Garage Sale Goals: Promo, Pricing & Presentation

Well, the massive garage sale happened, and it turned out to be a smashing success. So here's a little more about the setup and deployment for an overwhelmingly great event.


Priceless Promo
There is strength in numbers, and we've learned having multiple households host sales definitely draws a crowd. We did have our three repurposed entry point signs and that team effort in promoting a few places online. And while one used an e-mail list to share with neighbors and another posted to some free garage sale sites for the general public, I tried the also free Facebook Marketplace route.

While community sale ads are regularly posted on FB, I learned you must mention something you are selling for the marketplace robot overlords to let you actually post. In other words, it can't just be a post about having a sale. So, once I added some generic options like clothing, household goods and decor items, we were online. And then, the questions began.

Are you selling cameras? Jewelry? Video games? Or, even, did I want to give the rest away to be taken at no cost to me?

Although it wasn't truly a personal ad, and I did not have those products or need post-sale assistance, it made sense to answer each one kindly with something like, "I am not, but some of our neighbors may have those items. Thanks for asking." One person wanted to know if anyone was opening earlier than the posted 8 a.m., and I told them I expected some in fact would. (So we did, and were immediately inundated with early birds.) All good PR for the entire neighborhood while not giving away a direct address to possible scammers.

I also noticed we had lots of views and even a few shares on that listing as the week wore on. I suspect this and the other online posts, coupled with fantastic weather and perhaps even a strange economy, were all part of a very unexpected turnout of eager shoppers that day.


Presentation Matters
I was able to take a day off to get things organized and presentable. It helps people to see items by category, and this time we grouped together toys, office items, books/movies, holiday trinkets, kitchen goods and so on. The categories can help people find what they want faster, and if someone asks for something specific, it helps you quickly know where things are.

We typically set up a couple tables in the center of our garage space with additional around the back and sides, creating a logical pathway for folks to browse through. Weather permitting, we also place some tables or benches in the driveway to get folks started and draw them in.

As items moved, I kept rearranging and putting things in more prominent spaces. Sure enough, many were then seen and sold, sometimes immediately. So keep an eye on how shoppers are moving through your space and processing your goods. Lots can get missed when the display is overwhelming.

Of course, personal presentation matters too. Give a warm greeting. Ask if they're looking for anything specific. Thank them for coming. Get to know the neighbors (our favorite part). It all adds up.


Pricing to Sell
We generally try to keep prices reasonable enough that we make something but offer a fair bargain. For the most part, the stuff we put out didn't cost us much to begin with. We either got a gift or a deal or our money's worth, so there wasn't much to lose, and we'd already checked pricing on certain items to see if any had greater value than we thought. I heard no complaints about pricing at all (more like disbelief at something so inexpensive in at least one case). If they were interested, they made an offer.


Healthy Haggling
While we priced things largely to move, some items of greater value were marked for potential haggling. Some wanted to barter, while others intentionally overpaid or quipped, "Keep the change," which made me think we essentially broke even in the end. For the most part, we accepted counter offers, or had some back and forth to find a healthy medium. I believe there was only one offer so low we said no, but we certainly had lots of happy customers and fantastic conversations throughout the day.


New Sale, New Crowd
I recall the last time we had a sales event, holiday items barely sold. This time they were quite popular. Other factors aside, different individuals seek different things, and what sells clearly all depends on who shows up. As a kid, my parents used to host sales on at least a couple days to max out that potential. So, if you have the bandwidth to do another day, go for it. You're likely to move more and make more too.


Free Things
We usually set out a free box at garage sales as well. I started this years ago after ending up with a bunch of extra Gospel of John booklets we gave away at a very different garage event, but we also offered various items like paper chess sets, extra garage sale signs, reusable bags and more. Those little offers can create a greater level of trust, and again leave people grateful and happy.


So, you got stuff to purge? Set up a table and sell it! And maybe incorporating some of the ideas above will help you up your garage sale game too.


Up Next: Garage Sale Goals: What to Do With What's Left


What are your best moves for garage sale or yard sale deployment? Let us know with a comment below.