The Family Garage Sale

I booked my second (Megabus) trip of the year!

2013's first trip is our weekend jaunt to NYC early March for some good eats and people watching. 

 Tasti D'Lite- yes freakin' please!

The trip just booked is later in March, when I’m headed to Knoxville, TN for the family garage sale. (March 23^rd – visit me!)

I already cleaned and organized the apartment (oh, it makes me so excited just thinking about it. E says it’s my foreplay). I also make some money (score) & anything that doesn’t sell goes to Goodwill (I'm charitable ;)).  

When I was a kid, my brothers and I would sell hot dogs at the garage sale. My poor mom bought all of the ingredients and then had to make them (all while having her own garage sale. She tried to teach us that the “profit” meant we would have to subtract the cost of the supplies, but we were too busy day-dreaming about Sweet Valley High books (me) and GI Joes (my brothers).

If you’ve never had a garage sale, you should try. It is definitely time consuming and you have to like to talk to people.

Here are my tips that I’ve picked up. (My mom should probably write a guest post on garage sales since she knows waaaay more)

• I haven’t done a garage sale in an apartment- I think a house would be most ideal. I always truck my junk treasures to my parents’ house.

• The more organized you are, the better. Think of your garage sale as your own little boutique- have “sections”, price your stuff clearly, and hang your clothes so people can see them easily.

• Pricing is about ¼ to 1/8 of the retail value. If it’s not selling, it’s too expensive!

• Advertise! The local paper as well as online (like Craigslist)- include pics and deets of your hot ticket items like furniture or a fancy dress. Make sure to put lots of signs out the day of.

•  The early bird gets the worm. The hard core garage-salers will knock on your door early, and you need to be ready to open that door when you advertise what time you’re starting.