In the midst of summer, everyone is out and about. Whether that’s just to get a nice walk in, or because they’re bored and looking for something to do. This makes it the best time of the year to hold that garage sale you’ve wanted to do for a while, and clear up the excess space in your home.
Discover with Safeguard Self Storage seven ways you can host an effective summer garage sale, and how storage might be helpful to you both before and after it’s complete.
Garage Sale Tip
In an information market over-saturated with advice, here are seven key garage sale tips that we believe stand out among the rest.
Don’t Immediately Discard Older or Broken Items
Don’t get caught up in the idea that because you no longer want a certain item, no one else will, either. Some collectors or tinkerers don’t mind mending, fixing, or cleaning items like old clocks, clothing, or furniture. You never know what will appeal to people, so just make sure it’s all available and let your customers decide.
Advertise Your Sale
Probably one of our best garage sale tips is that you should always try to advertise your sale. This doesn’t mean just signs at the end of the street; make posts on your neighborhood or town’s social media pages, or buy a spot in the local newspaper. Just make sure you don’t break the bank over it. You’re doing this to clean up space and make money, not lose it.
Borrow Tables and Shelves
If you don’t properly present the items you’re selling, your potential customers may be less inclined to explore your sale. Either organize your items with your own tables or shelves or borrow some friends to make your for-sale belongings look more appealing. The more options you have to organize your products for sale, the better.
Have Plenty of Change Ready
Nothing can kill the momentum of a sale if the buyer has a $20 bill for a $5 item, and you can’t return the difference. Make sure you start with plenty of change ready for potential purchases, especially smaller bills like $1 and $5. If things go well, you may have even more cash to work with after a few hours.
Don’t Underestimate Value
There are some people who hunt garage sales specifically looking for items that have been mispriced because their owner didn’t understand their value. Make sure before you put something out for sale, that you can’t get more for it by selling through an online market. This is especially true for technology, vintage toys, and some rarer items, like certain comic books.
Make Things Look Pretty with Lights
Lights, streamers, colorful tablecloths. Tying into an earlier point, if your belongings have an alluring presentation, you’re likely to get more sales. Giving things this charm creates the impression that you care about your belongings, something that was probably true while you owned them. The more memorable your belongings are the more customers that may take a look at your sale.
Keep Yourself Safe
This garage sale tip is different from the others on our list, but always prioritize the safety of yourself and your home. Don’t let anyone into your home for any reason. This is a garage sale, not a convenience store. Also, don’t leave your money out where someone could easily steal it, like a cash box. Carry your cash around on your person, and regularly check your pockets to make sure it’s still there. At the end of the day, your safety is more important than selling some old things.
Safeguard Your Belongings
Whether you’re preparing for a garage sale or you still have some stuff leftover after one, chances are you have more stuff than you want or need at the moment. Self storage is a simple, convenient solution for storing any of your belongings while you decide what to do with them. Safeguard has been dedicated to the highest standard of service in Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, and beyond, for more than 30 years.
For more useful information like our garage sale tips, take a look at our blog. It's brimming with articles to make your life a little easier through the convenience of self storage.