SMARTBOX understands from first-hand experience and from talking with our valued customers that there are many different aspects and variables that make up the relocation process.  If not properly organized and planned, the experience can take its toll on everyone involved.  A large part of being properly organized and having a detailed plan during this time is figuring out what to do with all of the stuff you currently own – what to keep, what to throw away, and what to give away or sell. When this question is raised, many people often decide to have a garage or yard sale.  Your family, friends, and neighbors all come over and peruse the spread of items that you no longer need to see if they can put them to good use.  They may try to bargain with you, or they may pay the exact prices that are listed on the items.  Either way, you just want to find a way to get rid of them; after all, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.  Listed below are four key things to keep in mind when you decide to have a garage or yard sale. 

Get the Word Out- Marketing and promotion are an integral part of the overall success of any event.  You could have the best items available at your yard sale, but if no one in the area is aware the event is even happening, you will miss out on most of your opportunities to make a sale.  For a yard or garage sale, avenues for promotion might include social media posts, word of mouth, posted signs, phone calls, text messages, or reaching out to groups you are involved in.  You could even go as far as taking an ad out in your local newspaper as long as it is not too costly.  The important part is simply making sure that plenty of people have the opportunity to claim all of your unwanted items. 

All Hands on Deck- With so much organization and setup involved in a yard sale, taking on everything alone may not be the best choice. Be sure to ask friends and loved ones to lend a helping hand and do not be afraid to delegate responsibilities to people you trust.  After all, that is what friends and family are for.  In all likelihood, your friends and family would love to help make promotional signs, take up money, and handle any other behind-the-scenes issues you may encounter.  This will take some of the weight off your shoulders and allow you to feel much less stressed during the process of getting everything sold. 

Proper Presentation and Preparation is Key- Many of us have heard the saying “Proper preparation prevents poor performance.” When you are putting on a yard sale, remember to take a reasonable amount of time to set everything up in a neat and orderly fashion.  It also may not be a bad idea to have some type of warm, welcoming, or fun music playing for your guests to hear while they shop around.  Setting up an appealing and organized layout helps to create and promote an overall positive, engaging environment for those who stop by.  If people feel good about the environment they are shopping in, they are more likely to be interested in leaving with one of your items. 

The Asking Price- Everything has its price, and the goal of any type of sale is to make some sort of profit.  However, it is important to remember to price every item for sale at a fair value.  Considering the pre-owned, used nature of everything at a yard sale, it would be unfair to ask for more than what you paid for a particular item, or even the original price.  At the end of the day, a yard sale is your opportunity to get rid of items you no longer need or want with the benefit of earning some extra money, but you do not want to scare people off by setting the price too high.  Of course, if your guests want to bargain with you a little, hear them out if it is within reason.  After all, some money is much better than no money. 

We hope that the information above will assist you with your next garage or yard sale.  It may also be a good idea to consider storage units should you have anything left over after your sale is complete.  There are plenty of short-term and long term options available to meet your needs, whatever they may be.  Give us a call at 1-877-627-8269 if we can assist you in any way.