Increasing Garage Sale Earnings

While garage sales will not make you rich they are a good source of extra income and helps you get rid of possessions you no longer need that are just taking up space in your place of residence. Maybe if you just put in a little more effort to your garage sale it would bring you more than you expect to earn.

The Preparation

One of the first things you have to do is to clean the items you want to sell. This is especially true if you are selling items already gathering dust in your storage area. Chances are besides dust there will be cobwebs and insect & rat droppings on the surfaces of your items. You do not have to make them spotlessly clean but just enough that no one will be scared of touching them.

You also have to clean your garage sale space. Many people are turned off by dirty and especially smelly places. Your garage sale space should be presentable with clean tables. The floor whether concrete (as in your garage or driveway) or soil (as in your lawn or garden) should be free of dust, dirt and garbage so potential buyers would not hesitate to enter your garage sale.

All of this item and garage sale cleaning efforts will go to waste if you drive potential buyers away with your looks especially if you look hostile. Try to dress appropriately and have a warm and pleasing personality if you can. By doing this you will exude a warm atmosphere to your garage sale and will attract potential buyers.

This should have been done when you first bought the items you are now selling at your garage sale. You should have kept the original packaging of the items now being sold. This includes any instruction manuals, documentation or accessories. Many collectors pay good money for items that come in their original packaging. You should make this a habit.

Packaging boxes when folded take up little space and can be preserved by encasing them in plastic. Take care not to damage the packaging as again there are collectors who are very particular of an item’s packaging. If an item’s packaging is damaged it severely affects the price of the item. There are even collectors who specifically buy old packagings.

If you have thrown away the packaging or the packaging has been destroyed during the unboxing process you can at least improve your item’s appearance by putting it in clear plastic. Items encased in clear plastic usually means that the owner of the item took good care of the item and is still in top condition. The plastic also prevents it from being soiled by the buyers if they touch it.

Other Products and Services You Can Offer

You could also sell items from other people especially those people near you like family, friends and neighbours. The more variety of items that are on sale the more you will attract people to your garage sale. You can get a commission when you sell an item from other people.

You could also do complementary business in your garage sale. For example you could setup a lemonade stand as well. You will not only have another potential source of income but the more types of products you sell the more people you would attract. You must first however check the local laws before doing this as some law officials might deem your garage sale commercial already.

Go the Extra Mile

By the way before the day of the garage sale you should do a bit of research regarding the items you are about to sell. You should research why your items should be bought like how much their value as a collector’s item will be in a few years. Nothing interests people more than the thought they have bought a bargain and a money making investment.

Put clear price tags on your items to give the impression to people that this is a professional sale. Professional buyers would love the thought of not having to ask around everytime they are interested in an item. The more these buyers have time to look at other items the better are your chances for more sales.

You should have a clear list available for passersby to see. This list should contain not only the expected amount they have to pay for the item but also the sellable qualities of an item. Remember that the passerby has not seen the items and are just curious. The extra bit of information may just be what their brain needs to create a mental picture of your item.

For example if you are selling an old deck of cards you could state the date you acquired it and from whom you brought it. A card collector might become interested enough if they know these extra details especially if they are trying to complete a collection based on card manufacturers.

Do not only put item information for passerby to see. You should if possible put it on the item itself. Many of the people who go to garage sales do so to find something exotic at a bargain price. If you can convince them that your item is more exotic than it looks maybe you can convince a buyer not only to pay a regular price but also top dollar price as well.

Advertise your garage sale online and if possible even the items. Make signs near your area to alert potential passersby of the garage sale. Make your information as detailed as possible to avoid confusion especially the location and time of your garage sale. Advertise a few days before the garage sale to give buyers time to be ready and to generate excitement.

Conclusion

There are many other ways of increasing your sales. The important thing is to put a lot of effort on improving all the facets of your garage sale and treat your potential buyers well. Do not make a half hearted effort in doing anything for chances are you would also have half success or even failure.