Tag: garage sales

Shop the Garage Sales Without Hoarding

Posted on by Jordank

Over the years, the Organizing Blog has been a frequent advocate of getting rid of the stuff you don’t need by having a garage, yard or tag sale. But once summer starts, the allure of shopping your area’s secondhand sales may prove irresistible.

It’s the thrill of the hunt! Such behavior is hard-wired into humans by thousands of years of evolution. And while today you might be scouring the neighborhood for used records, a nice end table or (most likely) something you didn’t even know you needed, the urge to get a great deal is almost a biological necessity.

Shopping the local sales is also a fantastic way to spend a weekend morning or afternoon. Target a neighborhood-wide sale for the greatest variety of goods, or just pull over when you see a sign; the deals you find can be truly incredible. But remember, just because something is a good deal doesn’t mean you should buy it.

If you don’t need that novelty coffee mug or portable grill, for example, it’s just going to collect dust. If you already have a hammer and rake, they’re going to languish and rust, unused, in the shed or garage. And if you already have three boxes of holiday tchotchkes that didn’t see the light of day last year, you don’t really need another porcelain Santa.

The point is, buy only things that you can use right away or regularly, and those that will earn a long-lasting spot in your overall inventory of stuff. Otherwise, you’ll just add to the clutter and confusion in your own home by “adopting” stuff that didn’t make the cut in someone else’s.

“Ask yourself the following questions before making any purchase: Do I really need this? Will it go well with my existing décor? Could I give it away as a gift? Does it have resale value?” Money Crashers says. “If the item doesn’t meet any of these criteria, ask yourself why you still want to make the purchase.

“Occasionally, there’s nothing wrong with buying something you don’t need just for the fun of it. However, the best way to save money and get the most bang for your buck at a garage sale is to know what you need and to be aware of what you don’t need.”

Enjoy the time you spend on “the hunt,” whether it’s at a neighbor’s garage sale or one of the many thrift stores supplied by generous donations to ClothingDonations.org. But don’t get so carried away that you wind up buying things you don’t need or can’t use just because you want to buy something. You’ll thank yourself later.

Get Your Garage or Yard Sale Ready Now

Posted on by Jordank

The “official” start of summer — Memorial Day — is now less than two weeks away! Longtime bargain-shoppers and declutters alike, however, know summer by its other name: garage-sale season.

We at the Organizing Blog aren’t going to tell you not to spend a sunny summer day perusing other people’s castoffs. There are tons of deals to be had! Our favorite finds include vintage bicycles, quality furniture and outdoor equipment — all scored at a fraction of their retail or auction prices.

But you likely have a lot of items like this (not to mention plenty of garage-sale staples such as CDs, small appliances, games, tools, clothing and glassware) that you just don’t use anymore — or never did. Now’s the time to start setting those things aside for your own sale.

You should allow yourself triple the time you think it might take to get your garage, yard or tag sale ready, according to The Spruce’s Do’s and Don’ts or Planning a Yard Sale. And if you start now, you can kick off summer with a few extra bucks in your pocket, and still host a holiday cookout, too.

Start with a good decluttering. Go room by room and closet to closet, and pick out the things that you haven’t used lately or just never found a place in your space and routine. Chances are good that there are quite a few of them, and they could all use new homes.

Sort those extra goods into bags and boxes; you can price and tag most items as you box them to save time later. Bulk items such as records, CDs, DVDs and magazines can go into boxes marked with a per-piece price.

Expect garage-sale shoppers to haggle, but price your merchandise to move; as much as you loved whatever it was when you bought it, you want to get rid of it now. If there is a particular item you want to mark with a non-negotiable price, put the price and “Firm” on the tag.

“Don’t price your goods based on sentiment,” The Spruce says. “The customers don’t care about your memories, and they’re certainly not willing to pay more to purchase them. If something is that valuable to you, maybe you should keep it.”

Move those boxes to the garage (or other staging area) as you fill them. Pick a day or two (and a firm time) to stage a sale, and start promoting it with advertising and signage. When the sale day arrives, you’ll be ready to put everything on display.

Contact ClothingDonations.org to pick up the leftovers and anything else you might wish to donate after the sale ends. Most areas have pickups throughout the week, meaning that you can put the extras back into boxes and place the boxes on the porch.

Start now, and you’ll have extra money in your pockets and less clutter in your home!

Now’s the Time for a Great Garage Sale

Posted on by Jordank

Most people stage garage sales in the spring — right after they do their spring cleaning and neighbors start to emerge from their houses to enjoy the warmer weather. But the end of summer and beginning of autumn can be an equally favorable time for your effort to declutter and make a few bucks off the things you no longer need.

So, with the autumnal equinox coming up on Friday, Sept. 22, and the weather still warm in many parts of the country, now’s the time to plan a late-season yard, garage or tag sale!

The more temperate the climate, the longer the garage sale season, says Household Tips Guide blogger Lynnette Walczak, who had her most successful sale in late October in Tennessee. Warmer areas also favor Friday sale hours, she adds, but no matter which days one chooses to hold a sale, the “early bird” hours of the morning will be busiest.

To take the hassles out of having a late-season sale, you should have a garage-sale “stash” at the ready by decluttering continuously throughout the year, says the Money Saving Mom. Set aside unwanted stuff on a regular basis and designate containers and a place to collect it all — maybe in the garage itself. When you’re ready to have a sale, it will be near-ready to sell.

You may still have stuff left over from a spring garage sale that’s still saleable, too, and some of these items — sweaters, blankets, skis, etc. — may have added appeal ahead of the cold winter months. A late-season sale will also benefit from a new set of customers, since many people won’t have seen your fliers and signs on the first go-round.

Older shoppers are out looking for deals in the fall, says My Divine Concierge. “Those kept inside by the heat of summer now find cooler days to go garage-sale shopping. And don’t forget the snowbirds who are preparing to leave for their annual migration south in a few weeks. They are out looking for a few last-minute items they need for their winter homes.”

To attract bigger crowds, enlist a few friends or neighbors to contribute items to your sale, or enlist the whole block or neighborhood and make it a multifamily sale. Multifamily sales attract an estimated 50 percent more customers, according to tips appearing in the Duluth News-Tribune, and more traffic means more sales.

Our Organizing Blog has many more tips on staging, pricing, and advertising a successful garage sale that apply throughout the year. And don’t forget: If you need to get rid of any unsold items following a sale (or just don’t have the time or energy to devote to staging a sale, but still want to declutter), contact ClothingDonations.org to schedule a pickup. It’s easy, tax-deductible and helps veterans programs nationwide!

How to Stage a Winning Garage Sale

Posted on by Jordank

Presentation goes a long way toward getting rid of your stuff at a garage or tag sale. Keep like goods together so that buyers know here to look, says Real Simple, and sort and hang better clothing by size so that you don’t need to keep folding and stacking it. Place the most desirable, big-ticket items at the end of the driveway to get people to stop, and make the event festive and inviting with a few streamers and some background music. Nobody wants to shop in silence!

Signage Makes the Sale

Posted on by Jordank

It won’t be much of a garage or yard sale if nobody shows up! That’s why you need signage that’s bright and readable to direct passersby to your location. Show the sale’s address, hours and any major items, and post the signs a day ahead of the sale start so that people can plan ahead to visit, the DIY Network says. You can also announce your sale using ads on Craigslist or in the local shopper. Be ready for the early birds, though—avid garage salers will often arrive before your sale’s posted start times.