|
Newsletter Archives
December 2011
Fresh Start
November 2011
Organizing for a Flight
October 2011
Closet Organizing
September 2011
Organizing for Retirement
August 2011
Warning Signs of Disorganization
July 2011
Essential Organizing Tools
June 2011
Where Do I Start?
May 2011
Reclaim the Garage
April 2011
In Case of Emergency
March 2011
Organizing for Dementia
February 2011
Organizing for Guests
January 2011
Paper Overwhelm
December 2010
Top Ten Causes of Disorganization Revisited
November 2010
Just in Case…Organizing for Death
October 2010
Kitchen Organizing
September 2010
Photo Organizing
August 2010
It’s the Small Things
July 2010
Procrastination
June 2010
Expert Organizing Tips
May 2010
Tips from my Clients
April 2010
Tips for Setting Up a Garage Sale
March 2010
Unusual Ways to Organize
February 2010
Staging your Home for Sale
January 2010
Favorite Places to Buy Organizing Products
December 2009
Wrapping It Up
November 2009
Prepare the Pantry
October 2009
Costumes & Decorations
September 2009
Enough
August 2009
Help for the Home Office
July 2009
Getting Crafty
June 2009
A Better Bedroom
May 2009
Eco Organizing
April 2009
Getting Ready to Garden
March 2009
The Path To Clutter
February 2009
Easing Into Downsizing
January 2009
Organizing For Renovation
December 2008
Organizing For Next Year
November 2008
More Of My Favorite Organizing Tools
October 2008
Making Life Easier
September 2008
Clearing The Closet
August 2008
How To Let Go Of Stuff
July 2008
Managing Medical Records
June 2008
Road Trip Organizing
May 2008
Collections Instead of Clutter
April 2008
Getting Ready for Tax Time
March 2008
Where to Begin
February 2008
When You Want to Help
January 2008
Top Ten Causes of Disorganization
December 2007
Organize for Air Travel
November 2007
Organize for Small Spaces
October 2007
When Life Happens, Reorganize
September 2007
Bathroom Organizing
August 2007
Paper Organizing
July 2007
Uncluttered Kids' Rooms
June 2007
Top Ten Organizing Tools
May 2007
Grapple The Garage
April 2007
Managing Your Time
March 2007
Spring Organizing
February 2007
Help for Caregivers of Aging Parents
January 2007
National Get Organized Month
December 2006
Year End Organizing
November 2006
Give Thanks for Being Organized
October 2006
Holiday Kitchen Organization
September 2006
In Case of a Weather Emergency - Organize!
August 2006
Back to School Organizing
July 2006
Declare your Independence from Summer Clutter
|
ORGANIZING TIPS OF THE MONTH: APRIL 2010
Tips for Setting Up a Garage Sale
There may be cash in your clutter. You have heard the phrase “your trash is someone else’s treasure.” A garage sale is one way to put theory into practice. Attentive marketing of your goods by doing a proper set up of your garage sale is the key to receiving the highest prices.
- Sort Logically: Sort your discards into logical groupings such as toys, books, tools, seasonal decorations. Garage sale aficionados usually have particular items in mind when they shop and do not want to spend time sifting through unrelated stuff.
- Display Well: Set up tables and clothing racks to display your wares. Shoppers dislike bending over and picking through items lying on the ground. To improvise a clothing rack, place a pole between two stepladders.
- Group Glassware: Highlight glass items separately on a table with a tablecloth to make the items more attractive and special. Make sure glassware is clean. People will buy and pay more for wares in pristine condition.
- Box Books and DVDs: Box your books and DVDs by subject/category, spine up, so it is easy for customers to flip through them without making a mess of your display. Label the boxes or use large cards to divide groupings. Price consistently—e.g., paperbacks 50 cents, hardbacks $1. Do the same with DVDs.
- Collect the Crafts: Sell related craft items by the bagful. Label well and sell the craft bags for a flat rate.
- Highlight Holiday Decorations: Have a separate table for holiday items. Make the display festive and group items in calendar order—Valentine’s Day, Easter, 4th of July, Halloween, Christmas, etc. Bag and sell small items together.
- Money matters and pricing: Use a fanny pack to hold your money. Unfortunately, dishonest people also frequent garage sales and look for opportunities to steal unattended cash. Have plenty of small bills and quarters to make change. You do not want to lose a sale just because you can’t make change. Price everything clearly so customers avoid searching for someone to ask.
- Free attraction: The word “free” is magic. Have a box of free stuff out front with a large FREE sign on it to attract people to your sale. Include toys to keep children occupied while the parents shop.
- Expect to Be Insulted: Expect people to give insulting offers for your things. That is the nature of garage sales. Decide on your goal for your garage sale ahead of time: Do you want to make money or get rid of stuff?
- Plan What Not to Do with the Leftovers: DO NOT bring anything back into the house. The stuff is in the garage sale because it is time to move on. If you do not get reasonable offers for your more expensive items, you may get more for them as a tax write off for a charitable donation than you would if you take a low ball offer. Call for a pick up by a charitable organization.
- Follow Keys to Success: Organization plus a realistic attitude equals a successful garage sale. If you set up your merchandise in an attractive way and greet customers with enthusiasm even when they offer you 10 cents for a $2 item, you will be counting cash instead of hauling away clutter at the end of the sale.
©All Sorted Out, 2010 All Rights Reserved
|
