The Tag Sale

Now many of us have begun spring cleaning which now will inspire you to hold a garage/tag sale. It's a great way to declutter your home and make a little money at the same time! It does however take some pre-planning and organization. The following tips should get you going and hopefully deliver a successful tag sale!




Set the Right Day and Time-Now is a great time into early summer- skip August when most people are on vacation, but keep September in mind! Saturday is the best day and get ready to be up at dawn- serious shoppers come early!!




Consider a Multi-family Sale. 
Encourage friends and family to participate, ask them to help out the day of the sale and give them a specific task. Also inform neighbors, if they want to have one as well then share the marketing efforts- more sales will draw bigger crowds.




Organize and Price Items to Sell.  
Schedule some time to go thru rooms- especially a basement or attic and make a list of items you wish to sell.  Make notes about prices for items and if you have no idea check out Ebay and Craigslist to see what similar items are going for. Set up a holding area  for the items that you are selling- this is typically the garage. Arrange smaller, like items together  in clear bins and label ( DVDS, 2$) Try to just label tables, bins or racks- it will save you tons of time!







Supplies Needed For the Sale.  
On the day of, these items are great to have on hand. Shopping bags or boxes so items can be carried away easily, A calculator for adding up sales , extension cords plugged in to show that items work, tape measure, pens, trash can and a cash box. A hip pack or apron with pockets to hold cash is great to wear as well.hand. 

Advertise the Sale.

Create a listing one week prior to the sale on Facebook. It’s free!

Make signs to be placed at large intersections near your home. Signage should include the date of the sale, your address {cross streets can be helpful too} and the sale hours.  

Inquire about placing ads with various local newspapers. Ask how many words, how much it will cost and when you need to submit the information by. 

 

Display items
Organize your items and display them in an  easy-to-view format.
 Use clothing racks to hang items such as dresses, jackets and suits. Group clothing according to size. Place like items together and make signs so customers can easily find what they are looking for (i.e books, dishes, baby clothes)

Fun for the Kids.

 Encourage older kids to earn extra cash by selling donuts, bagels or cookies.

 Want to get rid of all those stuffed animals?? Set out a box of gently used stuffed animals labeled “FREE! Kids Take One” for customers with young children, this is a great way to pass them along! 

After the Sale.

 Do not bring any unsold items back into your garage instead pack up unsold  items and drive them to the closest donation center.

 Place larger unsold items curbside with a “FREE” sign.

 Schedule a date and time for one of the local thrift stores to pick up items that did not sell or were too big to haul away.

Remove all posted signs from the neighborhood.

 

Guess what?- there is even an App ( of course) for tag sales- check out igaragesale- it lets you locate garage sales of interest near you for free!!!

Back to Basics

We all need a little review once in a while and since this the season of purging, I wanted to reiterate the 4 easy steps that everyone should follow when clearing any space. An organization project can be overwhelming, but remember organizing is a process and you want results that will last. 
Time and Supplies- set aside enough time to make progress without feeling knocked out! Its better to approach a project thru many small sessions- your ability to make decisions will be clearer. 
Have boxes or bags nearby- ready and labeled, common ideas are, keep, donate, sell, trash or relocate.
Step 1: Empty Yes take it all out! You have to see what's there so you can organize it correctly. Do not empty a room all at once. Pick  a small spot to start with, drawers, shelves, closets etc- 
Step 2: Sort Start to place these items into categories you have created for the bins and bags, make decisions quickly- this is key to letting the clutter go. Ask yourself, do I like this? Do I use it? Pair down if you have many of the same item- keep the ones that are most useful or sentimental.
Step 3: Shop Yeah, finally!!! now you are ready to get the right bins and baskets because you know what your keeping and where it will be stored. Try a few different choices to see what fits and looks best!
Step 4: Reassemble Store your items where you use them. Position yourself in front of the drawer or cabinet and reach out in all directions- are the most used items accessible?? Don't be afraid to change something around if it was not working, organization is about neatness, but also ease!!