Garage Sale Day 2024 is on Friday, August 9, 2024: Garage sales?

Friday, August 9, 2024 is Garage Sale Day 2024. Garage Sales garage-sale-opening-day-2010

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It’s time for you to cleanse some old junk – only one person’s junk might be another’s treasure! Garage Sale Day is definitely an excuse to set up a table inside your garage or in your yard, set up some signs and bring in the eager crowds for an opportunity just to walk away having a decently listed, pre-loved treat!

People have garage sales all year long, but they are most common in the summer. I would guess that July and August are the most common months since they're a little cooler. Just drive around and you'll probably find at least one.

You probably won't be able to find any online, unless they're a big sponsored, city-wide thing. Most garage sales are a spur-of-the-moment decision, planned no more than a day or two in advance.

Should I have a garage sale? Or not?

Its a wonderful Idea!

How to Have a Yard Sale

There are secrets to having a successful yard or garage sale. The best yard sales require lots of work, but it's worth it when you count your profits at the end of the day. Follow these few steps to create a yard sale that attracts people and leaves you with some cash.

From Quick Guide: Bargains and Profits Margins: Successful Yard Sales

Step 1

Decide if you have enough items to hold a yard sale (the more the better).

Step 2

Choose a date.

Step 3

Move all of your yard sale items into one place, such as the garage or a storage area.

Step 4

Put a price tag on everything, no matter how small.

Step 5

Decide how you will set the sale up. Be sure all items will be openly displayed so that people don't have to dig through boxes to find things.

Step 6

Call your local newspaper about a week before the yard sale, and buy an ad that will appear the day before and the day of the sale. The ad should contain your address, the date and hours of your sale, and a summary list of what you have to offer.

Step 7

Arrange all items on tables or whatever you are going to display them on the day before the sale. Keep the table in the garage or storage area overnight.

Step 8

Go to the bank and get $50 in $1s, $5s, and change.

Step 9

Put the money in a cash box.

10.

Step 10

Place signs around your neighborhood on the morning of the sale advertising the sale and giving the address.

11.

Step 11

Open the garage door at the specified hour and move the tables out.

If you don't want people showing up at your door at the crack of dawn (and they will), specify "no early birds" in your ad and stick by your policy.

You can include your phone number in your yard sale ad, but you might not want to be bothered by callers' questions about what you have for sale.

If you have any question about the value of prospective yard sale items - especially antiques - have them appraised before you sell them.

Feel free to dicker over prices if you want to, but be aware that people who go to yard sales will often offer a price that is insultingly low.

Never leave your cash box unattended.

Place especially valuable items close to where you will be sitting so that you can keep an eye on them.

Some communities have an ordinance against yard or garage sales. Be sure you know the law in your neighborhood.

How to have a successful yard sale:

Research local laws. Some areas require permits to have a yard sale or have limits on how many sales you may hold in a year. Find out what the restrictions are because if you're in violation, your sale may be cut short.

Step 2

Place a small advertisement in the local newspaper. The advertisement should give people the time and place of the sale and highlight any items which might draw a lot of people to the yard sale. A good tip, however, is to limit the items you list to a few because people may get tired of reading a long list of items. This also keeps the price of your advertisement low.

Step 3

Seek out free advertising. Place signs on bulletin boards at stores in the area of the yard sale during the week before the sale. Also, place a free advertisement on the Garage Sale Tracker website.

Step 4

Put up signs on busy streets near the yard sale. For this tip, you'll also want to place up signs giving directions to your yard from the signs. Put up arrows where people need to turn.

Step 5

Select the right day for the yard sale. Consider what the weather will be like for the sale. A hot day in August or a cold day in March may cause people to stay home. Holidays are generally poor times for yard sales because people are busy with family and traveling.

Step 6

Open early. Because yard sales around town open at different times, people will often go to a yard sale early. Have your sale set-up an hour before opening time to accommodate early birds. Have some change ready as soon as you start putting items out in case someone passing by wants to buy something.

Step 7

Price items appropriately. In general, you should not price an item at a yard sale more than a one third of its new price. However, you may have to price items lower than this based on their condition and age. If people start noticing high prices on your items, they are less likely to look around at all of your items.

Step 8

Make sure your yard sale items are visible. Often you have to pile items up on tables to make room for everything. However, a good tip is to continually spread items out as the day goes on and your items begin to thin out.

Tips:

Garage sales, yard sales, patio sales or porch sales – whatever you call them -- you can be sure they are a uniquely American way to cash in on your cast-offs. “Yard sales are one place I find merchandise for resale,” says Judy Calamia, a part-time collectible’s dealer and yard sale professional. “Although they trail in popularity behind estate sales

, rummage sales, auctions and flea markets as the dealer’s choice to find goods, I never discount them.”

Many enterprising people host annual sales – gathering bargain merchandise all year round from other sources. “It’s a quick way to make anywhere from $500 to $1000 in one day,” advises Calamia.

Treat your yard sale like a business for the most profit. Do this by being acquainted with the market, advertising, offering competitive prices and quality merchandise.

Here are thirteen tips to ensure your sale is profitable.

1. Take stock. Gather all your merchandise to make sure you should be hosting a sale in the first place. Garage sales take a lot of work and planning and if you only have a few items to sell, it may not be worth it. Clean out the basement, closets, drawers, garage, bookshelves and toy boxes. Sort through all your family’s clothing. If no one has worn an item in a year, chances are it will never be worn. Go through kitchen cupboards and junk drawers – don’t discount anything as saleable – people buy just about anything if the price is right. If you come up short on goods, you may want to ask friends and family if they’d like to donate or sell their useless items to increase your inventory. Try to gather an interesting mix of items to appeal to all yard sale aficionados.

2. Contact your municipal government to learn if you need a permit in order to have a garage sale. Ask about any ordinances regarding posting signs.

3. Select the date at least two to three weeks in advance to allow time to prepare. Saturday is the most popular day for sales followed by Sunday. Avoid dates that conflict with holiday weekends or special events. If possible, hold a two-day sale with Friday as the first day. Encourage return shoppers by posting a sign stating prices will be reduced the second day.

4. Advertise wisely and well. Place an ad in your local newspapers and post flyers on community bulletin boards, utility poles, church bulletins and anywhere else your imagination allows. Multiple ads equal increased traffic. Make your ad honest and highly descriptive. The costlier detailed ad will more than pay for itself. “I don’t attend sales that merely state ‘yard sale’ or “something for everyone,” says Calamia. “I find ads that are short on description are also short on merchandise.” Review other garage sale ads in your newspaper to see which ones you’d attend based on the description. An ad that says “Huge Yard Sale -- antiques, collectibles, book worm’s treasure trove, colorful pottery collection, gently used infant clothing, maple crib, vintage toys, new toys, funky costume jewelry, gourmet kitchen gadgets, dishes, pots and pans” will draw more customers than the one that economizes on words. Be specific - if selling clothing, state the sizes. Don’t forget to include the date, time and address. If your sale is hidden off the beaten track, help customers find it by including directions.

5. Consider asking neighbors to participate in their own garage sale on the same day. “Multi-family sales are a big draw for the dealer and consumers,” advises Calamia. “The more goods a buyer has to choose from, the more attractive attending the sale will be.”

6. Price your goods fairly. A general rule of thumb is to ask one-half of the retail cost of the item. But, if you really want your excess do-dads to stream out the door, price them cheap. Remember that your goal is to get rid of things you no longer want or need. If they don’t sell them, you’ll end up carting them off to the local thrift shop. Instead of pricing a myriad of twenty-five cent or fifty-cent goods, place these items in boxes with a sign stating the price. Ditto for books. Most people charge $1 for hardbacks and 50 cents for paperbacks. It may be helpful to attend other garage sales in your neighborhood before hosting yours to get a feel for pricing. Visit both early in the morning and later in the day to find out what sold and what didn’t.

7. Place price stickers on all your merchandise. “I often go to sales where sellers are too lazy to price the goods. They lose customers because many people don’t want to ask about the price,” says Calamia.

8. Make it easy for customer to find your sale. Place large signs with arrows at local road intersections directing people to your house. Make sure the signs are clearly readable by people in passing cars. Many people fail to read the newspaper and only attend sales when they spot a “Yard Sale” sign. These “drive-by” customers can increase your sale’s bott

Is having a garage sale considered a small business?

Garage/Yard sales are considered temporary business ventures (usually a day or two) with a limited life. So, no you don't need a license.

A call to your local town hall will outline any other criteria the town may have (e.g. you can't start before a certain hour, stay open for more than a specific amount of time, that kind of thing).

If you were to have the garage sale perpetually setup (e.g. you throw a tarp over the items and open every weekend) then you may run into issues with your local town/municipality.

Good luck.