Garage Saling For Summer Fun and Profit

Tips For Holding a Successful Garage Sale

1. Schedule a garage sale on Saturday (best day), Friday (second best day) or Sunday (third best day), but never on a weekday, holiday weekend or holiday week.

2. Go through the house and decide what goes. A good rule of thumb: If you haven't used it in two years, you can live without it. A helpful guide to getting rid of "stuff" can be found in a guide to getting rid of clutter and organizing you home and your life.

3. Treat the sale like a business. Organize the merchandise by putting like with like so people can fid what they're looking for. Put clothing on a rack or string a clothesline to hand it on.

4. Run ads in local papers, on the Internet and put up flyers. Be specific about what type of merchandise you have. You'll get the people who really want the stuff.

5. Spend time on your signs. Much garage sale traffic just follows signs, so make sure you write in large, legible block print on large, strong foamcore or similar stock. Make your directions clear. Place on busy corners near your home if sign codes allow.

6. Consider having a joint sale with your friends or neighbors if you don't think you have enough to fill a yard. In garage saling, more is better. Keep track of what belongs to who by using different colored price tags on each family's items.

7. Be prepared to haggle. If you're firm on a particular item, put that on the tag. But remember, garage salers are looking for bargains. What you may think something is worth, may not be the same as that of a garage saler. If stuff isn't moving, start dropping prices durig the day.

8. Don't forget to check with local authorities to see if you need a permit for a garage sale. Mark your house clearly with balloons and signs. Don't take checks. Post a sign near the cash box that says "All Sales Final." On a hot day, sell cold drinks for $1 a can which will boost your take.

9. Donate anything that's left. Don't bring it back into the house/garage/storeroom. Take a tax deduction for the fair market value of each item. If you don't know what something's worth, consult the Goodwill Web site at Goodwill.org, eBay to see what items are selling for. Be susre you check the new IRS regulations for tax deductible donations.