Sell Refreshments At Your Garage Sale

To make more money at your next yard sale, sell refreshments, too! Watch the sales for a few weeks before your event, and stock up on canned sodas at bargain prices. The day of the sale, put them in a cooler with ice and put up a big sign "cold drinks, .50" or whatever price lets you make a little profit, but keeps the price appealing.

For early mornings, you could put coffee in a thermos or carafe and sell cups of coffee -- but then you would have to deal with cream & sugar, trash, etc. One year I went to the bread thrift store and bought two dozen donuts at $1 a dozen, then sold the donuts at my yard sale for .25 each!

By Becki in Indiana

Feedback

Read feedback for this post below. Click here to post feedback.

By 10/12/2009

Corn dogs on a stick, cookies, choc chip not a good idea for kids though if it is hot. Oatmeal, raisin or sugar cookies may be better idea. Put a mixture of cheese crackers, fritos, vanilla wafers, little pretzels, that sort of thing in a bag. A handful of these in a zip bag will sell well. I think most kids prefer a juice box when it comes to a drink.

By 05/13/2007

I think that selling canned sodas at your sale is a great idea. You can earn extra money selling to thirsty customers and what ever soda doesn't sell would certainly not go to waste because your family can consume it!

By 06/06/2006

here's a great idea which I saw at a church garage sale: sell "Happy Meal Lunches". Kids get a hot dog (or bologna sandwich) , a juice box, a choice of a bag of chips, and a choice from a box of small toys for their happy meal.
Adults could get something kind of similar with perhaps a box of 25 cent or less value items to choose from for their happy meal or a cookie.

By 06/05/2006

I have purchased drinks at garage sales and a time or two even banana bread or cookies. The only problem I can see about this is that you could be taking a chance on how safe the food is. You don't really know the people who made it and if they washed their hands, etc. I guess I'd just as soon pack a lunch for myself or just grab some fast food.

By BARRY BROWER (Guest Post) 09/06/2005

QUESTION?? I HAVE CHECKED MANY PLACES, AND HAVE NOT FOUND ANYTHING THAT TELLS ME IF I NEED ANY KIND OF PERMITS TO SELL FOOD AT A PRIVATE YARD SALE.. IF ANYONE HAS ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THIS PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
E-MAIL OR CALL ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, THANK YOU IN ADVANCE.
BARRYBROWER @ COMCAST.NET (remove spaces) / 818-364-9168

By 02/17/2005

For some folks spending the day going from yard sale to yard sale, they don't take the time out for lunch. So if you had some sandwiches made up. like tuna salad or pimento cheese sandwiches. Also, maybe a few varieties of small bags of chips or fresh veggies or bake sale items. I'm sure they'd all sell. Also, I've sold cans of soda pop and popsicles on hot summer days.

By kathy a. (Guest Post) 01/24/2005

At our last yard sale we did this. We also sold hot dogs and set up a little picnic area. This was very popular, particularly for families with young children.