Table of Contents:
Overview
Making Money At Garage Sales
Setting Up
Selection and Pricing
Advertising
Bookkeeping
The Sale
APPENDIX
Overview
On almost any given weekend across the country‚ someone is holding a garage sale‚ attending a
swap meet or setting up a booth at a flea market. The quote "someone's junk is someone else's
treasure" makes these events both plausible and plentiful.
Most of us are accumulators. We pack what we can into our house without regularly taking
inventory until it's busting at the seams. Then it's time to decide what to keep‚ what to throw out
and‚ more importantly‚ what to sell.
So many people spend their weekends out looking for bargains at these types of events and there are
plenty of opportunities to make money. Much of it will be clear profit since there is virtually no
overhead cost involved- certainly not the same as in a retail shop.
Your first garage sale can be to clean out your "junk". Your subsequent sales can be for items you
pick up at bargain prices at flea markets‚ swap meets and auctions‚ which you then turn around and
sell out of your own garage. You can still give someone a bargain and make a profit on the
merchandise turnover.
Why not you? If you've ever had a garage sale‚ you must have realized the potential involved. All of
these customers come to you simply because you put a small advertisement in the newspaper. People
come for all kinds of reasons: a day out‚ a specific objective‚ or someone who likes browsing in
search of that little unknown gem that might have great appeal.
What do people look for? Almost anything! Clothes‚ books‚ art‚ old records‚ furniture‚ pots and
pans‚ a fishing pole- you name it! Most people will buy at least one thing. They have that shopping
itch! They want to be able to tell someone about the bargain they found! Garage sales are full of
surprises for these people. It's not like going down to a K-Mart or Sears where you know what the
merchandise is and where it's located. Something that would be of no interest to you can be
someone else's hobby!
As you get to be a garage sale expert‚ you will end up going around to these sales and acquiring
great deals which you can turn around and sell at a profit. If someone needs cash‚ there may be
tremendous deals out there on the tables. Or if someone is moving and wants to get rid of whatever
they don't wish to move this means a great opportunity to pick up something unusual or needed
without spending much cash yourself.
How much money you can earn at your garage sales depends on the inventory and the customer
traffic. The variety of goods you have will make your sale more attractive‚ especially if you start
having them on a regular basis. If you're preparing for one and cleaning out the house‚ you will
likely stumble upon items that you might not have known you had- some of them almost brand
new!
If it's stored in your attic‚ basement or other storage space and you haven't seen it for years‚ much
less used it‚ it's a good candidate for the sale. Some people have wedding gifts they've never used‚
duplicates or whatever‚ and they've forgotten they even have it.
It's not only the hidden items‚ though. Items in plain sight‚ that are taking up room‚ have taken on a
familiarity so that you may not even see them anymore. It may be a lamp you haven't turned on
since you installed a ceiling fan with a light. It may be a chair you never sit in. It may be clothes at
the back of the closet that don't fit any longer.
You're ready! You're in the right frame of mind for this task‚ so let's set up your garage sale.
