When organizing a garage sale, you likely have two main goals: to get rid of clutter and to make some extra cash. And while it’s entirely possible to put a garage sale together without much forethought, being intentional with the overall organization from the start can contribute to your sale’s success — and make it…
From cleaning items to figuring out your display, here are some tips and tricks for a successful garage sale. The best part? You can use items you already have — or items you’re planning to sell — to help you achieve a more organized and efficient garage sale setup.
How To Organize Your Garage Sale
Clean Your Items
Apart from collecting the items you want to sell, giving them a thorough cleaning is one of the most important steps you can take, because people are more likely to purchase items that look well maintained. Make sure to launder all clothing and blankets, wipe down furniture, dust off books, and run kitchenware through the dishwasher to keep things sanitary. Some items — such as scorched pots and pans — might require a little elbow grease, but this attention to detail will pay off.
Organize by Categories
After ensuring everything is as clean as possible, sort your items into categories to present an organized display on the day of the garage sale. You can pile items in your garage on a clean surface or keep them in boxes for easy transport.
Organizing your garage sale items by category not only benefits you with a neatly arranged display, but also helps customers browse specific items such as housewares or clothing.
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Design Your Display
Once you have everything sorted into categories, consider how you want to display your items. Most clothing can be hung on a garment rack so customers can easily see and flip through what you’re selling. If you have wearable accessories, consider how you might display those, too. You can use a hat or coat rack to showcase your hats, scarves, and handbags. Repurpose a shoe rack from your home to present shoes and boots, or lay them flat on a tablecloth, grouped by size.
For other categories, tables are essential for effective garage sale organization. Instead of spreading your home decor, small kitchen appliances, and other wares across a flat surface, though, look for creative ways to display them at different heights to add interest and maximize vertical space. Stack books on their sides and place a small easel or plate stand on top to display a popular paperback. Use a tiered stand to exhibit jewelry, brooches, and other small items (cake stands also work well). Or add decorative plates to a dish rack instead of stacking and concealing their designs.
There are countless ways to display merchandise using both the pieces you’re selling and items you find around the house.
Give Everything a Price
Do yourself a favor and price everything ahead of time — it will save you from answering a barrage of questions on the day of the sale. This might be a little more work up-front, especially if every item has a different price, but it’ll make it easier for you to keep track of prices and sales. Use clear signage to display prices and, if applicable, purchase price stickers to make the sale more manageable.
Don’t Forget Packing Materials
Designate a bin for packing materials to wrap up fragile items for customers. While this isn’t a typical expectation for a garage sale, it can make the shopping experience more enjoyable and help ensure their treasured finds stay intact on the ride home. For a budget-friendly approach, repurpose grocery and shopping bags (collect some from friends and family if you don’t have enough). You can also rely on your local no-buy group and upcycle bubble wrap, packing paper, newspaper, boxes, and bags.
