Tips for Holding the Perfect Yard Sale by Rachel Sanfordlyn Shreckengast

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Not only should you put up signs, but you should put up plenty of them, especially in high traffic areas. Signs are extremely important and should be clearly marked. Write neatly! If you can't write neatly, then purchase templates or make templates of letters from your computer. Very few people care whether you are holding a yard sale, a garage sale or porch sale so please do not make the type of sale the largest letters on your sign. The most important information is your address. If your address is in tiny print, nobody will be able to see it and visit your yard, porch or garage sale. If the sign is in the same town, you do not need to put the town. If you live outside the town, include an arrow and very simple instructions like "about 3 1/2 miles up street". If there are any big curves (or split streets) on the way, be sure to put a sign with further simple instructions such as "keep to the right". or "turn this way". It's also nice to see more than one sign along long stretches. Your next one can say something like "2 miles to go!". Another part of your sign that should be prominent is the arrow. You should include arrows on as many of your signs as possible. Not only should you include them, but they should be clearly visible from the other side of the street. Never ever point any of your arrows towards a one way street that your customers can not go down. I have a huge problem with this one in my area (there are lots of one-way streets) and it's an extremely dangerous practice. Make sure to put the start time and end times of your yard sale as well. Even though it will probably annoy you, there might be some people who will come earlier than the stated time. You can wait to set up until the stated time (but you’ll probably still be setting up as people arrive and may lose some sales) or you can just accept that there will be early birds and set up an hour or so early (or put the time you start an hour later). If your town allows it, put a really large sign right in your front yard that says "Yard Sale Here". Make sure it is visible from both directions.

This is a good start, but there's more that you should consider when creating (or buying) your yard sale signs. Try to use a stiff paper or cardboard with some type of paper stapled onto it. Regular paper (and those signs given out by my local newspapers) wraps around the telephone poles and you can't see the address or the arrows. That reminds me, your town may only allow yard sale signs in certain areas, may only allow a certain number of yard sales per year or may require that you have permit. The only way to find out your town policies on yard sales is to call your local City Hall. This step should not be forgotten as you will probably get fined if you don't follow the local laws concerning yard sales. Once the yard sale is over, promptly remove the signs (it's a good idea to write down exactly where you put each sign so that you don't forget any when the sale is over). It's annoying to potential customers when they search for a yard sale that was over last week, but this isn't the only reason you want to take your signs down. If you hold a yard-sale next year, you may find that many yard salers have good memories and may refuse to stop at your yard sale (or they'll stop only long enough to complain to you...right in front of your other potential customers). Not only that, but leaving up signs may mean you get fined by the city you live in. Below you will find a quick overview of the tips:

1. Write neatly!
2. Your address should be readable from the other side of the street.
3. You should add arrows visible from the other side of the street to your signs whenever possible.
4. Never point an arrow towards a one way street when someone would have to go the wrong way to follow your arrow.
5. Include start time and close time.
6. If you need to add directions, make them as simple as possible.
7. Don't forget to include directions if a street splits or has large curves.
8. Put up a couple of signs along large stretches of road.
9. If your town allows it, add a large sign to your front yard that is visible from both directions.
10. Use something stiff to write or staple your sign onto.
11. Call your local City Hall and find out local ordinances concerning yard sales.
12. Once the yard sale is over, promptly remove your signs.

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