I would appreciate any suggestions you all could provide concerning what makes a moving/garage sale successful. I live in Arizona, so it is incredibly hot here, but have to move due to financial constraints. Thank you!
By Paula G.
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How successful a moving/garage sale will be depends on how you price things according to what it is and where you live. Where I live things have to be marked almost dirt cheap in order to sell. If you want to sell in order to get rid of things and not make a heap of money that is the way to go. I have a friend that when she has a moving/garage sale she marks the things so high that you might as well go and buy new. She then complains that things don't sell and she absolutely won't deal.
One time she told me that she had two shoe boxes full of the fancy patterned socks that she had marked $1.50 a pair and not one pair went. I thought I would buy a bunch of them for my teen age granddaughters for no more than a quarter a pair, but she wouldn't go lower than a dollar a pair. You can go to the dollar stores and even at WalMart some times for no more than a dollar a pair for new ones.
Don't sit; greet your customers, ask them what they are interested in and let them know you will deal. Point out good deals to them, but don't hover. Putter around straightening stuff. Running a successful sale is hard work. People are looking for deals - $1 a sack for somethings, and you furnish the sack or $1 each and 6 for $5.
Usually if someone is mildly interested, if you throw in something else, they will buy. Know what your stuff is worth and that means going to other sales around. Decide what your goal is--get rid of it for a little money or move it when you move. Have fans running in the sale area; have most inside the garage if possible. If you plan to deal, let people know. Play the sympathy card if you must. And enjoy the experience - it can be fun even if it is work.
I agree with the other posters - the price makes all the difference. If you price things too high, they will not sell. Everyone is strained and looking for a bargain, others simply do not have the money. But always have prices posted; people do not like to buy when they continually have to ask how much something is. Also, keep things compact, so it always looks like you have a lot.
For some reason, when things are all spread out, it looks like it's been picked over and people won't take the time to stop. Put out everything - you won't believe what will sell! A bunch of trinkets stuffed inside a bag will sell for .25-.50 .
If possible, do not advertise days - if your sale is advertised for 3 days, everyone will show up on the first day and not many on the other two, thinking things are picked over and the good stuff is already gone. Emphasize the "Moving" sale - people will know you want to get rid of things. Keep lots of change handy - you do not want to lose a sale because you can't make proper change. Good luck.
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