How To Throw a Money-Making Yard Sale

If you've got too much stuff, plan a yard sale.  Occasionally, even the yard sale junkie has to have her own sale to get rid of the overflow!  My husband is threatening a moratorium, so as I'm planning my own sale, I thought you could use these tips to get the most from your sale too.

1.) Spend Time Collecting the Goods.
A big yard sale with lots of stuff will get the most traffic.  Spend a couple of weeks cleaning out the attic, the garage, the closets, under the bed...to collect as much unwanted stuff as possible.  I've been going room to room and looking carfeully at everything that collects dust - don't use it, don't love it?  In the sale it goes!

2.) Have a Neighborhood Sale.
Again, the more the merrier. If you're not up for organizing a neighborhood yard sale, ask your closest neighbors if they would like to participate. You can split the cost of advertising and get more people to your sale.

3.) Advertise.
Don't think a sign at the end of your street is going to cut it.  Advertise in your local paper, on Craig's List and on GarageSaleSeach.com.  It really does work.  Many die-hard yard sellers, plan their routes on the Thursday before the weekend.

4.) Write a Good Listing.
"A multi-family yard sale featuring modern furniture, high-end kitchen accessories, women's designer clothing size 8..." Think descriptive, not "knick knacks and more."

5.) Price & Label.
Spend the week before organizing, cleaning, labeling and pricing your items.  Think of your yard sale as a one-day boutique.  The better-looking your items appear, the more money you will make.  Shoppers don't want to ask the price or if something works, and you don't want to freak out at 6 am on Saturday morning when 50 people descend on your lawn wanting to know, "how much is this?"  So, go ahead and make it easy on everyone!  If you have electronics, vacuums, etc. for sale, put a label on saying that the item works.

So, off you go to start collecting items to sell.  But, before you do, let me know what your all-time favorite yard sale find is in the comments below.