Town-wide garage sales (mark your calendars for the the Mountainside Newcomers sponsored tag sale on September 21st in the Borough), estate sales, and local resale shops are some of Frugalinda’s favorite places to shop!
Personally, the only thing I love more than the thrill of a bargain, is being on the other side of the card table at my own garage sale. I enjoy the negotiating process, and I guess sales is just part of my DNA (my dad sold Electrolux vacuum cleaners door to door back in the day).
Is there anything sweeter than seeing the smile on someone’s face when they pick up what they always wanted, but never knew they would find it for a fraction of its retail cost (especially when it's a child buying a present for mom)? I feel good knowing that my “gently used” but “no longer wanted” items will (finally) find a good home instead of lying a bin somewhere.
Here are some of Frugalinda’s tried and true methods for hosting a great tag sale:
Bigger IS Better
If you feel you “don’t have enough” to warrant having a garage sale, join forces with a friend or neighbor. Nobody slows down for a teensy weensy sale, no matter how great the quality of the goods.
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Stay AWAY from Change
Don’t sell anything for less than a buck at your sale – if you have smaller items, make them two for a dollar. It will save you the trouble of dealing with nickels and dimes and quarters, oh my.
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Make it Really Social
Put some photos of your goods for sale and a shout out to your Facebook and Twitter peeps and tweeps prior to the sale. You might even get rid of things before the sale date!
It’s all about the Merch-andising
Sometimes it’s not what you have, but how it looks on the table that attracts folks to your sale. If you stink (like I do) at making things pretty on a table, ask a friend who has that sort of talent. Offer to sell some of their items to “pay them back” for their ability to arrange your items so that they stop traffic.
Hang clothes on wardrobes or coat racks if you have them -- they look more attractive and will remain neater throughout the sale.
Signs, Signs, Everywhere There’s Signs
Put as many signs as you can to get folks to your tag sale, but please remember to remove them after the sale.
I've put giant signs on the back of my car windshield and parked it outside of my house "garage sale here," and hung items in a tree -- things that would be for sale (like giant spiders or other seasonal decorations).
Put the Kids to Work
A garage sale is a great time to have a lemonade stand! And the customers will linger longer if there are cute kids and something cool to drink around. This is a great way to get the children involved, and might inspire your budding entrepreneurs to make a few extra dollars and part with some of their toys too.
If all of this seems exhausting, or you are just not "the garage sale type," consider donating any unwanted or unsold goods. If you have big ticket items, such as furniture, check out the Morris Habitat for Humanity ReStore. They offer free pick up to most locations, and the proceeds fund houses for lower income folks in and around Morris County.
Reduce, Reuse, ReCyle, ReStore! provides a tutorial of how to donate, and what to expect to find at this 22K square foot, one of a kind superstore, located in Randolph, NJ. There’s a side bonus to the ReStore, literally. Green Vision Electronics, located in the same building as the ReStore, accepts electronic equipment, which is dismantled by adolescents and adults with autism and subsequently recycled, keeping tons of scrap out of landfills.
Want breaking news on clearance sales, special offers or other frugal finds? Visit Frugalinda’s Facebook fan page, follow me on Twitter @Frugalinda or log on to www.frugalinda.com.
