Whatever you call it; garage sale, yard sale or tag sale, fall is the perfect time to clean out the clutter at your house and make some extra cash. Holding a garage sale doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are a few tips to help you make it a success.

Advertising

Once you have sorted through your stuff and set a date, it’s time to advertise. It’s not necessary to advertise weeks in advance, in fact in some cases the closer to the date, the better.

Signage: Use large, easy-to-read signs on main streets and then direct them to your sale with smaller signs and arrows to point the way.

Newspaper: The Thursday, Friday and/or Saturday newspaper classifieds work best. Be sure to list all the details along with some items that will draw buyers to your sale. For example:

Empty Nest! Big Garage Sale Saturday: 123 Main Street, 7AM to 2PM, electronics, fishing gear, tools, toys, furniture and more.

Craigslist: It’s FREE and thousands of people use it every day. Find it at www.craigslist.com.

Facebook: If you have a large network of friends on Facebook, Twitter or other social media, use it to get the word out.

Merchandising

Setting up your tag sale to make it inviting and easy to shop is key to selling lots of stuff. Gather all the tables, benches, bookshelves and baskets you can find and merchandise your sale like a store. Group similar items together such as clothing, jewelry, electronics, tools, household goods, etc. Plus, if you can, designate areas such as children’s items, men’s items and kitchen items.

It’s okay to fold clothes, but really the best way to display them is to hang them on a clothing rack or even on a clothesline between two trees. This makes it easier for customers to sort through them and you won’t have to constantly re-fold items that have been viewed but not purchased.

Pricing

It’s really not necessary to put a price-tag on everything. Sometimes you can get a better price for something by just saying, “Make me an offer.” Many garage-salers consider haggling half the fun. The general rule-of-thumb for tag-sale prices is 10% of retail value so don’t make the mistake of thinking your cast-offs should be worth what you paid for them five years ago.

A table or basket with items of the same price can make things easier on you as well. If everything on the table is $1, you only have to make one sign instead of many price-tags. You may also want to have a box labeled, FREE with toys and nick-knacks that aren’t worth selling, but will make a bored child happy while their parent shops.

Be Prepared

Here’s a list of some things you should have on hand before your garage sale starts.

• Money to make change: at least $50 in ones, fives and tens, plus several dollars worth of coins should get you through the first hour.
• Apron with pockets or fanny-pack: You’ll want to have a place to keep your change, calculator and a pen so you won’t have to leave your customer when they’re ready to buy.
• Notebook: for keeping track of sales or writing receipts.
• Measuring tape: for customers to measure furniture and other items.
• Water and snacks: to give you energy and keep you hydrated.

With a little planning and some hard work, you can have a successful tag sale while clearing out clutter and making some extra money.