Getting Ready For A Yard Sale

Christmas is right around the corner, so it’s time to go through our closets, clean out the kids’ playroom, and get ready for our annual yard sale.  We live near a very small town - out in the “country”.  So, instead of having our yard sale at our house, we always pack everything into our small hauling trailer and take it to my wife’s parents’ home.  They live in nice neighborhood, and every time we have a yard sale at their house, people flock to the sale.

We always try to have the sale at the first of the month.  Why?  Well, that’s usually right after folks get their paychecks.  We find that Saturday at about 7 is the best time to have one.  I set up a few tables, mark each table as $1 or $2 or whatever, and then just pile toys, books, shoes, etc. on the tables.  We use a clothes rack for hanging clothes - and we usually just sell everything on the rack for a buck or two.  I have a few bigger items, like an old lawnmower and a kid’s “Barbie Jeep”, that I’ll price - but most things just go for a few dollars.

Frankly, we see the yard sale as an opportunity to “clean out and organize”.  Whatever doesn’t sell gets donated to the local thrift shop.  Even using our “laid back, no big-deal approach”, we usually clear a few hundred dollars.

If you are in debt (or just looking for a quick way to make some spending-money) consider having a yard / garage sale.  We place an add in the local paper, put up a few “yard sale” signs, and that’s about it.