A YARD OR GARAGE SALE IS A GREAT WAY TO GET RID OF UNWANTED JUNK, PLUS MAKE SOME EXTRA CASH.  HERE ARE SOME TIPS TO HELP MAKE YOUR SALE A SUCCESS:

• COLLECT ITEMS.  You can never start too early when it comes to collecting items for your sale.  Keep a large box in the garage for items you want to sell.  During the year, when you come across an item you no longer need or want, throw it in the box for the "BIG DAY."
• ADVERTISE.  Advertise in your local community newspaper. Make sure you include the date and times of your sale, your address, and special items that you will have for sale.  Mention specific name brand items, if you're mainly selling furniture, clothes or mixed items.
• SIGNS.  Make sure you have signs strategically placed in your community.  Place them in high-traffic intersections within a few miles of your home.  Use bright yellow or lime green paper with BIG LETTERING.  Staple your bright, easy-to-read sign to cardboard for stability. 
• PRICE EVERY ITEM.  You'll avoid a lot of questions and haggling this way.  Groups of similar items like books or videos are an exception--it might be easier to just mark them 25 cents each rather than mark each one.  Items such as this are also great to offer a deal--25 cents each or five for a dollar.  When pricing, use quarter-dollar increments.  Making change will be much easier.
• CLEAN AND REPAIR YOUR ITEMS.  It is amazing how much money a shiny item will bring than a dull, dingy one.
• DISPLAY YOUR STUFF.  Arrange to have plenty of clothing racks and tables.  People won't want to go through piles of junk.  Hang clothing if at all possible.  Not only will they be easier to view, their perceived value will be higher.  Be sure to put away any items you don't want to sell, otherwise customers will ask about them.  If you have a lot of things in your garage you don't want to move, consider putting up a curtain or tarp to hide them from view.
• MAKE IT A GROUP THING.  Invite friends to join you.  You'll be able to advertise a wider variety of merchandise and attract more shoppers.  You can split the cost of the ad and take turns at the checkout counter.  Plus, you'll have more fun that way!  You may also want to talk to your neighbors about a block-wide sale.
• CREATE THE ATMOSPHERE.  Have pleasant easy-listening music playing in the background, shoppers will linger longer.  If your sale is on a hot day, you may want to have a larege tub filled with ice and cans of pop for sale. 

          Let the kids have fun selling lemonade, home-baked brownies and  cookies.  We sold bags of fresh-off-the-vine tomatoes for $2.00 a bag at our last yard sale.  Customers enjoyed the fresh tomatoes and we were glad to see our over abundant crop not going to waste. 

• EARLY BIRDS.  As a courtesy to other customers, don't allow early sales.  I've been to many sales at the time they said the would open only to find they opened early and all the good stuff was gone.
• CHANGE.  Make sure you have plenty of coins and $1 bills to make change.  Nothing is more frustrating than getting a $20 bill for $1.50 item and not having the change!
• AFTER THE SALE.  Be sure to remove your signs promptly.  You won't want people knocking on your door after the sale is over!

NOW THAT THE SUCCESSFUL SALE IS OVER--COUNT ALL THAT MONEY AND GET READY FOR YOUR NEXT SALE