Thursday, February 28, 2008

Make more money at your yard sale

Put on your hat and gloves. Grab a steaming cup of coffee. You're having the first yard sale of the season!

If you'd like to make more money at your yard sale, don't wait till July. Hold it now, when the yard salers are hungry. The first sale to break the fast is guaranteed more traffic than an all-you-can-eat-buffet.

Ebay inventories are at their winter low. I see the desperate-eyed pros at every thrift store; they're downright tense at overpriced estate sales.

Just put your junk out there, price it fairly, and watch it disappear before your very eyes.

Why, someone might even buy your mom's old Thanksgiving napkins--in February!

Ask me how I know.

(Need help? My friend Lynnette wrote the book on making the most of your yard sale.)

12 comments:

Meredith said...

I should add that I am no longer having my own yard sales. We did when we were first married and in a popular neighborhood for them; we almost always netted at least $200.

Now I prefer to give our stuff directly to people who need it.

We also have a location with no curb and think that people pulling onto the grass will do more damage than we would make at a yard sale.

Shannon said...

I've been trying to get the ladies at church together for a yardsale since after Christmas - I think I'll call around and get the ball rolling today. We aren't in a great location, but my church is and people always stop for a multi-family sale. I think I may talk to the youth leader about selling hot chocolate too:)

Unknown said...

I try to have a yard sale every so often. I never do very well at them, so our thrift store gets some very nice things. The one thing that my hubby says I do well is visit with all the customers.

Sharon said...

Oh how I wish it was already yard sale season here. We still have about 3 feet of snow that needs to go first.

I do a yard sale every spring with some friends. I usually net anywhere from $200-$300. I live in a great location for it--lots of young families around.

Lora @ my blessed life said...

Where we live we are only allowed one a year and I'm gearing up for ours this year! Thanks for the tips and the link--it looks like it has lots of good ideas I can use!

The Stepford Stepmom said...

We'll be having our first yard sale this year... I'm dubious about how it will go, but hey... Anything that gets the crapola out of our house. :)

Jenn @ Frugal Upstate said...

Ha! February and March are NOT the time to start yard sales in Upstate NY :) We got several inches of snow this week. . .

But the theory is good. We do a neighborhood one the last few weeks of school that always gets a good crowd. It helps that we hold it at our girlfriends house that is right next door to the primary school

Amanda said...

Great idea -- we have stuff ready to go for a sale, but considered waiting until May when our neighborhood has a sale. There's no reason we can't have a repeat then, but perhaps we should press towards one now...

TJ said...

Ooh thanks for sharing. I have seen 2 yard sales so far, but our mornings are below freezing, so we will definitely wait. We typically do well in May because it's the start of the season around here, and people can't wait (plus mornings are a bit warmer by then)

Kacie said...

This is really good news!

I'm going to sell some stuff in a community garage sale this weekend (it's indoors).

I hope to unload it all there. Hope I make some cha-ching!

threelilmnms said...

I hope to hit some yard sales this weekend...starting tomorrow hopefully! Kiddies need some clothes and I love books!

Cyndi Lewis said...

I'm gonna watch the t.v. weather people like a nosy neighbor. When they say a warm up/break in the snow is coming... I'm holding that yard sale!