The best way to get rid of your stuff is to hold a good old fashioned yard sale. But you want the most money for your things, right?!

Having a yard sale is no easy feat. It’s lots of hard work (and in Florida, lots of sweating and fighting the rain storms). But it can be a tremendous money maker if you’ve got the goods, tools, and techniques to make you money!

Check out my yard sale prep ideas to get you started because it can be a daunting task and you need to be organized from the beginning.

With my yard sale ideas and tips to make money, you’ll know what to do with your yard sale stuff so you can get it sold.

Plus, with my yard sale advertising ideas, you’ll get the most people in to spend some money!

And, then you’ll be swimming in yard sale money so you can stash it away in the bank!

Here are several tips on how to have a profitable yard sale.

1. NO More Change!!

That’s right, I said No More Change!

When we started yard selling long ago we used to nickel and dime everything, not realizing the value of the item, but also, how much time it would take to add up a sale!

Then we got even smarter, with no more quarters! Most of our items go for 2/$1 or 2/$5. So people will want to pick two items off the 2/$1 table or the 2/$5 table and we don’t have to make the change!

While it’s still good to have quarters on hand, you won’t be bound by making change all day long, or adding up 12 items that are 25¢, 50¢ and 75¢ items! Talk about a brain saver!

I’ve even done a table that was buy (1) for $1, get (3) for free. So really they were a quarter a piece, but you bet they’ll take all four items for $1!

Again, this makes it so much easier when you go to add and if you’re keeping track of another family member’s money. It’s so nice on your brain!

Also, make sure you add up the total even though the customer gives you one. If we are having a multi-family sale, we mark who made what in each sale in a notepad, giving us another chance to tally the items for our own ease of mind.

A. Put Someone In Charge Of The Cash

First, discuss with your family who will be responsible for taking and watching over the money during the sale. Usually, it becomes a joint effort, but one person is with the money at all times.

We have a money table set closer to the house so the money box can’t be easily snatched. This is very important as we all know there are dishonest people who will swipe it in an instant. If you don’t feel comfortable using a money box, you can use a fanny pack or utility belt instead. That’s a little harder to steal and might be easier for you to use.

Keep a calculator and a pen and paper handy for calculating totals.

Be careful and don’t accept any personal checks. If the person doesn’t have enough cash, you could do a couple of things: hold the item till they got the cash (make a specified time to return or the item is going back for sale), or take a payment through Pay Pal or Venmo. Just make sure the payment has cleared before they leave.

Also, take your time making cash. Keep the orginal bill you are cashing out in hand, so that you don’t have any misunderstandings. Mistakes can happen, but so can scammers.

When you are aware of all these schemes from the beginning will help you learn how to have a profitable yard sale.

B. Keep Your Shopping Bags & Boxes

Your shoppers will also appreciate it if you have plastic grocery bags and boxes to put their stuff in.

As a part of your yard sale prep, set those plastic bags and boxes aside in the weeks or months before you have the sale.

2. Pick A Weekend Early In The Month

If you want people to show up with their yard sale money to buy your stuff, you need to pick a weekend early in the month.

Retirees, seniors and even those on government support get their money at the beginning of the month. So by having your yard sale early in the month will result in more people with more money.

It’s a simple strategy that can help you learn how to have a profitable yard sale.

3. Join Forces

The best bet to make the most profit during a yard sale is to join forces. If you live in a neighborhood, find out if they have a neighborhood-wide sale. If not, maybe you can suggest running one or scheduling one.

Otherwise, invite neighbors, family members, or friends to join you with their own stuff – the more the merrier and the better sale! How to have a profitable yard sale, is by having a BIG one!

Our neighborhood holds a sale twice a year, one in the spring and one in the fall. They do all the advertising and signs and we just contribute that morning to the advertising fee (usually around $5 per home that participates). We typically make around $300! I think that’s great! But we could make more money if we split up the items, and listed them individually on Craigslist, Facebook or eBay.

The best part about a neighborhood sale is the time it takes. You only give up one day, usually 7-8 am to noon or 2 pm and then you’re done!

Plus, afterwards, we load all the stuff we didn’t sell in my car and drop it off at our local charity (Lighthouse Ministries).

4. Make It Touch Level

Call on friends to borrow tables, sawhorses and plywood, clothing racks and anything else to display your items.

Try to place items in the most attractive, uncluttered manner possible and try to use tables or other surfaces rather than the ground for your yard sale prep.

Lots of people don’t enjoy bending or squatting to shop, especially for super cheap items. Plus, if your items are at touch level, they can feel it, pick it up, and hopefully bring it to the cash table.

Need ideas on how to create hanging racks for garage sales? Here’s are some ideas you can use:

• DIY Hanging Clothes Racks from wood
• Suspend a ladder (or even metal or pvc pipes) between two other ladders, then you’ll have hanging spots on opposite sides
• Tape a 2″ PVC pipe to the edge of a table. The pipe can hold small children’s clothes and they won’t be touching the ground
• Use a foldable drying rack to display hanging clothes

Sort like items together and create “zones” to keep things uncluttered.

While you are setting up, make sure things are priced with visible stickers or tape. Most people don’t like asking for prices so it’s one way to make sure you have a profitable yard sale.

If you are having a “multi-family” yard sale and you want to keep the money separate, make sure each item has a sticker and initials.

5. Make Your Stuff Sparkle & Shine

No one wants to touch someone else’s dirty stuff. Do you know how much dead skin cells are in dust?!! Gross! I won’t touch it and neither will your yard sale attendees.

Clean stuff will sell better and for a higher dollar.

So get out those cleaning supplies and get busy cleaning your stuff before you put it out. The point is to maximize your profit – so clean stuff looks better and will sell better!

Then you’ll be less likely to bargain at the beginning of the sale. Wait till the end of the sale to bargain and bundle deals.

It’s how to have a profitable yard sale since your goal is to make money – not give it away!

6. Get Your Kids Get Involved To Sell Water

Want to get your kids busy during the sale? Have them make their own money!

Create a water stand for them and let them use their puppy dog eyes and make some money!

Not only will they learn the value of sales, and how to sell, but how much fun it is to make their own money (and hopefully not keep asking for your money)!

Why water? Water is easier. You just need three things: bottled water, ice, and an ice chest. Customers will also think water is a safer choice because it was sealed by the manufacturer.

Lemonade is a more costly and more involved process which leads to no profit! Don’t forget, besides the sugar, water, ice, lemons (and the whole squeezing process), you’ll also need cups for the lemonade.

7. Don’t Forget To “Label” & Promote Your Sale

First, label your sale. Is this a Geek’s Paradise with electronics, games and such? Or is it a Grandpa’s Tool Sale or even a Grandma’s Attic Sale with all kinds of treasures. It’s these yard sale advertising ideas that will attract the right customer to your sale.

Even a “Multi-Family” or a Neighborhood Yard Sale will get more traffic than just a single household sale. Use these techniques to label your sale. It will entice those buyers to come and see what you have for sale.

Then, promote your sale. The more people you get to know about your yard sale, the better! It’s how to have a profitable yard sale from the get go!

Start with your Facebook page, Facebook Marketplace, then post them on your local town’s Facebook page. Make sure to tag your local friends and have them share your yard sale too. The more people that see it, the more people will come.

Then, post your yard sale on Craigslist, online yard sales pages, yard sale apps and anywhere else you can think of.

If you have a local radio station, you might even be able to post it there too!

A. Promote Big Ticket Items

If you’ve got some big ticket items to sell, don’t forget to post those items for sale too!

While it helps to promote your sale as a “tool sale”, you may also want to advertise those big ticket tools you are trying to sell as well.

8. Create Clear, Visible Signs (And Funny Too!)

Making clear, visible signs is so important to bring the masses to your yard sale. You have to have customers in order to have a profitable yard sale.

Here are some tips to use:

They Need To Be Large – You want them to be seen if they are driving by at 55 mph!

Use Neon Poster Board – Bright colors are the best!

Use Large Bold Letters – Have you tried to read an 8.5″x11″ paper yard sale sign going 55 mph? It’s not possible! These Sharpies are the best!

Include the Date & Time – Have you ever wondered if that yard sale sign was for last weekend or this weekend, and you didn’t even bother checking to see? Me too! That’s why including the dates and times are important!

Include Arrows – Let your yard sale attendees know which way to go.

Let It Be Funny – The new trend is to make funny signs, ones that catch the eye! Just check out these funny signs for inspiration!

Lead Them To You: Don’t forget to scope out the competition that morning. You don’t want your yard sales leading them to a neighbor if you are further on down the street. Make sure you have more signs that lead them to your house so those that stop at the first yard sale will keep going to your yard sale. Also, if there are multiple main roads that lead to you, put signs in both directions and both sides of the road to lead them your way.

It’s these yard sale ideas and tips to make money that will help your cash box overflow!

9. Rearrange And Consolidate During The Sale

Have you ever noticed that an item you saw and liked in a store was relocated or displayed differently the next time you came in?

That’s a tactic retailers often use to help sell merchandise that hasn’t moved.

Employ this technique in your yard sale. If something hasn’t sold in what you think is a reasonable amount of time, work on the display or move it. It might just sell!

It’s these yard sale ideas and tips to make money that will make you happy at the end of the day!

Many charitable organizations, churches and shelters offer free pickup. They will plan to arrive at the end of your yard sale and cart away the rest of your stuff, not only for FREE but they can provide a receipt to use as a tax deduction!

We strongly recommend making a few calls in your local area to make arrangements for this as it’s a sure-fire way to bless others with your stuff.

PLUS, you have the added benefit of not having to take it somewhere, instant cleanup and the tax advantage.

It’s a win-win situation for all involved.

You can find some charitable organization resources in our Fox 13 Segment on Giving Gifts that Give Back.

As you can see, these yard sale prep ideas can get you started because it can be a daunting task to hold a yard sale and you need to be organized from the beginning.

These yard sale ideas and tips to make money, will help you know what to do with your yard sale stuff so you can get it sold.

Plus, with my yard sale advertising ideas, you’ll get the most people in to spend some money.

And, then you’ll be swimming in yard sale money so you can stash it away in the bank!

Your Turn: What other tips would you give on how to have a profitable yard sale?Maybe your idea will help someone in ways we didn’t mention! Share below!

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