101 Garage Sale Tips for a WILDLY Successful Sale!

Get ready for your next yard sale with this HUGE list of Garage Sale Tips and Tricks that will help set you up for success!

Garage Sale Tips and Tricks

Planning a Garage Sale?  I’ve hosted so many garage sales over the years, and love how they’re such an easy way to declutter your life while making extra money!

Talk about a win-win, right?

Now I want your next garage sale to be a BIG success, so I’ve put together this huge list of Garage Sale Tips and Tricks from your fellow frugal friends to help you out.

You’ll learn how to lay it out, price your items, attract customers, and rake in the dough!

Don’t start your garage sale without first reading these creative Easy Garage Sale Tips for Success.  With a little help, you can have your best garage sale ever!!

Here’s what you’ll do…

Related: 25+ Easy Side Hustle Ideas

When is the Best Time to Have a Garage Sale?

C.J. writes: “Have garage sales the first two weeks of the month when more people have money especially if you live in an area with people on fixed incomes and retirees.”

Cymantha writes: “You should have your sale Thursday – Saturday.  You will attract more dealers and pickers; they usually can’t go to sales on weekends due to their own sale events.  So don’t limit yourself to just Saturday or Sunday, you are excluding a huge group of potential buyers.”

Jodi writes: “Fridays are the best day.  If you only have time for one day, do it on Friday. If you have time for two days, do Friday and Saturday.  Don’t bother with Sunday. Fridays are the big $$ makers. 😉 Happy sales!”

Patty writes: “Don’t do it on a EXTREMELY HOT day.”

How to Advertise Garage Sale

Cathy writes: “Advertise!! All the free spots – Craigslist, local Facebook pages, etc.”

Elizabeth writes: “Have nice, large, sturdy, readable signs with directional arrows. I know if I can’t see what the sign says from my car, with a nice bold arrow, I just don’t try to find it.  I’ll go to someone’s sale who made finding it easy.  Also, advertise on Garage Sale Finder. It’s free and awesome!”

Hannah writes: “Advertise on Marketplace and any free areas you can!”

Janet writes: “Be modern in your advertising. Use your local Facebook garage sale forum. Also we have a talk of norwalk (our hometown) Facebook with a massive amount of followers. So if your town has one do that also!”

Donna writes: “Post to every local Facebook group.”

Jan writes: “Make sure you advertise well. Put large detailed bright colored signs on the corners.”

Jodi writes: “Make sure you can easily read the signage from a car driving.”

Garage Sale Signs

Heather writes: “Advertise with pictures!”

Kim writes: “I took neon poster board and cut it in half and then in thirds.  I used electrical tape and spelled out yard sale with an arrow also in the tape.  I had so many people I couldn’t keep up.  And almost all commented on my signs.  Easy to see and easy to follow.  Can be used over and over.  Most of the signs were just arrows.”

Natalie writes: “Make address clear on signage”

Tara writes: “Attach a balloon to your signs!  I did this and when one of the signs blew over in the wind, people said they found me because they followed the rest of the balloons!

Elizabeth writes: “Use fluorescent sign boards!”

Kristin writes: “I always add glitter to my signs.”

Janae writes: “Put the sign BEFORE the turn, not at it.”

Holly writes: “Be very specific in your advertising on craigslist.  Use neon pink signs that say “Yard Sale” with BIG black arrows. Make all signs alike so easy to spot and follow.”

Daisy writes: “I placed an ad in the paper (and online) with a list of the items I was selling and my phone number.  I sold $400 before the yard sale and $600 at the yard sale!”

Garage Sale Tips for Pricing

Bobbye writes: “Start pricing far in advance of the sale.”

Janet writes: “Keep your prices low. When people can go to Walmart, JCPenney and other stores and get new never worn clothes on clearance for 1 or 2 dollars they will be thinking of that when they see your prices. Do you want to pack up everything that doesn’t sell and try it again in a few months or haul it away or sell it? Keep that in mind also when you price.”

Julie writes: “Price everything, 10% of what you paid for it is a guideline.”

Debbie writes: “Put prices on everything! There were things I would have bought it recent garage sales but they weren’t priced and the hosts were very busy. Remember some people like to haggle over price but a lot of people do not.”

Amy writes: “Have no dimes, nickels or pennies prices – stick with a quarter and above.”

Barb writes: “Price things easy to add. As in even dollars and 50 cents. No nickel, dime or 75 cents. Much quicker when adding it up.”

Ava writes: “Price everything. People don’t like asking for prices.”

Tami writes: “Price things to sell! Items priced based on your sentimental attachment are priced too high for others to buy”

Amanda writes: “Keep the prices fair, be open to offers”

Shannon writes: “Have a price on everything. Start higher, so that the negotiated price is still what you were really wanting for the item.”

Renate writes: “If you don’t want to label everything individually, put a sign up on the table stating the prices.  Make sure the sign is close to the item it’s describing.  Also, price things at reasonable prices.  Don’t price items expecting people to ask you to go down.  Many people won’t do this, and you’ll miss out on a sale.”

Linda writes: “Keep your prices reasonable – it’s a garage sale.”

Amanda writes: “I price to sell, but over price a little, so they can bargain and feel like they got a deal.”

Diane writes: “I don’t price my clothing.  I put up a couple big neon posters with the prices listed on them.  Ex: Jeans – $1.00 / Tops – 50¢ / Shoes – $1.00, etc. Makes it so much easier!”

Jeanie writes: “Use color coded price stickers.”

Rachel writes: “Price items ahead of time, as you pull them out for the sale.  That way it is much quicker to get things out for the sale day. In my opinion, it is very important to price things. Most of the time when I am shopping, I will not ask how much they want for something, especially if they are helping someone else.”

Vicki writes: “I’ve had a garage sale almost every year since the 80’s, sometimes 2 in a year. Mark everything with a price and be reasonable with prices. If you want a better price for something, put it on Facebook Marketplace instead. Garage sale people want bargains.”

Jessi writes: “If you do have price labels on your items, at checkout, use ice cream pail covers to place all price stickers on to help tabulate their order. I like to bunch the stickers into $1 groups to help with final tallying at checkout.”

Marla writes: “Most colored stickers fall off. Use masking tape (cheaper too). Also price all year long as you find stuff, not the days before.”

Mary writes: “I don’t spend time tagging the price on everything, but instead I tell people to collect all the items they want.  I then give them a good price on the whole lot.  It gets them to buy more, and you don’t have to work as hard at it.  Also, you can organize items by area, and then one price for each box, to save time labeling.”

Kelly writes: “Have a box of .50 items, another with $1.00 items, and a free item box.”

Danielle writes: “At a certain time during your sale, make everything half price. Also, doing a bag sale for the last hour or so has been a big hit… and clears stuff!”

Becca writes: “Sell everything 1/2 price on the last day”

Lin writes: “The most successful sale I ever had was placing an ad for a $1 Sale, then selling everything for a dollar–even the old bicycles.  Clothes were $1 a bag.  I didn’t even have to price & tag anything.  Someone said I was nuts, but I netted about $400!”

Julie writes: “If the item could sell for $50 or more list it on marketplace or your local Facebook pages.”

What is the Best Payment Method at a Garage Sale?

Elizabeth writes: “Have plenty of small bills/change on hand before you start selling!!”

Kelly writes: “Accept credit cards and cash apps!”

Renee writes: “Take Venmo”

Gigi writes: “One thing that I conveniently have on hand anytime I do a garage sale, is a card reader like “Square Up” OR “PayPal.”  Both offer a free card reader and it’s easy and safe to use with most smart phones.  You don’t have to miss a sale due to a buyer not having cash.”

C.J. writes: “Don’t take checks from people you don’t know.”

Elizabeth writes: “Keep your money on you…not on a box on the porch.”

Alena writes: “I use an apron… I have some that are black with 5 pockets along the front. I put small change, $1 bills, $5 bills, and a few coins in one pocket, a pen in one pocket, price stickers in a pocket (some will fall off from the handling by customers), etc. By wearing an apron it also lets customers know who is ‘working’ the sale.”

Tippi writes: “Keep a money bag on you. Like a fanny pack.  Much easier.”

Holly writes: “Don’t forget to have lots of change on hand.  Many people hit the ATM machine and are only carrying $20 bills. Take larger bills inside as you get them to avoid showing everyone how much money you have on you.”

Katie writes: “My piece of advice: You can never have enough change. Ever. Get about three times what you think is too much.”

Brandy writes: “Beware of counterfeit money. Check those bills. We got scammed last time. They will buy a cheap item and pay with a fake $20 and walk away with your real bills in change and your item, too.”

C.J. writes: “Invest in a quality money marker and use it on every $20 $50 and you get!”

Sheila writes: “Never put down the money bag, box or whatever.  It needs to be on someone’s waist or in someone’s hand. Have one person be the money taker. Take larger bills to a designated place in the house.”

Ashli writes: “I see a lot of people mentioning that you should take larger bills inside, but you should also make sure to keep your doors locked during the sale, so no one can sneak in to your house while your back is turned!”

Garage Sale Tips for Selling Clothes

Jessica writes: “Zip zippers, button buttons… appearance of the items helps sell them!”

Marilynn writes: “Use tables & racks!! Nobody wants to crawl on the ground to go through clothes.”

Sandra writes: “Do not leave clothes in totes nobody wants dig through that.”

Jen writes: “Hang as many clothing items as possible! Not many people (myself included) will take the time to dig through clothes. Plus, it looks nicer!”

Amy writes: “I separate children’s clothes by size (in Rubbermaid containers) and sell them by the bag.  Usually we do $5 for a grocery sized bag.  I have made the most money at yard sales this way and you get rid of SO MANY clothes.”

Angela writes: “Last yard sale I did “fill a bag” for $5 that worked well with ladies clothing. Easier than pricing everything.”

Jennifer writes: “Kids clothes resell very well.  If there are multiple pieces to an outfit set (hat, bloomers, belt, etc), I safety pin them together.  Adult clothes sell better if you mention the sizes in your ad.”

Yard Sale Snack Ideas

Christina writes: “One time I made coffee to sell and muffins, sold out faster than my goods”

Brandye writes: “Sell lemonade. My daughter usually makes more in selling lemonade than we do at the garage sale! We went ahead and invested in a custom made lemonade stand for her!”

Easy Lemonade Recipe

Paula writes: “Serve coffee to the early birds (they look around longer if they have a cup of coffee to sip on).”

Renate writes: “Do sell drinks, coffee, pop, and water. I always get thirsty (and hungry) when I’m out garage saling.  This could add a lot to your profits!”

C.J. writes: “Don’t be afraid to sell bottled water, cans of soda and Gatorade especially if you live a bit far from a store.”

Jennifer writes: “I have a cooler of soda, and water along with Little Debbie Type treats from Sam’s Club or Costco and sell them for .75 to $1.00…  this has always made me extra money.  I do live in AZ though, and cold water and soda will go fast.  A lot of people will buy their kids the treat to keep them from complaining until they are done with their garage sale shopping for the day.” 🙂

More Garage Sale Tips and Tricks

Paula writes: “Set up what you can the night before.”

Clarice writes: “I think having furniture catches people’s attention and draws them in.”

Diana writes: “Bigger items like bike tools, and lawn/yard stuff also draw people in. I like when things are separated per category not just randomly sat on a table. Also a free box draws people.”

Donna writes: “Put ‘guy stuff’ out front that will get them to stop.”

Amanda writes: “Put big ticket items in easy to see from the road locations. When I go to yard sales, I’m looking from the road first. So if I don’t see anything when I drive by, I’m likely not stopping.”

Brooke writes: “Set it all out on the driveway instead of hidden away in your garage. Everyone stops if it looks like you have more.”

Dee writes: “Place like items together, like: baby stuff, kitchen items, decor, etc. You will see a lot more items sell when people can see them all in one spot.”

Tara writes: “Take the extra few minutes to clean items!  I had many people comment on how new/nice/clean my items seemed! Good luck! :)”

Katy writes: “My experience with “garage sales”…  I make sure items are clean and I stage them.  So I group them like you would see in an upscale store or boutique. I get more money for my items and most people don’t haggle with the price when they see everything so clean and pretty.  Also, I advertise as a moving/estate sale, which also brings in better clients that pay better prices.

After hosting 9 of these sales last year at my house and I have brought in over 30k.  I mixed in some high priced items like furniture and a grand piano.  And I placed the items in my garage and also allowed people to come into my kitchen off of the garage, having both staged nicely.  I also played nice music for atmosphere.”

Michelle writes: “Take your time prepping and organizing.”

Amanda writes: “Organized, clean and place items at waist level. This always make things better for me selling and buying.”

Suzanne writes: “Save all of your grocery/Target/Walmart bags for customers to use.”

Nora writes: “Keep extra bags or boxes on hand. People will buy more if they have a way of carrying things around.”

Kelly writes: “Put same items in same area. ie: toys in 1 area, glassware in 1 area. keep your tables organized as things sell down, move stuff to keep tables full.”

Nora writes: “Keep extra bags or boxes on hand. People will buy more if they have a way of carrying things around.”

Diana writes: “If you are selling books, put them in a box of one layer with the spines up so people can see the name of the book. Try to group authors also.”

Cindy writes: “Have an extension cord plugged in where shoppers can test electrical items.  I won’t buy anything until I can guarantee that it works.”

Lisa writes: “Don’t hound people. There’s nothing worse than going to a lawn sale, picking something up, and having the person saying ‘I paid a lot of money for that… or that’s name brand.’   I also don’t like having all eyes on me when I’m browsing.  LOL That’s my 2 cents.”

Glenda writes: “Have an extra person or two to help. One can check people out while you answer questions. Someone to help carry things to the car if it takes two people.”

Elizabeth writes: ‘With two adults, you can keep a better eye on your belongings, plus you always have someone out there for potty breaks and company!”

Deanne writes: “I plan my garage sales around pay days.  I know when most businesses in town pay their employees and I plan accordingly.  It makes a huge difference.”

Debra writes: “Don’t hold items for people. I did this recently three people did pick up. But most don’t, we took time one day sitting in our garage waiting 3 hours the lady never showed or sent a message.”

Jennifer writes: “Plan ahead for breakfast, lunch and dinner because you will be too tired to cook.”

Heather writes: “If you have large items that don’t get offers for what you want… post them on craigslist (if you have one near you). I  had a table that I posted at my sale for $25, and it didn’t get a bite.  I ended up listing it on craigslist for $40 OBO, and I got $40 the next day!”

And finally, Jessi writes: “Take down ALL your signs when it’s over.”

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So do YOU have any tips or tricks for planning or running a garage sale??

Leave a comment & share your easy Garage Sale Tips and Tricks!