Last year, after a 20-year hiatus, the Soulard neighborhood decided to bring back its community-wide rummage sale. Spearheaded by Soulard resident Abby Goodson, the sale included 34 residential stops and 10 businesses that offered store discounts to shoppers. It was such a success, says Goodson, that the committee is in the throes of planning its next sale scheduled for May 17.
You may not be wanting to organize a neighborhood-wide event quite to the degree that Soulard does, but I bet a lot of us wouldn’t mind making extra cash from the sale of items from around the house that no longer bring us joy. If that sounds like you, read on for tips from Goodson about how to plan a successful sale.
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Get permission
Every neighborhood is different, so be sure to find out if you require permission to hold a yard sale. You can start by asking members of your neighborhood association, board of trustees, or the city itself. “I was concerned about getting permits from the city, and making sure that [we] weren’t going to get ticketed,” says Goodson. She contacted her alderperson, who gave her the names of a few people to talk to at City Hall. Goodson found out that there’s a waiver in place for yard sales and no charge for permits either. Pro tip: Do your homework upfront to avoid issues on the day of the sale.
Break it down by stages to make it fun.
A Saturday during the spring or fall months is a good day for a yard sale. If you can schedule the sale around the same time as another community event, say a farmer’s market, that would be ideal. “We try to align our [sale] with spring cleaning,” says Goodson. Five to six hours is plenty of time for your sale. And, if you’ve ever shopped at a yard sale, then you know that they tend to have early start times, anywhere from 7 to 8 a.m. Holiday weekends aren’t necessarily off limits, especially if your sale happens to coincide with another event that attracts people to the neighborhood. Pro tip: If possible, allow for some flexibility for shoppers who arrive late to your sale.
Give yourself a minimum of two to three weeks to get organized.
Clothes, tools, artwork, dishes, furniture…anything goes at a yard sale. “To make the most money, you want to make sure your items are presented well, that they’re clean, and that you’ve noted any damage, such as if something’s missing a button or a table has a scratch,” says Goodson. Give yourself plenty of time to curate your offerings and price them accordingly (more on that below). The most hectic time for the homeowner are the days leading up to the sale because that’s the time you want to be staging your items to make them appealing and exciting to shoppers. You also want to make it easy for shoppers to find what they’re looking for, so set up separate zones for clothes, homewares, furniture, and so forth. Think about how you like to shop your favorite thrift stores and put your best merchandising skills to use. Consider placing eye-catching items at the entrance of your sale and offering small shopping bags and wrapping for fragile items. At the end of the day, donate whatever items don’t sell. Pro tip: Set up background music to give shoppers a sense of privacy as they browse.
Price items to sell.
Goodson recommends selling significant antiques or valuable pieces of furniture through Facebook Marketplace, “because you just won’t get the same value at a yard sale or garage sale than you would if you sold it individually,” she says. As for everything else, price items to sell. If you’re unsure how to price an item, such as larger furniture, do a quick online search to see if you can find the price of similar items for sale in your area. Though most yard sales are cash only, Goodson offered everything from Venmo and Apple Pay, to Cash App and PayPal at hers. She says shoppers used each type of payment method on the day of her sale. Pro tip: Have your WiFi password available and ensure strong connection at the sale location.
Set up where it makes sense for you.
Where you decide to hold your yard sale is typically dictated by the layout of your property.
“We have so many unique properties [in Soulard],” says Goodson. “A lot of homes are alley-homes only, and don’t have a public-facing street. Some of them don’t have yards at all.” If you own a garage, consider hosting your sale there. “Personally, I think it’s best if you have a garage because you can set up in advance and not worry about the weather,” she says. A garage also offers some shade on a warm day and you can also turn on a fan. On the other hand, a garage sale isn’t the most visible. Says Goodson: “A traditional yard sale in the front yard or on the sidewalk is definitely more visible to people who might just be walking by.” Give it some thought and decide what makes the most sense to you. Pro tip: Enlist at least one or two friends or family members to help you on the day of the sale.
Market your sale.
Yard signs, paper flyers, social media, email blasts. These are all effective ways to get the word out about your sale. Goodson estimates that half of her approximately 300 shoppers last year had heard about the sale through signs and the other half from local businesses. In addition, there are yard/garage sale websites that allow you to post your sale for free, and I definitely recommend using them, she says. These include: Gsalr.com, Yardsales.net, YardSaleSearch.com and GarageSaleFinder.com. Pro tip: A favorite local businesses might be willing to share the details of your sale with their community via email or newsletter, so don’t be afraid to ask.
