Garage Sale Organizing & Best Seller Tips

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Okay, so you’re ready to purge, ready to simplify and get rid of your unwanted stuff and have a garage sale. But where do you start?

If your family is like ours, you have far too much stuff items that have grown dusty on a storage room shelf, toys that are no longer played with, gifts you received that weren’t quite you – not to mention, all those unread books and CD’s you’re tired of. And what about all those VHS movies that remain after switching over to DVD? Or, the former bedding and accessories from your last room makeover? It’s all good stuff and could fetch you a good buck at a garage sale.

You know the old saying, one man’s junk is another man’s treasure – well, it sure holds true when it comes to having a garage sale.

You would be amazed at the stuff people will buy. These days just about anything goes – for the right price. Maybe it’s the parts from your broken VCR that will have a handyman snapping it right up or your portable stereo with working radio but broken CD player that may be just the ticket for the guy who loves to tinker in his garage.

I’ve been an avid bargain hunter for as long as I can remember. For years, Saturday mornings between the end of April and early October have found me rising at the crack of dawn, grabbing a travel mug of coffee, a muffin, and with my trusty newspaper classifieds tucked under my arm I’m off.

Over the years as a garage sale enthusiast and hosting our own on a number of occasions, I’ve come up with a personal top ten list of what sells.

1)Furniture. Shoppers are always looking for cost-effective ways to furnish their homes. Dressers in particular are hot items but so are coffee and end tables, shelving units, and chairs of all kinds. Finished or unfinished – it doesn’t matter. If you’ve got any old wood chairs or antique tables put them out.

2)Baby items. Since buying new can be quite costly, baby equipment is almost a guaranteed sell. You may want to check with a local children’s consignment store to see what the going rate is on your particular item and whether it meets current safety standards.

3)Kid’s clothes. Kid’s grow and often at a faster rate than our pocketbooks. Quality children’s clothing in good repair goes quick.

4)Videos. Don’t undervalue the price of a good video. You may have replaced your video collection with DVDs but not everyone has. Buyers will put down a couple of bucks for quality videos in like-new cases. Disney movies are great sellers and will garner more dollars than their counterparts in cardboard sleeves.

5)CDs. Have you checked out the popularity of the local music stores recently? If so, you know just how popular CD sales still are. Garage sales are an excellent place to sell off CDs you have outgrown.

6)Electronics. While some people are on the lookout for working electronics, others want old parts to repair their existing units. Permit access to a power supply so customers can test the item.

7)Set of dishes. Complete sets of dishes (servings of six and up) can go for top dollar. And obviously much less for incomplete sets or those with chips.

8)Bed sets. Sheets, comforters and throw pillows sell big. Make sure they are clean and in good shape. Where possible, display and sell any accessories (like curtains or extra wallpaper border) as a set or package in clear plastic bags with the set specifics written on the outside e.g. double or queen, one or two pillowcases, dust ruffle etc.

9)Sporting goods. Remember those new golf clubs you never used or the old ones you just replaced? Put a price tag on them. Sporting goods are usually in high demand.

10) Home dcor items. Got any flower arrangements, door wreaths or decorative prints? True bargain hunters have learned how carefully selected home dcor items can makeover a room for very little.

And, at the end of the day, do yourself and our community a favor by donating what’s leftover to a local charity. Of course, you may also want to get a head start on next year’s garage sale by re-boxing some quality items from the above list that just didn’t make the cut. Often there is nothing wrong with the item it’s simply that the right buyer didn’t come along. Remember, there’s always next year