Many times, garage sales begin and end in the same fashion: a collection of old things, knick-knacks, and outdated appliances stack up and look for a new location. The difference of the beginning and the end is the result: the beginning looks to new homes of others while the end finds its way back to where they were or in disposal. However, the keys to success in doing garage sales are found in not only in focusing on important points but also proactively avoiding negative points.

Lack of promotion of a garage sale can mean a wasted weekend morning. Without knowledge of the sale happening, customers will not know about the opportunities presented to them. A lot of promotion happens with only advertising on street signs within neighborhoods. While this can ensure that the customer base is well known, it also severely limits the range of your exposure to people who may have genuine interest in the business.Spreading the word outside of the neighborhood is crucial to drawing the most chance for business. Putting advertisements on the streets as well as over the Internet through classifieds sites will boost the likelihood of success. Additionally, taking time to make such posts stable and readable is appealing to those who would want to take note of the opportunity.
A sign that is illegible or feeble in material may instantly turn others away who do not care to stop and read something that represents the lack of concern shown in the sign. Lastly, placing the ads and signs only shortly before the event itself only limits the exposure of your message and, therefore, your crowds will really add up. Planning ahead is reserved to more people than just the ones putting on the garage sale. It is important to allow customers to plan their attendance to a garage sale before schedules or prior obligations interfere.
At the sale itself, being courteous and polite helps gain the trust of a customer. An otherwise agitated vendor would be the last person the customer would wish to see on their day out of the house. Using manners and directing the customer through any item will help the odds of completing a sale. Being inflexible during the sales process can often stand in the way of customer satisfaction. Often times, the prices are set with a deep discount for being used, but the customer may feel another price is fairer. Working with them as opposed to sticking to a preset price may convince them to buy more items rather than walk away with regrets.
Considering prices, having them clearly marked allows the customer to make their own decision on whether the purchase is worth their time rather than approaching the seller for negotiation. Furthermore, having multiple items of a similar quality offers the chance to sell as a bundle for only slightly less. It allows the customers to survey and eventually take a collection of items that would sell much more slowly as individual items.
Finally, the location of the garage sale should be obvious, but alternate locations should not be left out of discussion. Bearing in mind the crowds that may come or the weather for the set date, there should be ample parking and available cover. If a larger venue is needed for the number of items on sale, finding an appropriate place should be easy with many parking lots around schools and churches being empty and accepting of hosting community events. These same places can also offer themselves as promotional spots for adverts.