Sell Your Stuff Smarter

The yard sale is an iconic American tradition you can expect to see nearly every weekend in the spring and summer, from coast to coast. But there is an art to selling your gently used goods that, when perfected, can help you see big returns from your next yard sale.

Timing is critical

Friday or Sunday is your best bet—on Friday, you’ll pick up plenty of early birds and retirees, and Sunday is when most families are free. There’s also no such thing as too early (think 7:00 am–3:00 pm).

Everything has its place

None of your items should be on the ground—they won’t get sold! Everything should be on a table or hanging on a rack, preferably at eye level, so shoppers have a clear view. You can group items by price or condition, and categorize them for easy searching.

Offer a bite

Consider offering refreshments to shoppers—you’ll be surprised by how many people are willing to shell out an extra couple of dollars to satiate their midday hunger pains or to quench their thirst.

Marketing is magic

Pay attention to local signage laws, and place information about your sale wherever you can get the most eyes. You can even take out an ad online or in the local paper. Be sure to include points about the best items you’re selling to draw in even more potential shoppers.

Recruit the neighbors

If you can get your neighbors in on the action, your sale is guaranteed to pick up a lot more visitors. For some shoppers, it’s only worth it to make the trip if they’ll have multiple sales to peruse, so, if you can, think bigger with your sale.