Should I bother with a garage sale?

• Best for large quantities of items/neighborhood sales or multi-family sales
• Also good for charity fundraisers
• Not current, mint condition items (consign those)
• Is the time/effort worth the money?
• Am I better off taking the tax deduction from donating or consigning?

Before the garage sale:

• Designate a spot in the garage for the sale
• As you declutter the house, categorize the sale items & put into separate boxes/areas so that when you start prepping the sale, you are halfway done

Tips for better garage sales:

• ORGANIZE, ORGANIZE, ORGANIZE
• Clear signage, bright colors – TYPE it, SPELL it right!
• Think of departments at a store – sporting goods, books, kitchen, clothes
• Price nearly everything – if customers cannot find prices, they will get annoyed & leave
• Advertise! Use free or cheap resources to advertise – list what you have for sale – especially large items or more expensive items
• Have signs ready: 1/2 off everything for the last couple of hours of the sale

After the garage sale:

Arrange for a charity or auction to pick up the remaining items at the end of the day, or make a run to Goodwill. Whatever you do, do not bring ANYTHING back into the house. If you were willing to sell it in a garage sale, you do not need it.