Garage sales can be a hassle to organize. How do you attract enough people to stop and take a look through some of your old treasures? How can you make sure to make a decent size profit? Garage sales aren’t as popular as they used to be. Websites like Craigslist and Ebay lead the market in selling used items. You have to get creative and think outside the box.
Here are a few marketing ideas for your garage sale:
- Advertise locally and via your social media networks
- Take snapshots of your items
- Make an excel chart with the images, item names and prices
- Print them and distribute handouts for your customers and those strolling by
- Think of a theme. People love themes. Cohesiveness creates ambiance
- Post signs outside to draw in the masses. You can go the old fashion route and create your own signs, even have the kids pitch in. If you really want to go all out and make sure the best deals don’t go unnoticed, a custom made sign might do the trick
- Provide people with an incentive. Example: Buy 2 items, get the 3rd one free
You probably don’t want to spend a lot of money trying to make profit on used items. What you don’t realize is that your investment will be multiplied as a result of your creative edge. Most of the options mentioned don’t cost much at all, if any.
Facebook, Twitter and Google+ are free social networks that many of you are probably already members of, at least one, if not all three. These social networks are often utilized to announce upcoming events to those within our circle. A garage sale can be considered an event if you know how to turn it into one.
Creating pricelist handouts can be done on your own computer. The cost may stem from the printing paper and ink, but it shouldn’t break your pocket. Don’t get too colorful. It can get distracting.
Focus on a theme and make it fun. Post a sign in front of your home and above your garage advertising your unique garage sale. Posting signs locally can be productive as well, just make sure you’re abiding by your local solicitation and vandalizing laws that apply to signage. You may think a custom neon sign is taking it a step too far and may not be worth the investment. Yet it’s an outside of the box idea that may prove to make your garage sale successful and memorable. Your signs should provide incentive to purchase. Deals are what everyone is looking for no matter where they shop.
