Things You'll Need

Instructions

1

Assess the items you wish to sell in your yard sale to determine if you have enough items. What seems like hoards of unused items can suddenly look like a collection of trinkets once it is set out on a table. If your items can easily be displayed on one small table, consider joining others for a community yard sale to increase traffic.
2

Gather the items for your yard sale in one place. Waiting until the day of the sale to collect those last minute items wastes time and causes confusion. You should know exactly what you are selling long before the big day arrives.
3

Set a date for the yard sale at least two weeks in advance. Check your local newspaper for other events held in your neighborhood that may interfere with your sale. Keep in mind that sometimes, neighborhood events draw additional traffic to your neighborhood and may be beneficial.
4

Choose a location for your yard sale. Your front lawn may be the most convenient for you, but if you live in an out-of-the-way area, it may not be the best location for drawing traffic. Typically, highly visible locations in well-traveled areas draw more traffic. Consider hosting your sale at a neighbor's home or at a larger flea market area, if traffic in limited in your neighborhood.
5

Advertise your sale. Taking out a small ad in the paper or online and creating flyers to display around the neighborhood increases your exposure. Include a catchy write up of your sale, including the type of items bargain hunters will find. Add your address and be specific. A street number may mean nothing to those from other neighborhoods, include directions in relation to landmarks in your area. Add your phone number or email address, if you don't mind fielding questions before your sale.
6

Clean and repair all items for your sale. Displaying soiled or broken items sends the message that you really don't care about your items or your customers. Clean items displayed attractively tend to garner higher prices than those that are simply thrown in a box or piled on the lawn.
7

Visit yard and garage sales in your area to get ideas for pricing. Pricing varies according to neighborhood and region. Keep your prices in the same range as others in your location for best results.
8

Display prices in a visible location. Although you don't need to put a price tag on every pair of jeans, a sign indicating the price of jeans is necessary. Many shoppers avoid unmarked items.
9

Put up a sign on the morning of the sale. Take the time to create an attractive sign. A wooden sign attracts attention, but isn't necessary. Use poster board or foam board for the base and stencil on uniform shaped letters. The side of a cardboard box with "yard sale" scrawled in marker may attract some attention, but not all of it will be positive.
10

Place a table for workers near the front of the yard sale so visitors can easily identify who is in charge. If you are running a multifamily sale with several attendants, consider wearing aprons or matching t-shirts to make it easy to identify workers from shoppers.
11

Be friendly and courteous to customers, giving them your attention when needed. This includes refraining from gossiping with other family members or friends during the sale, staying off the phone and speaking politely to all visitors. Avoid allowing young children and pets to play underfoot. Not only does this pose the risk of injury, it takes your attention away from the task at hand -- running a successful yard sale.
12

Sharpen your verbal skills and be ready to dicker. Many experienced bargain hunters arrive with the expectation that dickering is part of the process and feel like they have gotten a good deal if you lower your price -- just for them. Know how low you are willing to go and let the shopper dicker for that price.