National Garage Sale Day

Today, August 13th, is National Garage Sale Day! Wahoo!! I mean, who doesn’t love a great find? I know I do. Not only do I love a deal, but I love finding those unique items you can’t find in the store. I’m not very good at haggling for lower prices. I leave that to my husband. Let’s talk about some things that are important to having or going to a yard/garage sale.

Preparing for a yard sale

• Thoroughly go through your house. Don’t just pick the old junky things that belong in the trash and expect to sell them for a profit. I mean really make some adult decisions about the items you no longer need.
• Know the worth of your items, but bare in mind that these items are used and nobody is going to pay top dollar at a yard sale. Would you? Definitely think of yourself as the buyer before you price.
• This may sound like dirty play, but don’t be afraid to price your item a little higher than you expect to get. By doing this, you give yourself wiggle room without feeling cheated while also giving the buyer a sense of victory.
• Be sure to advertise well. Nice Ads on social media are a must. Please, please, please, for the love of Pete, hand signs that people can read. I know, it’s adorable to let your 5-year-old make it. No, actually it’s annoying when you can’t read the sign because it’s not dark enough, big enough, or neat enough. If we can’t find you, we can’t give you our money.
• Good grief, don’t leave the sign up after the sale is over. It’s got to be about the rudest and laziest thing you can do.
• Speaking of signage, don’t be afraid to be corny. People may not admit it, but they like it. If they themselves have a sense of humor then they will feel more connected to you for not being so boring with your sign design. It’s like guaranteeing a sale before they even arrive. A true ice breaker!

• Here’s one that has become more and more common in the past few years and it really ires me. Put a date and time on your sign and STICK WITH IT! We have gone to countless yard sales only to find nobody there. No signs of life at all. They decided not to get up, or go to the beach, or out for coffee. Who knows the reason, but it’s unacceptable.
• Here’s another idea – sometimes we just don’t have enough to bring the buyers in. What happens when we reach out to the community though? We can create a neighborhood yard sale or a community garage sale (or tag sale, depending on your location). Don’t be afraid to reach out. Social media has made it so easy for us. We don’t have to face rejection in the eye (if that’s your fear) and you can reach far more people this way.

• Typically it’s customary to keep the prices above a quarter so as not to create such an abundance of pennies and such. Be sure to also have plenty of small bills to make change. Oftentimes buyers will play dirty by not having “anything” smaller than $20 in hopes that you just give the item away.
• Lastly, engage with your visitors! Don’t behave like you don’t need them because that’s where you’ll end up. You’ll have nobody wanting to stick around and hence no buying. If you ignore me, I will show myself out. Oh, and don’t judge the potential of a buyer by their appearance. More often than not, your Mercedes-driving, Coach bag-carrying, diamond-wearing woman isn’t your best buyer. She’s the thorn in your side who will stop at nothing to convince you your items are worthless and she’d be doing you a favor by taking them off your hands. Meanwhile, the scruffy, long-haired, heap-driving, flannel-wearing guy is going to interact with you, have a smile on his face, and appreciate your time and your items. I can only speak from my personal experiences. If I described your appearance, but your personality is the opposite, then please forgive me.

History of #NationalGarageSaleDay

C. Daniel Rhodes, of Alabama, created National Garage Sale Day way back in 2001. After seeing neighbors hosting a myriad of garage/yard/tag sales on alternate weekends, Rhodes had an epiphany. Why not form a community yard sale? So that’s what he did and National Garage Sale Day was born. He’s also the creator of Mulligan Day and Brother’s Day. Check out this link on the longest yard sale.

Other days of celebration for August 13th:

National Bowling Day – Second Saturday in August

National Filet Mignon Day

International Left-Handers Day

National Prosecco Day

As always, if you missed yesterday’s National Day, click here.