5 Things I Learned About Having a Garage Sale...


I spent last weekend at a friend's house having a garage sale.  It's not for the faint of heart, that's for sure.  It was fun hanging with friends and we each made a little money but I'm not sure it was really worth it financially.  We probably both ended up making way less than minimum wage.  Are you thinking of doing a garage sale?  I'm no expert but if you're planning one soon let me pass on the things I've learned this time around.


  1. Books & DVD's aren't Huge Sellers.  I sold 3 DVD's and about 5 books.  I thought the kids' movies and books would sell but maybe with iPads and the like they just aren't relevant. I had a man offer me $5 for all of the books - there were probably 40-50 of them.  I declined but as I was loading them back into my car I was second guessing myself. I think you're better off donating them to a school or taking them to somewhere like Hastings for store credit.
  2. Furniture is a Big Draw. If I had a dime for everyone who asked if we had any furniture.  The couch we had was gone before 10am the first day.
  3. Odd Things Sell. I didn't know anyone living outside of the South knew what a tobacco basket was but it sold (they did ask what it was though).  For full price.  The marble flamingo book ends? Gone. As were the random ziplock bags containing miscellaneous Barbie & Polly Pocket items. Go figure.
  4. Hanging Racks aren't necessary. We sold more of the clothing folded up and placed on a tarp than we did the items we nicely hung. 
  5. The More it Rains the Bigger the Crowd. Every time the rain started the crowds rolled up.
I would suggest doing a garage sale with a friend or two so if it's a bust at least you'll have someone to laugh about it with.

And if you're a garage sale pro share your tips in the comments or on the September Acres Facebook Page.



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