Yard Sale HELP!!!!?

Question

I have never had a yard sale. I have went to a few and I know not to put things on the ground....as I hate bending over to look at them. I have bright signs up so that's taken care of it. I really need to know about clothing and pricing. I have everything from shorts/shirts to nice dresses. I don't know what to price them at and also lots of sandals and purses?? Last how do I place them? In boxes on tables? Just folded up on table? I would really like to hang them but I don't have a fence or trees. I live in a duplex type subdivision. Any suggestions about that? Thanks.

Answer 1

I love yard sales. :)

Certainly making the choosing easy for a customer should be a major concern. Have you an ironing board to display items? Can you give up a kitchen table for the duration of the sale to display items? Can you get a plank and place it across two chairs to display items? Stacked milk crates? Covered cardboard boxes with some fabric? Etc. Etc. Etc.

Clothing,,,First of all, may not get back more than 10% of it's original value, and that might be decent items. Go to walmart etc, buy a badminton set. Post the poles, tie them back with cord to anchor/brace them to the ground, add a clothesline cord and hang a modest amount that won't collapse.

Folded clothing might look great at your local GAP, but the help complains constantly about customers wanting to look, and having to refold. Obviously there are items best suited for folding or laying out flat,,,BUT that takes up valuable sales display space.

Cardboard boxes,,, no offense; suggest less than you might think something is worth, though they can be used after the fact to take all that's left to GoodWill. In your thinking, even if most yard buyers don't really take notice, create the display as if it wasn't just a lot of 'junk" you wanted to get rid of. Presentation, as well as your attitude and sales approach can possibly sell Ice makers to Eskimos.

One major factor in a sale of this context, is NEVER bring any emotional attachment to "THINGS" out to the yard, with any item. Your purpose is to LET GO, and you may not even need to offer how much you LOVED that skirt. BUT don't take offense if someone offers you HALF what you ask or think any item is worth. The theme is to downsize, as much as it is to get some cash for whatever reason. "Compromise" is a keyword in any cast off selling.

Answer 2

From my experience, clothes don't sale very well at a yard sale. I'm not sure why, but you can try pricing them at any thing and if you don't see them selling - lower the price. People will try and talk you down from whatever you have priced it anyways. Did you place it in the paper? That always helps too. It seems to work better if you price everything and not put a sign on a box saying "purses - $3.00" It takes a little more time but it is easier in the long run.

Answer 3

I like for shoes to be arranged in a side by side manner on a table or on some kind of tarp on the ground.

You want to have all clothes hanging so that customers can browse. The only clothes that you but on a table or in a box are the ones that you are marking down to nothing. Otherwise customers are not going to waste their time. Two wood posts and a temporary clothes line would do for a place to hang the clothes inexpensively.

Invite your neighbors to participate. The bigger the sale, the more people you will draw to the sale.

Go thrift store shopping to determine how to price your items. At the sale, walk around and talk to the people shopping. Be willing to negotiate.

Answer 4

String a wire clothesline in your garage or between trees on which to place clothes hangers. Other items can be placed on tables, boxes, chairs, or whatever.

Just remember that you are not opening a Neiman Marcus outlet, so price your things to move. If you're out to make money get a job. If you're out to get rid of stuff - price it so low that it will definitely leave your property. Too many garage-salers offer worn out goods at near new prices - and wonder why they are moving it back into the house at the end of the day.

MOST important: signs. Make them BIG. Make them with directional arrows. Make plenty of them. And don't be a litterer - take them down when your sale is over.

Good luck and have fun.

Answer 5

Just fold things into stacks on tables, kinda organized into shorts, shirts, etc. If you could stretch a clothes line between two things- the side of your house to a post or something, it would give you a place to hang things like dresses. I price things "to sell" like non-brand name stuff 50 cents to a dollar. Name brand clothing items in very good condition will get you a higher price like $3 for shorts, $5 for jeans. I think it depends on the area, too. Maybe check out a few yard sales and see what people are pricing their stuff at. Good luck and hope you have good weather for it!!!

Answer 6

Depending on how bad you want to sell you rthings is how I would price them. Shorts $2-$3 jeans $5 shoes $2 remember these are used clothes and what is left over you will either have to take back in your house or a good idea is to pack them up and donate them to your local goodwill .You can even go in and ask them for a receipt and use it as a tax write off.. As far as putting them on display just make it look neat fold them up in inidividual piles and hey if its pretty get a tarp and use the ground nothing wrong with that..And just a thought people will try to get you to lower your price so if they make a reasonable offer for something I would take it..

Answer 7

On tables folded for the clothes, make a sign saying THIS TABLE $1.00-$ 4.00 then you can decide on an item to item basis what you want to let it go for.

Do a purse and shoe table again with a sign saying, PURSES AND SHOES $3.00- $5.00.

Let the more worn ones go for the lesser amounts , name brands can be higher amounts etc.

Don't expect to get rich, after all yard sale shoppers are bargin hunters.

Answer 8

In my yard sales I avoid pricing all together and simply ask the people to make me an offer (they'll try to argue down a fixed price anyway, and sometimes they offer more than I would have priced an item myself!) You like the offer, take it.
Most women like to see clothes hung up - a simple clothes rack can be made by placing a section of 1/2 inch pipe across the backs of two chairs (facing away from each other.)

Answer 9

Used clothes usually don't sell that good, at yard sales. All the clothes you see, give a low price.

Answer 10

I would place a few of the larger items in the the front, enough to make folks aware you are having a sale. Utilize the backyard with the other items.