Skip to content
Author

Do your kids have too many toys they no longer play with? Clothes in decent shape they’ve outgrown? Is Mom itching to clean out her closets?

A family yard sale can bring in some extra spending money, and parents can teach their kids about charity by agreeing to donate a percentage of the earnings. Kids also can practice their math skills by counting change.

“Get the kids involved,” said Bruce Littlefield, author of “Garage Sale America,” a book that explores the cultural phenomenon of Americans’ quest for bargains. “Have them set up a lemonade stand. They can make some money on their own and learn how to talk to people.

“Make it a party with music, lemonade and cookies,” he said. “If you get people talking to you and talking about your stuff, they are much more likely to want to give you their money.”

Advertising is critical to getting the word out. Littlefield suggests putting signs at major intersections and making them big and bold. “Use fun words like ‘spectacular,’ ‘smokin’ deals,’ or ‘dirt cheap,’ and make sure your arrows point in the right direction,” he said.

Consider posting an ad on Craigslist – a free service. Advertise on the days before the sale and then repost a revised ad on the day of the sale.

Saturdays are the best days for the sale, Littlefield said. “But if you start your sale on Friday, you’ll get a lot of dealers the first day. And if you hold your sale over to Sunday, that’s a great day to say ‘50 percent off.’ That way, if someone is interested in an item on Saturday but doesn’t want to pay your price, you can say, ‘If it’s still here tomorrow, it’ll be half off!’”

Don’t make up prices on the spot; let shoppers know them up front. Some people are too shy to ask the price of an item, so you could lose a sale if it’s not marked.

Another pricing tip: Don’t mark items with the lowest price that you’ll actually accept. “Buyers like to barter. Think about how you might group items too, like shirts for $3 each, or two for $5,” said Marie Loggia-Kee, a writer and mom from Long Beach.

“Be prepared early,” Loggia-Kee said. “Especially if you advertise, professional buyers come early, before the start time given. They want the best pick of the offerings.”

Said Littlefield: “Entice people by putting some big items by the road, and if you have a vintage car, park it by the street, even if it’s not for sale. Also, a multifamily or street-wide sale attracts a lot of shoppers. So tell your neighbors you’re having a sale and they might have one too.”

When it comes to displaying items, Littlefield said, think like you’re setting up a store.

“Put kitchen things together, have a children’s section, a handyman corner for tools, and group or package like items together and make suggestions for uses. Hang clothes on a rope between trees or fold them neatly on a table. No one wants to rifle through your dirty clothes hamper. Most important, have a ‘dollar table’ and keep replenishing it.”

Let your kids help bag items, and after the sale is over, donate remaining items to charity.