Tips to a Successful Yard Sale

I have been to and I have had many yard sales and I have noticed a few things that would affect how well a yard sale pans out.

First and most important are your signs. The bigger the better, keep them simple and lead your customer. Driving around you will see many signs along the road that are not "official" signs: biggest loser, real estate, car wash, and lawn care to name a few.

Make your sign "big" to stand out. Make your arrow noticeable so a driver doesn't have to strain to see which way to go. Post the sign "before" the street corner (and if you have the signs, at the corner also) so the driver has time to slow down and turn (or even cross to another lane before turning).

Make sure the sign has support. Wind and heat makes cardboard fold in on itself and if a driver can't read it they can't visit you. So put a clothes hanger across the top to keep the sign open. Or, if you're nailing up your signs, a piece of wood across the top. It doesn't need to be big enough for the whole sign, just big enough to go from corner to corner at the top.

Along busy roads, don't bother putting your address on the sign, a driver doesn't have time to really read it. But further down the road, on the way to your yard sale, put your address. You may also mention roughly how far down the road you are if it will be a distance.

In the past, people have used bright color paper for yard sales. This is good especially if you use the same color paper for all your signs. This way people will know if they are following signs for the same yard sale.

If there is another yard sale on the route to yours, put another sign up just past the other yard sale. Somewhere it can be seen by anyone pulling up to your competition, in route to your sale.

If your place is really far off the beaten path, try to find another place for your yard sale closer to traffic. A friend's house or the parking lot of a business not open on the day of your sale. Make sure you ask permission. In some places, there are already areas that have been made sort of "unofficial" yard sale lots along busy roads. Booths and tables are available for use, in limited supply, but they are "first come first serve" so you have to get there early.

Try to make sure that where ever you have your yard sale, there is room for cars to be parked. If the parking area is unclear, you may need to put up signs that say "Park Here".

With regard to the yard sale itself, make sure prices are clear either marked on items or on signs.

And remember, people like a bargain. If you have "lots" of clothes, get a bunch of plastic grocery bags and ask $5 a bag. Fit in what clothes you can and if the bag closes, they are all yours for $5.

If you have lots of CDs or DVDs, you may ask $3 each, 2 for $5, and 5 for $10.

The important thing to remember about your yard sale is whatever doesn't sell, you have to put away. Ask what you think something is worth, but after lunch, start accepting less. After lunch, most serious yard sale shoppers stop going to yard sales. The exception being those people looking for bargains or something in particular. Or someone who happens to be driving by and sees something they are interested in.