Yardsailing
by Chris Heiska
Yard Sale Tips:
First and foremost, find out if there are any
restrictions your neighborhood or local government may have on yard sales.
If possible, display some of your more interesting
items for sale at the end of your driveway to act as magnets, luring people in.
Some people just drive by slowly and take a quick look to determine if the sale
looks worthwhile.
Generally, if you are looking to buy baby clothes
and toys, you probably won't have much luck yardsaling in a retirement
community. And if you are looking for antiques, newer communities with swingsets
in every backyard probably aren't the best places to start your search. But I am
not picky; I try and go to them ALL! That's what makes yardsaling fun; you never
know what you will find and where you'll find it.
Clothes are a great deal at yard sales because they
are generally inexpensive. When buying used clothing for kids, don't rely only
on the size listed on the tag; keep in mind it's been washed many times and may
have shrunk. Bring one of your kid's shirts or a pair of pants to use as a
guide. (Make sure you wash the "new" clothes before they get worn.)
If you are trying to sell clothes, I recommend
taking some of your nicer clothes to consignment stores first, rather than
trying to sell them at a yard sale. You will most likely get better prices for
them at a consignment store. People are reluctant to pay a lot of money for
clothes at yard sales because they can't try them on and see how they look.
When asking the price of
an item, it's always better to get the seller to name the price of an item,
rather than for you to answer the question "what do you want to pay for it?"
When you are selling something' try to get the customer to name his or her price
for an item — if it's too low, you can refuse or counteroffer; if they name a
high price, you lucked out.
If you see an item you may want, pick it up and
carry it around a bit, then decide. If you don't take it with you, someone else
may purchase it before you decide you want it and you'll be kicking yourself the
rest of the day. When yardsaling with kids, try and hold their purchases too.
I've seen situations where a kid will put down a toy for a second and another
kid will grab it.
Safety first! If you are trying to sell a bunch of
old kitchen utensils, rubberband the knives up so people don't get cut. If you
are trying to sell a mirror, watch where the mirror reflects. I once saw a
make-up mirror reflection burn a hole in a nearby cardboard box!
A tip about making change: if someone hands you a
large bill and you need to give them change, leave the bill out until after you
have given them their change. Otherwise, a dishonest person could say afterward,
"I gave you a $20, not a $10," and it would be your word against theirs.
During your sale, as things get sold, fill in the
empty spots on your tables to keep things looking attractive.
Christina Heiska runs the website The
Yardsale Queen. Visit her site for more free tips on having a successful
yardsale and being a smart yardsale shopper. Also message boards, yardsale
stories and much more!
|
