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 Make
the Most of Your Garage Sale
(ARA) - Having a garage sale has fast become America's most
popular way to recycle its household goods and bring in some
cash. The best time to have a sale is just before or after you
move, when you're forced to handle every one of your possessions
-- but anytime you're ready to clean, and sort and simplify
your life is a good one.
With the right approach, having a garage sale can be a refreshing
experience as well as a smart financial move. But many people
aren't quite sure how to tackle the project or do it in a way
that's both efficient and effective. Here are some tips from
an expert to help make the most of the experience.
Give yourself time
Give yourself plenty of lead time to gather merchandise for
your garage sale. Start weeks beforehand and sort through all
your closets, drawers and boxes. Do you really need every utensil
in your kitchen cabinets or all the Christmas decorations in
your attic? Offering both volume and variety will attract shoppers
as well as bring in the most income.
Sell large-ticket items through alternative means
Get the most for your large-ticket items by not selling them
at your garage sale, where shoppers expect to pay rock-bottom
prices. Instead, before your sale, advertise items worth $20
or more through other free or low-cost outlets, such as neighborhood
newspapers, student publications or coffee-shop bulletin boards.
Explore the options available through Internet Web sites and
re-sale stores that specialize in books, appliances, photography,
sporting goods or baby items.
Take a retailer's approach to pricing and display
Price your merchandise so that customers will feel like they're
getting a bargain -- 10 to 20 percent of retail value, more
for items that are like-new. Visit other people's sales to get
ideas for yours, and have a mirror available if you plan to
sell clothing. Overall, be sure to mark prices clearly, display
merchandise between knee level and eye level, and rearrange
your display as items are sold -- just as retailers do.
You'll find these and dozens more valuable ideas in the booklet
"50 Ways to Make the Most Money Having a Garage Sale." To obtain
a copy, send $5.00 to CMS Publishing, PO Box 23448, Minneapolis,
MN 55423.
Courtesy
of ARA Content, www.aracontent.com,
e-mail: info@aracontent.com
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