Tips for Holding the Perfect Yard Sale by Rachel Sanfordlyn Shreckengast

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I feel that this issue deserves it's own section because there are so many ways to handle this issue. One of the best ways to insure that you don't have a lot of work to price things is to have tables that each have a sign stating the price. Or you can take a cue from thrift stores and place one huge signs that states what each type of item goes for. For example, your sign could say "All baby clothes...50 cents, All coats...$2.00" and so on. If you use either of these methods, make sure your sign (or signs on tables) is clearly posted and easy to read. Make sure that you can see the sign (or signs) as well. To be honest, I prefer the "one big sign" method because sometimes (especially during busy times) the person holding the yard sale forgets what was on each table and also what price they were charging for the things on each table.

In most cases, the best way to price is to price each item separately. This is because it allows you to take the condition of each item into consideration and price accordingly. For example, you’re much more likely to get $1.00 for a pair of Gap shorts than for a pair of non brand name shorts. You’re also much more likely to get a better price for something you know is collectible (like a Barbie doll in a box) than you are for something that isn’t (for example, most barbie dolls that are not in a box and have been played with). It takes a lot more time, but you’ll also be able to put a higher price on something that is perceived to have more worth. If you don’t know what something is worth, then either research it or price it at a price that you think is fair for a yard sale.

If you are considering pricing everything (and it really is the best way to go in terms of most potential profit), then you need to consider how you are going to price items. You can use stickers, you can use slips of paper, you can price all like items with one price or you can use hang tags. In my personal opinion, a combination of all these methods is best. For example, you could hang a sign that says “All Books 50 cents”, you can use hang tags (a slip of paper with a hole punched through and with string) on glassware, you can place slips of paper on dinnerware sets and you can add stickers to clothing. Do not place stickers on glass, china, knickknacks or books because stickers can be a true pain to get off once your customer gets the item home. Especially if the item has sit in a hot car all day long. It’s okay on most clothing because the stickers will peel off easily. Consider that some of your customers may be repeat customers. Some of them might not wait until next year to come back, they may remember that you had a specific item that they wanted but passed up the first time around. They’re more apt to come back for that item if they aren’t in the middle of scrubbing off a sticker from an item they already bought from you. Someone made a $70.00 sale (on a dish display cabinet) from me because I got home and decided that I really shouldn’t pass it up. The little items I bought from them (a bunch of glass beer mugs at 10 cents each) all had hang tags. Had all twenty of them had stickers, I probably wouldn’t have bothered to go back because I would have been busy scrubbing all of the stickers off (and would have been highly annoyed at that point).

Of course, pricing brings up another issue. How much should you charge for your items? It really varies depending on where you live, but a good rule of thumb is no more than 10% of the price you purchased the item for. If it’s highly collectible or a large item, people might be willing to pay a little more but you should keep in mind that it’s a yard sale and people expect low prices. If you don’t have good prices, people will go to the next yard sale and buy things there instead. They’ll spend the most at the yard sales with the best prices. If it’s something that turns up at most yard sales (like baby clothing, kid’s toys and plain glasses in this area), price it to move because otherwise you won’t get rid of it.

Ask yourself why you are holding a yard sale. Are you holding a yard sale to get rid of stuff or are you holding a yard sale to make money? If you price things too high, you won’t get rid of much. So if that’s your motivation, then it makes sense to price things cheaply. If you’re out to make money, there are other ways to turn a better profit. Regardless, there just aren’t a lot of people who are going to pay high prices at yard sales. Realize that if you price things too highly, you aren’t likely to get a lot of sales. Think about it logically, people believe you are holding a yard sale to get rid of the things you don’t want or need...in other words, you are getting rid of “your junk”. Why should they pay top dollar for something you consider junk? There’s also another factor to consider. Do you really want to pack everything up again or transport lots of boxes to the local shelter (or thrift store) or would you rather sell most of it and at least make some money on it? You may be asking yourself “But what if I sell something for less than it’s worth?”. Maybe you will, but at least you’ll sell it. Try to remember that you didn’t want it in the first place and that the person buying it may not even have a clue of what it’s worth either. That person may just think it’s pretty (or practical - maybe they’ll use it).

Pages in this Article; Before The Sale, Pricing Your Items, Your Signs, The Day of The Yard Sale, More Resources

Best Wishes,
Rachel Sanfordlyn Shreckengast
062402