Clean out your closets and make some cash at a yard sale this summer. Your trash may be someone else’s treasure.
Here are six yard sale tips to help you make the most of your sale:
Organize your collection
How do you know whether you have enough stuff to make a yard sale worthwhile? Start by organizing it in categories to get a clear sense of what you have to sell. Box up your DVDs, CDs, books, clothes and bric-a-brac separately so you can see how much you have of each.
Location, location, location
Is your house tucked away on a back street? Find a friend who lives close to a main road so you’ll get more foot traffic, or team up with others in your community to host a sale together.
Get the word out
Hang signs around the neighbourhood with clear information about when and where your yard sale is taking place (and mention your rain plan, if you have one). Use Craigslist and community message boards to promote the sale, especially if you have big-ticket items or rare finds such as vinyl, comic books or vintage toys that could attract collectors.
Presentation matters
A paltry little heap of clothes and an unstable pile of paperbacks is not going to attract attention in the same way that a rack of pressed garments and a neatly organized box of books will catch the eye.
Encourage bulk purchases
People who feel like they’re getting a deal will buy more. Instead of selling each CD for $2 and each DVD for $3, offer a bulk pricing structure such as ten CDs for $15 or five DVDs for $10. No one likes having to donate yard sale leftovers; it’s worth it to make a little less and sell it all.
Offer payment options
You don’t want to lose a sale because you don’t have the right change. Make sure you have plenty of small bills and a variety of loose change. If you’re planning to sell big ticket items or simply want to encourage more sales by accepting credit cards, you can sign up for a free Square Reader to plug into your iPhone, Android or tablet. See more details here. If want to impress your customers and accept contactless payments at your yard sale, look at Square’s new contactless reader. There’s a 2.5% fee and the money you receive from sales is transferred into your bank account in one to two business days. Find out how to sign up and take your yard sale to the next level.
Do you have any good yard sale tips? Share them with us on Twitter @SquareCanada.