TWIN FALLS - If anyone knows how to put on a yard sale, it's Karen Goodloe. When
she lived in Mountain Home, Goodloe would buy items at other yard sales every
weekend, clean them up, and sell them at her own sales for a profit - up to
three times what she first paid.
Goodloe, who now lives in Twin Falls, has suggestions for other sellers to get
the most out of a yard sale.
"My biggest tip is, once it's out in the yard, unless you want to pack it back
in, sell it," she said.
This might mean taking a lower price than you want. Early in the sale, consider
asking for the name and phone number of someone who offers a low price for a
big-ticket item. Then, if you don't get a better offer as the sale winds down,
you'll still have a taker and you won't have to haul that item back in from the
yard.
To get the most for your items, mark them with prices a little higher than you
hope to get - leaving room for bargaining.
"That's the best part of the yard sale, is the dickering," Goodloe said.
She suggests spreading items across the yard, with collectibles and antiques
near the road to attract drive-by customers.
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"If people see nothing but clothes, they're going to drive on by. There've got
to be sparklies they can see from the road," she said. "My mom and I are avid
garage salers, and that's what we look for. If I don't see sparklies, we don't
stop."
Goodloe always puts a classified ad in the newspaper to advertise her own garage
sales, and she combs others' ads looking for potential bargains.
The Times-News' classified advertising staff and Goodloe agreed that listing
big-ticket items in an ad will attract more customers. A boat, a car, a hot
tub, collectibles and antiques are all good for drawing buyers.
"Once they get there to look, maybe they'll look at the men's tools or baby
stuff," said Jill Hollon, a classified sales representative at the Times-News.
"Brand names, antiques, collectibles, stuff like that will bring them in."
Also important? Make your yard sale fun.
"Happy ads are good," Goodloe said. In the ad for a yard sale she put on last
weekend, she included buzzwords - multifamily, antiques, collectibles - and a
little humor: "â€-even the kitchen sink!"
Tips for the sale tables
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Make sure all merchandise is clean and in good shape. If you wouldn't pick it
up to buy it, why would anyone else?
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If you aren't prepared to welcome early-bird buyers two hours before your
stated opening time, say so in your ad.
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Like anywhere else in retail, being polite and friendly will result in more
sales. "People forget to use 'please' and 'thank you,' and that's important,
even in an ad," said Karen Goodloe of Twin Falls, a regular buyer and seller.
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Keep prices simple. While $2.99 may work in a store, it is easier to make
change in your front yard for something priced at $3.
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Protect your property by putting out a trash can, placing a barrier across your
driveway, and flagging sprinkler heads sticking out of your lawn. Rope off
delicate landscaping. Post signs to mark private areas.
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Consult your local laws on yard sales. Some communities have regulations about
the sales, others about where to put up signs.
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Always remove your signs as soon as the sale is over.
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To attract customers, use big, bright signs with arrows that include the dates
of the sale and the name of the street you live on. Consider using a
distinguishing symbol, like a star, that drivers can follow from street to
street.
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Have batteries and an extension cord available so buyers can test electronic
merchandise before buying.
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Decide what forms of payment you will accept - Goodloe takes only cash - and
include that in your ad. If someone offers you a check, offer to hold the
merchandise for them while they go to a bank or a cash machine.
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Consider having price-point tables: a $1 table, a 10-cent table, etc.
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Involve children in the yard sale process, perhaps having them sell sodas or
cookies, said Jill Hollon, a classified sales representative at the Times-News.
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Carry a phone to make or take calls without leaving your cash box. If you are
alone and a customer makes you feel uncomfortable, yell something into the
house to make him believe someone is inside.
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Some people use a lockable cash box chained to a table, while others prefer an
apron with pockets to separate bills and coins.
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At the beginning of the day, have change for large bills handy. The amount will
depend on the number of items you have for sale and their value. Consider
buying a currency-checker pen so you don't get stuck with a counterfeit bill;
the pens cost about $3 at OfficeMax.
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For a multifamily sale, consider using colored stickers to differentiate
between families. Write prices on the stickers before the sale, then tape the
stickers on a sheet of paper with the family's name on it as each item is sold.
At the end of the day, tally up the stickers and divide the cash.
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