May Your Next Yard Sale Be Rained On....

...okay, well not YOURS, but that person who "forgot" to take their Yard Sale
signs down! You know that they saw them on Sunday on their way to
Starbuck's.....

I love Saturday mornings for a few reasons, number one- the most obvious of sleeping in and not having to go to work, and #2- it’s bargain hunting time at local yard sales. I’m a yard sale fan and not afraid to admit it! In fact, I just finished decorating the entry way of our house in garage sale chic (with the help of a few cans of spray paint and some imagination, oh yeah- ebay too) for under $30. But, it’s all custom and the fun was obviously in the hunt! My BFF, Leah, is my yard sale companion, although now that she is beyond pregnant and expecting any day, I drag my begrudging hubby, Jason, out with me. (His brother loves to garage sale, wishful thinking that it was genetic!) I often only take with me $20 and am amazed at what it can get you!
This past weekend, I decided to follow some “signs” to a yard sale. (Paper Plates with Sale and an itty bitty arrow on them) Three turns in and no more signs! Arg- that meant that it was a last-weekend sign- and my biggest pet peeve, next to bad signs. Please, please, take the time to take down your signs. It’s not only inconsiderate to your ‘customers’ that try to find you, but it’s also good for Mother Nature. Okay, this is not the pot calling the kettle black. I am proud to say that along with going to yard sales, our family also holds one about once a year, and one thing that I hear regularly at ours is “Great Signs!” They are large (18x 24) signs, on ground stakes with very large red print that says YARD SALE with an equally as impressive arrow directing the way. I make them on the computer (four sheets of paper per sign) and tape them onto what I’ll call campaign signs (you know the ones that you see along the road during election season?)- and then they can be shoved into the ground. I’ve had these for years, but you could “borrow” some after this years election! I also make them double-sided so that they attract attention from all directions.
Remember, you have about 3 seconds to catch a passer-bys attention and make them turn the car in your direction. It’s not necessary to put the time and date, as long as you put them up and take them down (appoint a family member to help) when your sale is going on; nor should you try to list items in 8-pt font. (If you want to list items, try craigslist- that’s another good way to find yard sales!) BFF Leah is used to the, “Quick, turn here.” directions from less than stellar signs, but Jason is less than so! I can guarantee that if you take the care into making good, attention catching signs, you will actually make more money. Our sale in May this year netted about $800 and in previous years, we average $400 to $500, and our highest price point was about $30. So, please take the time to make good signs, and my last plea is to take them down as soon as your sale is over. I think the next time I see a sign on a Tuesday with the address, I’m going to go over there and ask about the sale! ( :
Now, I am not an expert on yard sales, but I think that the idea that someone will pay you to haul your junk away is so great and do have a few pieces of wisdom to impart:

• Take a few weeks to plan your sale to give you time to clean, mark and sort your items- and to make the signs too. Clean and Marking are operable words here.
• Make good signs- yes, this is the third time I've said it, but.... at least get the posterboard from the dollar store and make large letters on it! You can affix it to a box weighted with rocks to keep it standing!
• If you want to get really organzed, while "spring" (or winter/ fall, etc) cleaning, and you come across an item that you don't want, after inspecting it for defects- slap a price sticker on it and throw it in the Garage Sale box tucked away in a hiding spot!
• Ask your neighbors, friends or family if they would like to participate. The more wares at your sale, the better. Also, they can bring tables (see below).
• Purchase the little priced dot stickers at the dollar store and use them in a very visible spot on the item. It will save you from having to answer “How Much?” 500 times in one day. If you priced it higher than someone wants to pay, they’ll generally ask if you’ll take X amount. Masking Tape and sharpies work well too.
• See above? If the time has to be picked up with two hands, a good rule of thumb is to use a larger sticker or affix a piece of paper.
• Sell in multiples for better value- books, CD’s, clothing. I love sales where I can find 3 paperback books for $1!
• They will come, and they will buy, especially if they don’t have to bend down to look! Borrow as many portable tables and shelves as you can. I attribute the success of our sales to the fact that nearly everything was on a table, clean (if you pick it up and say, EWW, so will someone else!) and clearly marked. The fact that people didn’t have to rummage and bend down will make them look longer!
• Don’t forget to get change- I usually go with $70 to start, with $1s, $5s and $10s and a bunch of quarters.
• Mark items in multiples of 25 cents- it will be easier to make change.
• Have paper and plastic grocery bags on hand to wrap fragile items and to bag peoples purchases.
• Have an extension cord handy
• Make a sign at check-out that says “All Sales Final.”

I'm going to snap a few photos on the way home to accompany this so you can see how annoying the signs can be! Cheers and hope to see you at your sale soon!