Make Money at Your Next Garage Sale

We love rummage/garage sales here in the U.S. and for sure, in Sioux Falls. You can hardly drive 3 blocks during the spring and summer without seeing signs for one or more.

This made me wonder if these sales were exclusively an American thing. They are not.

In researching that question I found that they have them everywhere! In the U.K. they call them "car boot sales." In France "brocantes or vide-greniers" (empty the attic sales). Germany refers to theirs as "garagenflohmarkt" (garage sale), and so on.

I have had held one garage sale myself and participated in several others. The one that I hosted went pretty well, in my opinion, because almost everything was gone when it was over. I've been saving items for the next one which I'll be having who knows when.

But I came across a Cheat Sheet article with some great ideas and info, which may be helpful when and if I manage to organize my next garage sale extravaganza! And I decided to share.

These are just a few of the items which they say will sell well:

• Furniture: Old wooden pieces are particularly desirous (I doubt my old upholstered rocking chair which the cats have used for a scratching post would sell but, who knows!)
• Vintage Dishes & Kitchen Gadgets: I wonder if I can talk my sister out of all my late grandmother's kitchen stuff?
• Costume Jewelry: Thanks Mom! All that gaudy stuff you gave me is actually worth something!
• Artwork: Just make sure you're not selling a Van Gogh or Picasso for 5 bucks!
• Tools: Thanks Daddy. I don't know what one-third of all those tools are for and I'm guessing you didn't either, since a lot of them are brand new!
• Bottled Water: The philosophy here is, even if people don't buy your stuff, they may be thirsty from a long day of rummaging and will pay you a buck for a bottle of water or a can of soda. So have some on ice and make a couple of dollars.

Cheat Sheet even included a yard sale pricing guide from My Frugal Home. Check out all of the suggestions and read the complete article for more ideas.

Sources: Cheat Sheet, My Frugal Home

See Also: