If you followed the Spring Cleaning Tips RiverheadLOCAL provided last week, you most likely successfully managed to de-clutter your closets, attic and basement. All that remains now is to get rid of all the stuff you boxed up and bagged. Of course you can always donate it, but why not make a few dollars off of it and host a good old-fashioned yard sale?
Hosting a successful yard sale doesn’t have be a lot of work and can be a lot of fun. To help you set up and hold a profitable and productive sale, RiverheadLOCAL offers the following yard sale tips.
Follow the Rules of the Town
Nothing could be worse than carefully setting up a yard sale only to find that the town makes you shut down your shop because you didn’t follow the rules.
The Town of Riverhead, for example, requires that residents wishing to hold a yard sale file an application with the town clerk’s office and pay a $5 fee. The application can be filed anytime before the date of your sale, but it is best to get it in early since the town will advertise your sale on its website.
Advertise
As soon as you selected a date for your sale, it’s a good idea to start getting the word out. Die-hard yard sale hunters always scout out yard sale advertisements in advance to map out a plan for a day of treasure hunting.
RiverheadLOCAL lists yard sales for free in our classifieds section. If you would like to submit your yard sale, send it to us here and we’ll get it up as soon as possible. Please give us at least two days notice.
On the morning of the sale or even the night before, hang posters directing customers to your sale. Be sure to use brightly colored, heavy paper or cardboard and big printed letters. Include on your sign the date of the sale, the address and directional arrows to help customers find your sale.
Set Prices
Your customers will want to negotiate prices with you at your sale, so it’s a good idea to decide the least you are willing to accept for your stuff and to also set prices for everything you plan on selling, especially the big-ticket items, like furniture and electronics. If you are stumped on price points, there are plenty of websites that will help you set them, including Garagesaletracker.com.
Clean-up Your Yard
Consider your yard as the inside of a boutique shop — you’d want it to look nice to entice your customers. Be sure to mow the lawn, trim of the hedges and even plant some colorful flowers.
Map Out Your Displays
How you display all of your stuff could make a big difference. If you have a lot of clothing, consider hanging them on racks; be sure you will have enough table space to display similar items together; and consider putting together items that you plan to sell for mere change in clearly marked bins.
Last Minute Preparation
The day before your sale, you should pull out extension cords, especially if you are planning to sell anything that plugs in. Customers will ask to try an item to make sure it works before they buy it.
You will also want to stop at the bank to get small bills so you can quickly and easily make change for your customers.
And finally ask family or friends to help you at your sale. Also get the kids involved by letting them sell some of their things or set up a lemonade stand at your sale.
On the Day of the Sale
Grab your fanny pack (to hold all your money), set up your sale and start selling. Be sure to always greet your customers with a smile and let them know you are willing to negotiate.
As your sale day starts to wind down, consider offering deep discounts and in the last few minutes, even give it away for free — it will be less you will have to cart to a the donation center.
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