shop begins with Sewell and a team of volunteers pricing donated items. Sewell says, "We price to sell. We move our merchandise quickly, and most of our customers are antiques dealers and designers who buy to sell to their customers. I know how to spot a bargain at a garage sale. I look for quality, brand names, age and collectability."
Recently, we spent a Wednesday morning shopping with Sewell.
At our first stop, Sewell spotted a four-pack of cheese spreaders. The original price was $9. The seller had it marked at $1. "This is a good deal," said Sewell.
As we scanned other items, Sewell stopped at two boxes filled with stuffed animals. They were $1 for six. "Stuffed animals are the ideal gifts for grade school kids. Teachers are always looking for rewards to give students at schools, and why not give a cute and adorable stuffed animal?"
We jumped in the car and headed to our second garage sale.
As we pulled up to the driveway, we noticed four bar stools marked at $25 each. Though the price appeared high at first, Sewell said the stools were marked fairly. "They're solid wood," said Sewell. And the wood chairs could match any style of decor. We also noticed a beautiful mid-century modern chest. But it was sold. "Garage sales are the best place to find this type of furniture," says Sewell. "Many sellers don't know what they have when it comes to furniture."
And the end of our shopping day, Sewell had purchased a $1 bamboo photo frame and a $2 vase. The seller said the vase was created by a Missouri State University student.
We asked Sewell how to tell if something is a deal or not. She replied, "It's a bargain if you love it."
MORE TIPS FROM THE PROS
Gather and inventory items for sale.
Don't just clear out the basement and the attic. Go room to room and collect things you think are dated or haven't been used in years. Some experts suggest making a written inventory to reduce the chaos during the sale. Price tags are easily lost (or removed). An inventory list solves the problem.
Ditch the duds.
Chris Heiska, whose Web site, yardsalequeen.com, has a national following, says clothes are generally poor sellers, unless they are baby or kids clothes. Unless they're extremely cheap, she recommends taking some of your "nicer" clothes to consignment stores, rather than trying to sell them at a yard sale.
Price each item.
Check out area garage sales a few weeks before yours to see what the going prices are. If you just want to get rid of stuff, price it to sell. But a general rule is to price at 1/4 of what you paid — or less. Attach a brightly colored sticker, with the price clearly written, to the top of each item so people don't have to hunt for it. If you have several similar items, mark them together: 50 cents for all paperback books, six CDs for $5, etc.
Pick a date and plan your advertising campaign.
If possible, get in on a subdivision garage sale. If a real-estate agent is hosting it, she likely will do the advertising for you, but double-check. Or ask your neighbors if they want to split the cost of an ad and hold a multi-family sale. Check whether your city or homeowner's association requires a permit and what hours are allowed. Many garage sales start at 7 a.m., and don't advertise a closing time; early birds can arrive at 6 a.m. so be prepared. Advertise in your local newspaper or online.
The biggest mistake people make is not advertising enough, said Heiska. Include in your ad the basics (address, times, days) and also any big-ticket items you have for sale. If you have lots of something, such as CDs or baby clothes, be sure to include that, too. The day before the sale, post signs. Most areas have rules about how and where signs can be posted; check first.
Clean out the garage and tidy up the yard.
Customers are more likely to buy something if it looks like it came from a well-cared for home. Junky surroundings discourage browsers.
Night before: Ready, set ...
Unless you want to get up at 3 a.m., put everything you can in the garage the night before, so you can just push things out in the morning. Get plenty of cash for making change: Use a fanny pack, or lock box. Heiska recommends starting with two $10 bills, four $5 bills, 25 $1 bills, 1 roll of quarters ($10), and $5 in nickels and dimes.
The day of the sale: rise and shine.
Garage sale pros can show up as early as two hours before you planned to open. While it may throw you off-guard, these are the people ready to buy. If you really don't want them, put "No early birds" in your ad.
Everything's negotiable.
Even though your prices are clearly marked, some people will try to haggle. Play along; haggling can be fun. Several sellers we talked to say they mark things half-off after 11 a.m. on the last day of the sale.
Count your cash.
Once you're done, go inside to count your money. You can leave things out, marked "free" if you really want to get rid of stuff. Don't forget to take down your signs.
OTHER TIPS FOR SELLERS
If you are going to pile things, put the newest, brightest pieces on top. — Here's a tip from yardsalequeen.com:
"If you are trying to sell something that is fairly high dollar and it's a popular item that appears in catalogs or sale ads. Cut out the ad with the item in it (with the price showing of course) and tape it to your item."
Think about making things more comfortable for your shoppers. Place fans around your sale, offer ice cold water. We recently went to one sale that place a large tent over the driveway.
If you have a lot of junk, or broken things that may be good for parts, consider putting them in a box with a "free" sign on it.— To avoid any hassles later on, post a sign that says "All Sales Final".
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