Are You Making Garage Sale Mistakes?
Oh No! Garage Sale mistakes mean big savings for buyers! Do you love bargain shopping? Do you also dread the thought of sorting through old junk to find that one item that might be worth buying? If so, then you’re probably a savvy garage sale shopper.
As much as we’d all like to, sometimes we have no idea when a deal is good until it’s too late. Even if you don’t feel like being over-cautious for once in your life, there are some tips and tricks that will make sure you don’t get scammed or end up with useless stuff.
Read on to learn more about avoiding common garage sale mistakes, from pricing things too high to not thoroughly cleaning out your home before going go-go-gadget-crazy!
Our 7 Tips to Avoid Garage Sale Mistakes Include:
Know the Value of Your Items
If you’re going to sell items at a garage sale, you need to know what they’re worth. If you don’t know what an item is worth, you can’t set a price that accurately reflects its true value. This means that you can’t rely on price as an indication of quality.
You also need to keep in mind that the price you put on an item might be based solely on what you paid for it. This is especially important if you’re selling items that are significantly older than you are.
Usually, items from that era are heavily discounted and may be worth much less than you paid for it. If you can, it’s best to try to find someone who knows more about antiques than you so that you can get a more accurate price. This could help you avoid big garage sales mistakes.
Don’t Set a Price too High
When you set your price too high, you might end up losing money rather than making it.
This is because people have a lower threshold for what they’re willing to pay when they’re selling items in a garage sale, compared to when they’re buying items in a store. People are likely to overprice items in a garage sale because they just want to get rid of them and they don’t want to take any less.
So, they set a high price to weed out the less interested shoppers. Additionally, you might also set a price that’s too high just because you “know” it’s worth more than what you actually paid for it. You might think that if you charge $100 for it, it’s worth $200. But, you can’t be sure how much people are willing to pay, and they might not even be willing to pay much at all.
Take Photos Before you Start
If you’re planning to hold a garage sale, make sure you take photos of all the items you have for sale. It’s also a good idea to take photos of the items as-is and with the price tags on them. That way if there is ever a dispute or you think someone is switching tags (which is does happen often) you can offer proof of original pricing. not having pictures is a big garage sale mistake as it documents everything in case there is ever a question..
These photos will help you avoid making mistakes or having to correct them once the sale is over. Another thing to keep in mind is that you don’t have to include a price tag on every single item. The presence of a price tag on an item suggests that it was bought recently and will be sold at a certain price.
So, it doesn’t make much sense to tack a price tag on an item that’s been there for a decade. If you’d like to include a higher price on some items, you don’t have to put a price tag on them. You can just write the higher price on a piece of paper and attach it to the item.
Stay Safe During Garage Sales
Before you start a garage sale, make sure you have your head on straight. First things first, make sure you have permission from your landlord or whoever owns the house where you’re keeping your stuff.
It’s also a good idea to let your neighbors know that you’re going to be having a sale so that they don’t get annoyed by the noise. Once you’ve made sure that everything is fair game, it’s important that you stay safe while you’re holding the sale.
As tempting as it may be to quickly flip through the items on the table and come up with a price, it’s crucial that you make sure that each item is legible and in good condition before making a sale. Don’t let buyers rush you. Verify everything you agree to sell.
There are a few ways that you can do this. You can take the items off the table, put them on a chair, and have a friend stand at the side of the table and make sure that you’re not missing anything. You can also try to keep an eye on the items while you’re talking with the person who’s buying them.
Have a Clear Agenda
When you’re holding a garage sale, it’s important that you have a clear agenda. It’s okay if you’re not totally sure about what you’re going to sell, but you need to have a general idea of what you want to sell. A big issue and on our list of garage sale mistakes is if something is sold and you wanted to keep it. Or sold it at a price that was too low because you were too busy.
Related Reading: Estate Sale Shopping Tips to Get Deals
This will help you stay organized and prevent you from forgetting an important item. It’s important that you make a list of everything you want to sell, keep it somewhere that’s accessible, and make sure you check it at least once a day.
Another important thing to remember while holding a garage sale is that you need to inform people where they can come to your home. It’s probably a good idea to put up posters in your neighborhood or put up signs at the entrance to your street.
Don’t Set Your Expectations Too High
The last thing you should do when you’re holding a garage sale is set expectations too high. The best thing you can do during a garage sale is to be relaxed, honest, and approachable. Being unfriendly is on our top garage sale mistakes list because so many people are grumpy in the morning. Which doesn’t encourage buying.
If you do this, you’re more likely to make a sale and more likely to enjoy yourself while doing it. If someone comes to your house during a sale and asks you to sell an item for a certain price, don’t be offended if they walk away empty-handed.
If someone asks you to sell something for a higher price than you were expecting, don’t be offended if they walk away empty-handed. The best way to keep yourself safe is to keep your expectations realistic and be honest and approachable.
Put Up Garage Sale Signs and Post it Online
If you want a successful sale you need signs and online presence. The world is changing and to get people to your garage sale you need to tell as many people as possible. Neighbors might see your garage sale signs locally, but the neighborhood (and the city) will see your garage sale postings online. This is one of the biggest garage sale mistakes ever! Some people do one or the other. In today’s world, for a successful sale, you need to do both! It’s easy to do as you can quickly post online at Post my Garage Sale and it’s listed on 8 different sites almost instantly.
Watch Out for Scammers, There Are Always a Few of Them Around!
The last tip you’ll want to remember when you’re holding a garage sale is to watch out for scammers. There are a few things you can keep an eye out for. First, make sure that everyone who comes to your house during a sale comes during the hours posted. Don’t sell to someone hours after the sale – that is a concern.
You should also keep an eye out for people who are trying to your sell items for higher prices at your sale. If you see this happening, it might be a good idea to ask them to leave. There are a few other things you should keep an eye out for as well. These include people who seem overly eager to purchase items, people who seem to be trying to buy every single item that is for sale, and people who seem to be trying to make a deal for every item by grabbing them before others can look.
In Conclusion
If you are careful and watch out for
