The BEST EVER GUIDE to Yard Sales!

How to Have a Yard Sale, Garage Sale, Tag Sale, Moving Sale and Be a Planetpal, too!

How to Have A Successful Yard Sale

One of the best ways to recycle is to give away your items to a charity, a swap shop, transfer station or to have a SALE!

Whether you have the SALE at your school, organization or at your home, It can be a lot of work! You can make it

worthwhile if you have a goal in mind.  Here is a handy list of tips to make it easier for you. Remember, if you have kids, involve them, it can be a great learning experience. Not only will they learn about commerce but they learn the value things as well as how to let go .

Yard Sale Checklist and Tips

• Make sure you check to see if there are restrictions in your town or neighborhood

  Don't forget price tags!

• Think about donating some or all of what you earn at your sale to an organization, church or cause - have a sign posted to let people know “Proceeds from this yard sale go to (name).”

• TIMING Is Everything:
  • Plan to have your sale on the same date and time as a local church or school sale for extra traffic!
  • Plan it at the same time as your neighbors by organizing a neighborhood or multi-family sale
  • Have it on a weekend or holiday when people are off work
  • Have it during reasonable hours-mornings are most popular
• How to arrange things:
  • Keep things arranged carefully and attractively
  • Keep similar items together (ie: toys, jewelry, clothing)
  • Use tables, bookcases or blankets for display
  • Have hangers or racks to display clothing
  • Put small more valuable items like jewelry where you can watch them.
  • Make sure all pockets and purses, boxes or baskets are empty before you sell them!
  • Whether you are having it in a garage, inside your home or in the yard, make sure you separate areas and things that are not for sale with a rope or cloth and don't forget to post a “NOT FOR SALE” sign next to them.
• Advertise in advance:
• On grocery store billboards
• Sell individual items and list your sale on FB Yard Sales (find your local one)
• LIST your yard sale on YARDSALE.com or GARAGESALE.com
• On craigslist.com
• In the local paper
• If you do not want “Early Birds” make sure you put that on your notice. 
• If it’s mostly “kids stuff” or “household” say so
• If you have a lot of items in a specialty category such as "art supplies" list it!
• Put some signs up a few days prior to the sale
• PUT UP clear sturdy SIGNAGE:
• Use large PRINT
• Make sure you post a sign on major roads leading to your sale
• Post many signs or arrows on side streets if needed
• USE arrows (Remember-most people are driving and they cannot read at driving speed)
• Avoid putting signs on utility poles (Staples can be dangerous!). Be creative! Use a big brown bag filled with rocks or a sign on a pole, a chalkboard
• Use a Planetpals YARD SALE Sign it's free to download! Have the kids color them.
• DON’T FORGET to take ALL SIGNS down after the yard sale
  (Don’t be a Litterbug-be a Planetpal!)
• PRICING and PAYING:
• Mark everything with PRICES. Some people are shy to ask prices and will just leave!
• Keep prices low—yard sales are not antique shops (Remember you are purging-you want things to go!
• Try 25 cent, 50 cent and $1 tables
• Have "FILL A BAG" section sale for small items and toys
• Or SELL each item for one single price-such as a "$1 for everything yard sale"
• Why not give some things for FREE (free boxes attract people)
• If Items are collectable put price stickers on the back or use a string tag
• Be prepared to bargain!
• Don’t accept checks if you don’t know the person!
• If someone asks for you to hold an item--give them a time limit
• Lower prices at the end of the day to get rid of things (have ½ price afternoon?)
• Handy HELPERS:
  • Have cash on hand to make change
  • Have empty grocery bags to put purchased items in
  • Have empty bags and newspaper to wrap fragile items
  • POST an “All Sales Final” sign so you will not get returns
•  Things to Avoid:
  • Do not have pets there (in case people have allergies etc)
  • Do not have overgrown grass making it difficult for people to walk through
  • Do not have boxes of wrapped stuff that people have to sift through (you could end up with damaged goods)
  • Have clear pathways so that people do not trip!
• USE common sense! 
• Treat people kindly
• Mark things as you would pay
• Make sure anything sharp is placed safely or safely covered
• Make sure items are clean if you can
• If they are missing pieces or parts or have things broken make a note of it
• Test appliances you plan to sell before you have the sale
• Remember-WHEN it is OVER:
• Take down your ALL signs
• List leftovers as "PICK UP for FREE" on freecycle.org or craigslist.com
• Bring leftovers to your swap shop, transfer station, or local charity shop, and good toys to a preschool.
• Put leftovers on the sidewalk with a Planetpals FREE sign
• How to have a Free Sale. Directions and tips
• How to have the best SWAP ever! Directions and tips
• How and where to Recycle it, Sell it , Swap it or Give it Away
• Pass it on!

There now-That was easy.  Remember: You can be a Planetpal, too!

See Our Pinterest Page for More Ideas:

If You Don't want to do a yard sale:
How to Recycle it, Sell it , Swap it or Give it Away
ns on how to have A SWAP "how to" and list of tips. Directio swap ever.

For another great recycle ideas try Planetpals:
One BAG Challenge
Earthday Fast
Earthday Swap
Earthday PAGE (Jampacked!)

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