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How to Have a Successful Garage Sale in 2024

Want to learn how to have a successful garage sale? Well then, you’ve come to the right place!

Having a successful garage sale is an easy way to declutter your home while also making some extra money.

With the right preparation and planning, you can turn a simple garage sale into a profitable event.

In this post, I will share my best garage sale tips o make your next garage sale a huge success!

You know what they say!-One man’s junk is another man’s treasure. 

Let’s get started.

This post may contain affiliate links. Read disclosure here

how to have a successful garage sale-yard sale tips

10 Yard Sale Tips: How to Have a Succesful Garage Sale

Over the years, I’ve learned a lot about how to have a successful garage sale.

Not only do I love to go to garage sales myself, but we’ve had small family garage sales to declutter and make some extra money, multi-family garage sales, and have even been part of several community garage sales.

They said if you want to be good at something, you should do it over and over again. With that thought in mind, I guess I am a bit of an expert when it goes to having garage sales.

And without further ado, here are my best tips to help you have a successful garage sale. 🙂

1. Choose a Good Date for Your Yard Sale

One of the most important garage sale tip is choosing the right date for your yard sale.

Choose a date and time that will work for both you and potential shoppers.

You’ll want to pick a date that’s not too close to other holidays or events in your community A weekend is usually the best time for a garage sale, as people tend to have more free time than to browse through garage sales.

The best days to have a garage sale are usually Friday and Saturday mornings with Saturday morning bringing in the most potential customers.

Sunday is always an opinion, especially if you cannot open for business on Friday.

I’ve also heard that the first weekend of the month is the best time to plan a garage sale as many folks get paid on the first of the month which could bring in more potential buyers.

Spring and summer are also good times for a successful sale as the weather is more likely cooperative.

how to have a successful garage sale

2. Gather Garage Sale Items

Go through your house and garage, and pull out anything you no longer need or use.

Ask family members and friends if they have any items they would like to donate to your garage sale.

Having the most extensive inventory possible is key to a successful garage sale.

The Most Popular Items For Garage Sales:

  • Furniture
  • Gently used clothing: Baby clothes and Maternity clothes are the most popular
  • Shoes and handbags. Don’t forget backpacks.
  • Accessories: Belts, scarves, etc.
  • Costume Jewelry of all kinds.
  • Garden furniture and tools
  • Tools and Sports equipment
  • Kitchen Appliances. Large and Small.
  • Dishes and china
  • Flatware and Utensils
  • Glassware + Coffee mugs
  • Casserole dishes and bakeware
  • Toys + games
  • Books!
how to have a successful garage sale: How to price garage sale items

3. Gather Garage Sale Supplies

It’s super important to have the right supplies and tools when having a garage sale.

Being prepared for your big day will prove to be worth the time it takes to gather everything you will need.

Essential Garage Sale Supplies:

  • Clothes rack(s)
  • Tables and Chairs
  • Tagging gun (a lifesaver!)
  • Price stickers and price tags (you’ll need both)
  • Calculator
  • Cash box
  • Garage sale signs
  • Markers
  • Clear, zip bags
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Large Shopping bags
  • Small Plastic grocery bags
  • Cardboard boxes
  • Tissue paper or newsprint (to wrap fragile items)
  • String and tape
  • Tape measure
  • Extension cord
  • Tarps and umbrellas (Shade!)
successful garage sale advertise

4. Advertise Your Garage Sale

Advertising is key to a successful yard sale

Post your garage sale online on websites like Craigslist and Garage Sale Finder.

Include large, higher-priced items like furniture and appliances and highlight items such as baby clothes or arts and crafts items in your ad.

Don’t forget the date, times, and of course, the address of your yard sale.

Posting online ads, hanging flyers, and posting on your social media pages a few days before your sale is always helpful.

If you have sought-after items such as kids’ toys or clothes, specialty tools, craft supplies, or collectibles, make sure to note that in the ad.

Always include your full address, days of the sale, and times.

Promote your forms of payment in ads (and on the day of the sale), especially if you accept credit cards and online payments like Venmo. 

How to advertise a garage sale:

how to have a successful garage sale

5. Make Colorful, Eye-catching Garage Sale Signs

Colorful Eye-Catching Garage Sale Signs are key to having a successful garage sale.

You want people to be able to see your sign from the road and be able to read it.

Having good signs is the key to attracting garage sale buyers!

How to make effective garage sale signs:

  • Use bright colors – fluorescent poster boards are ideal.
  • Large Signs are best!
  • Make the text large and legible.
  • Include important details like dates, times, and locations.
  • Finally, use arrows pointing in the right direction to lead the way to the sale location.
  • Make it weather-resistant by laminating it or putting it in a clear plastic sleeve.
  • Hang Garage Sale signs on street corners below street signs. Place signs at a driver’s eye level if possible.
  • Telephone poles are a great place to put signs
  • Have lots of masking tape and a staple gun to hang signs

Shop Garage Sale Supplies


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6. Pricing Garage Sale Items

It’s important to price your items for the garage sale carefully.

Generally, you should aim to set prices that are a fraction of the item’s new retail price.

Consider pricing each item individually and research similar items online to get an idea of what they are worth. Make sure to be realistic with your pricing; if you set prices too high, customers may pass on your items.

But don’t undervalue them either – you want to make sure that you’re getting a fair price for all the hard work you’ve put in!

You can also offer discounts on multiple or bulk purchases. This is an effective way to entice buyers who may otherwise not purchase individual items.

Garage sale shoppers typically look for bargains, so price your items accordingly.

How to price garage sale items:

A good rule of thumb price things at 10%–20% of their retail value.

This amount may seem low, but it’ll move your inventory quickly.

If you want to leave a little bit of wiggle room for negotiating, price items at about one-third of their original value.

For example, if an item originally cost $100, you would price it at $30.

Price clothing using a price tagging gun to adhere tags to clothing. Having a tagging tag is a lifesaver and will save you a ton of time!

Price the rest of your garage sale items with garage sale stickers.

Remember: On the last day of your sale-you can make the best deals with your customers. A great way to do this is to put up 50% off signs in the second half of the last day.

How to have a successful garage sale: How to Stage your yard sale items

7. Setting Up Your Yard Sale

You don’t have to be a professional organizer to do a good job staging your garage sale.

Taking a bit of extra time to set up and stage your yard sale will help make it a great success. Arranging garage sale items in an organized and visually appealing way is key!

Set up your garage sale at least one hour early on the evening before the sale, if possible.

Tips for Staging a Garage Sale:

Stage Large, big-ticket items in front

Display expensive items like furniture, large appliances, and artwork as close to the entrance as possible to quickly catch the shopper’s attention.

Organize similar types of items together

Keep items together in one area.

Organize areas and tables, keeping like items together. This way, shoppers can easily identify what area they are interested in most.

Keep organizing and re-organizing your sale items throughout the day.

Organize the clothing

Hang as much clothing as possible.

Display remaining clothing folded on tables. Organized clothing by type and make signs for each. ie, Maternity, baby, children’s, men’s, etc.

how to have a successful garage sale

8. Be Prepared to Make Change and Accept Electronic Payments

Having a cash drawer or box is also a great idea. I like to wear a fanny pack to keep the money in. Works great!

Make sure you have extra cash on hand for your garage sale. I try to get about $50 in small bills.  I split it up between $10, $5, $1, and a roll of quarters is always a good idea.

Consider accepting debit cards and electronic payments through Venmo! Accepting electronic payments makes you more likely to sell higher-priced items more quickly!

9. Open Your Garage Sale Early!

When it comes to garage sales, the early bird gets the worm!

Many garage sale shoppers are early birds.

Opening your doors early ensures that your garage sale will attract “Professional” garage sale shoppers and those who l like to get an early start.

how to have a successful garage sale

10. Be Prepared to Haggle.

If I’m being honest, this is my least favorite part about having a garage sale!

Garage sale shoppers love to haggle, so be ready to negotiate on prices. Unfortunately, haggling or negotiating prices with shoppers can get pretty tricky.

Tips for Negotiating prices with shoppers:

  • The first rule of thumb when negotiating prices with shoppers don’t take it personally.
  • If the shopper asks how low will you go on a specific item, discount it by 10%.
  • Say a shopper offers you $5 for a $10 item, counter with $7, and see where it goes.
  • When it’s early in the day, never take the first offer unless it’s fair.
  • Towards the end of the day-cut big deals!
sell snacks at your garage sale

11. Sell Beverages and Snacks at the Garage Sale!

In my mind, selling beverages and snacks at a yard sale is a no-brainer.

Can you say “additional revenue stream”?-Selling beverages and snacks at a garage sale is a surefire way to make some additional cash and having a snack bar is a nice touch.

Additionally, garage sale shoppers appreciate having beverages available, and it will aid in them staying at your sale longer!

Consider having a separate table just for snacks, coffee, etc., and a large cooler for cold drinks.

Don’t forget to make a big sign saying something like “ICE COLD DRINKS + YUMMY SNACKS” or something to that effect.

I suggest putting prices for garage sale menu items on the sign. This will make your life a lot easier.

Beverages and Snacks to Sell at a Garage Sale:

  • Coffee: Don’t forget disposable cups, creamer, and sugar.
  • Bottled water and soft drinks (both regular and diet)
  • Juice boxes or Capri Suns.
  • Donuts! Donuts sell like hotcakes! 🙂
  • Lunch-sized Chips, trail mix, and cookies.
  • Candy. This is also a big seller!

12. Make it a Community Garage Sale!

When it comes to garage sales, bigger is better.

Organizing a community garage sale isn’t difficult but there are certain steps you must take to be successful.

How to organize a community garage sale:

  • Decide on a Date and time and Obtain a Permit.
  • Create Flyers and Pass them Out to Neighbors
  • Post on Neighbor FB Group and NextDoor app
  • Place Ads Online and in the Newspaper
  • Prepare and Pass Out Yard Sale Signs.
  • Share “How to have a garage sale” with neighbors

13. Don’t Forget to Have Fun!

Having a garage sale can be a fun and rewarding experience.

It can be an excellent way to meet your neighbors, spend quality time with the kiddos, make some extra cash, and even lighten a load of clutter in your home!

14. Clean up

After your garage sale is over, it’s time for cleanup.

During cleanup, you can decide what items to keep and what items you would like to donate to a local thrift store or charity.

When cleaning up, don’t forget to remove all signage from your neighborhood!

15. Donate Unsold Items

When the garage sale has ended, you can donate any unsold items to charity.

Depending on what type of items you have left over, there are certain charities that will gladly accept them.

Organizations like Goodwill or Salvation Army accept most items except for bed mattresses.

Many local charities, such as food banks, homeless shelters, and women’s shelters, will accept donations of household items, clothing, books, toys, etc.

Be sure to double-check with each organization beforehand to make sure they’ll accept your donations!

Doing good by donating unsold items allows you not only to help someone in need but also to receive a receipt for tax purposes if applicable.

how to have a successful garage sale

Conclusion: How to Have a Successful Garage Sale

So what do you think? Are you ready to have a garage sale?

I am confident that if you follow my garage sale tips, you will not only declutter your home but also put some extra cash in your pocket in no time!

Have you ever had a garage sale? Did I leave anything out? Leave your comments below.

Until next time,

XO, Christine

christine mathews

I’ve been keeping it real since 1963. 🙂

I’m a child of God, a wifey, mama, grandma, full-time creative, domestic engineer, and self-care enthusiast.

I am obsessed with all things makeup and skincare and love getting my hands dirty out in the garden, my art room, or in the kitchen, whipping up something yummy for the fam.

I’m always down to chat and love collaborating with other creatives and brands alike!

Feel free to reach out anytime!

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2 Comments

  1. This could not have come at a better timing. I have been house cleansing and want to do a huge garage sale and even have some of my neighbors involved. All your suggestions are taken at heart. Thank you.

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