Having A Successful Yard Sale

How to get rid of clutter and make some money doing it!

A great way to make some extra money is to hold a yard sale. You can sell some of the things you've been collecting in your home, back yard, garage, or storage unit over the years and get rid of stuff that really should have been thrown away long ago. We have a psychological need to hang on to stuff and don't have the willpower to throw it away. We let things pile up, sometimes for many years. We have all intentions of using those items at some point in the future, but in most cases, we never do.

Guess what? Somebody else may need that old lawn mower that you haven't used in ten years or the microwave oven that has been sitting in the basement since you bought the new one. Both the lawn mower and the microwave still work perfectly but since you have new ones, those are the one's you use and you just hang on to the old ones.

And what about all those shoes you bought years ago that you wore only once because they hurt your feet? They are just taking up space in your closet and they cost you too much to throw away. Besides, they are still cute. Why are you keeping them when you know you will never wear them again.

Most of this stuff is just taking up space and as time passes, you will accumulate more. So instead of keeping it, why not hold a yard sale. You can get rid of some of your old stuff and in the process make some extra money.

Below are a few ways to make your yard sale worth the time and energy you put into it.

• Make a list of items that you don't mind departing with. There may be some things you may want to keep for sentimental reasons, but you have to understand that almost everything you own has certain sentimental value so don't let sentiment get in the way of common sense. If you're not using it and it's just taking up space, why keep it?
• Put a price on it. You're not giving your stuff away but the reason for the yard sale is to sell it, so don't overprice it. Then prepare to negotiate. No matter what price tag you put on your stuff, there are those who are still going to haggle for a better deal.
• Promote and advertise your yard sale. Print flyers and pass them out on your street and around your neighborhood. Note: Some realtors will provide you with lead in signs and help in other ways. By doing this, they give themselves some much needed publicity.
• Dust, clean, wash, and wax. The cleaner and more new looking your stuff appears, the easier it will sell. Wash what needs to be washed, dust and wax wood items, and try to make everything as clean as possible.
• You are going to need tables. Folding tables are your best bet. If they are old and worn, cover them with nice, inexpensive table cloths.
• Put what you are going to sell in designated groups such as clothes in one area, toys in another area, electronic equipment in another area, kitchen utensils in another area, and so on and so on. The more organized you are, the more control you will have and the easier it will be to keep tabs on what you are doing.
• If you are selling stereo equipment, cameras, or other items that may have more than one component that are to be sold separately, lay all the pieces out individually and make sure you put a price tag on each piece so customers will know that they are being sold separately.
• If you are selling dishes, glasses, or other breakable items, make sure you have plenty newspaper or other wrapping materials on hand.
• Keep plenty of change on hand. Remember, people will pay you with a hundred dollar bill for an item that only costs two dollars and fifty cents and you will be expected to have the change.

Holding a yard sale is as easy as taking the time to get started. All it takes is a little preparation and the willingness to become a salesman for a few hours on a Saturday evening.

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