Garage Sale Tips!

Over the past 10 years or so, I've become an avid garage "sailor". In my time of shopping, I've learned a trick or two. Below is my list of things you can do to make certain your sale has great profit, and runs as smoothly as possible!

Have enough change on hand to make change for at least 2 $20's early in the morning without having enough left over to make it through the rest of the morning. If you do not have enough change, tell the person that you can hold the items while they make change for thier money at a local store. If you are shopping sale, please don't try to use a $20 at 8am. Stop before hand and break it, so that people aren't trying to scramble for change at the last minute.

Never leave the money unattended. If it's just you doing the sale, use a fanny pack for change, and empty it several times through out the day of big bills. If someone hands you a big bill, repeat to them what it is, and leave it setting out until they get their change back. I have had people try to rip me off this way before by telling me they handed me a $20, when they only handed me a $10, so that I'm paying them to take the item.

I've also had people who have shown me a $20, asked if I had change for it, and then put the money away while I checked. They then wanted change for a $20 they never gave me. Keep it locked up and safe, and if you can, have multiple people helping.

If you don't have tables, borrow some. I don't stop at sales where I have to squat down and dig through a pile of stuff dumped on a blanket or tarp or, heaven forbid, the dirty ground. I don't mind it when toys or stuffed animals or large items are on the ground, or even boxes of books & shoes and what not. But at least have a few tables for the clothing. Something to hang some stuff on is nice, too, but that's usually harder to pull off.

If you have a garbage bag filled with unwashed, dirty, stained clothing, don't expect me to dig through it and find a treasure. That means if you have some stained stuff, put it under the nicer stuff. If all the stuff on top of the table is gross & stained, I'll be much more likely to think ALL of it is that way, and I won't take the time to look through the rest.