Organizing: Some Tips for Getting your Yard Sale Going

Spring is here.  Finally.  For me, spring is synonymous with yard sales!  I planned on chatting about the “how to”, but I wasn’t thinking of the other side: having a yard sale.  That is until I received this email from a friend: 

I have two years worth of my own stuff, plus stuff from my mom's storage unit, all in my garage to sell.  The pile is so overwhelming that I "can't" begin and just want to cry. I could really use a step by step plan.

I am the 1st to admit that I am borderline obsessive with going to yard sales, but I greatly detest having them.    Each time I have a yard sale, I vow to never have one again. 

Then spring comes and I get re-inspired to de-clutter and make a few dollars on my junk treasures.

Three years ago, I had the yard sale of the century.  Our yard sale was used as a fundraiser for our adoption.  We collected donations from friends and family of their unwanted items.  The piles that took over my basement was incredible.  I shudder remembering it.  To say it was overwhelming is an understatement.

 

So where do you start? 

If you have a garage, that is the best place to begin your organizing.  Carry all of your items there.  If you do not have a garage, you can do this same concept by using storage bins.

Go to a pile of your choice and start pulling out items.  Before I had tables set up, I simply placed “similar” items in one location on the floor.  For example, toys on the left side of the garage, kitchen ware on the right side, clothes in the middle.  I think you get the point.  If you are using bins, place all like in items in one bin.

Set up as many tables as possible.  Start placing the "groups” of items on each table.

Have a box for free items.  If you don’t think it will sell, throw it in a free box.  It is amazing what folks will take out of there.

Pricing your items.  I have done this different ways.  For an inordinate amount of things, it is wise to gradually price your items over a long period of time.  You will have enough stress to deal with close to crunch time.

For a “normal” amount of yard sale items, I have found that my favorite method is to quickly price once everything is laid out. I will share more detail on pricing in another post. 

Space is a commodity.  Use ground space.  There will be several items that do well on the ground.  Stuffed animals, shoes and  clothes will do fine.  I would store these items in bags under my table. The morning of the sale I would drag them out to lay on tarps on the grass.

Hands down, the best piece of advice I can offer is to have a “yard sale party”.    It is much less overwhelming having a friend to think for you.  I never could have “pulled” off my gigantic yard sale without an enormous amount of help from friends and family. 

Having a hard time getting started?  Ask a friend for help.  Spend the morning sorting and organizing.  Prepare a simple lunch to enjoy afterwards. 

I promise you that it will put fun into the task.

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