A challenging year has spurred thousands, if not millions, of Americans to reassess what’s most important to them, including how they want to live their lives, where it makes the most sense to settle down, as well as whom they want to remain close to. A 2020 Pew Research Center survey revealed that 22 percent of Americans — more than 1 in 5 — moved houses, apartments, or dorms due to the pandemic.
Big transitions such as these have led many to purge their personal belongings. If you also plan on uprooting your life, having a yard sale is an effective way to declutter and find new homes for valuables you no longer need.
Here’s how to have a successful yard sale to fund your move and future endeavors.
Step 1: Choose Your Merchandise
The initial step to having a successful post-pandemic yard sale is preparing your merchandise. Go through your basements, attics, closets, cabinets, and cupboards. You can make it a fun family activity by having your household members bring things down from their bedrooms and discuss pricing together. However, to avoid conflict, let the owner of the item make the final call.
Fair warning: Once you go through your old belongings from the depths of your attic, you may feel an urge to keep some of them. So, before you put your long-unused item in the “keep pile,” ask yourself these questions: How long have I lived with this tucked away? How often did I need or use it? If I do keep it, how often will I use it? The chances are, any item you find years later will end up lost again because it probably has no importance to you anymore. Unless you find a purpose for those items again, consider giving them a new life with someone else.
Step 2: Save Your Luxury Items
If you own any jewelry, designer handbags, high-end watches, and other high-ticket items that you are ready to sell, keep in mind that you may not get your money’s worth by selling them at a yard sale. To get the best possible price for your investments, sell luxury items to Biltmore Loan and Jewelry in Scottsdale, Arizona. Simply bring your items to our office and we’ll pay you on the spot. You can also initiate the selling process by completing our online appraisal form.
Step 3: Neighbors, Assemble!
You’re most likely not the only person in your neighborhood looking to declutter. Catch up with your neighbors, friends, and family members and ask if they want to be part of your yard sale. If you join forces and have a bigger post-pandemic sale, you might attract more potential buyers.
Step 4: Spread the News
Even if you have the best items and the best prices, no one will know about your yard sale if you don’t make an effort to get the word out. The most effective advertising tactic for your yard sale is to create a Facebook Event and then invite everyone you know a few weeks prior. Don’t forget to tell your co-yard sale contributors to invite everyone they know, too.
Online ad posting is another option. Websites such as Garage Sale Hunter and Craigslist allow you to post ads for free.
If you prefer traditional advertising, you can place a listing in the local newspaper instead. Some local papers may let you place a listing for free; while others charge a fee. You can also hang up announcement flyers a week or two before your yard sale.
During your post-pandemic yard sale, place large, bright signs around your neighborhood to lead buyers to you and attract others who didn’t see your ads. (Just don’t forget to take everything down and recycle as soon as the sale is over).
Step 5: Design Your Setup for Success
Your merchandise setup could draw the line between a successful sale and hauling your item back inside your basement. Here’s what you should do to make your merchandise as attractive as possible to buyers.
- Maintain neatness and order. Ensure your items are presentable. Even though everything you’re selling is pre-owned, you’re more likely to sell old video games and comic books if they’re not under a pile of toys, clothes, or a thick layer of dust.
- Display your items. To help your items catch a potential buyer’s eye, use bookcases and tabletops whenever you can.
- Hang clothing. Use hangers to display clothes instead of folding them in piles, which will only turn into a big mess as more customers drop by. If you hang them up, people will have an easier time finding something to buy, plus it will be less difficult for you to clean up anything that didn’t sell afterward.
- Have a measuring tape on site. One of the worst post-shopping feelings is buying a piece of furniture that doesn’t even fit in your home. If you will be selling furniture and other large items during your yard sale, make sure to have a measuring tape on hand for your customers.
- Have a power source and extension cord next to your appliances. It’s customary to test electric appliances before buying them, so make it easy for your potential buyers to confirm whether that vacuum still works by having an extension cord plugged into a working outlet nearby. You may also want to have working batteries for customers to test cordless tools and items like flashlights.
- Sell broken appliances, too. You might come across a buyer who knows how to repair broken appliances or would like to buy your old stereo for its parts. Just make sure to label all non-working items.
- Know your prices. Don’t spend your day answering the question “How much is this?” Write the price on a small piece of paper and stick it on the item. In addition, keep track of everything you’re selling and how much each item is worth by writing everything down in a notebook. Doing so will prevent people from switching the price tags (sadly, some people are like that), which prevents you from losing money.
- Accept lower offers during the final hour of your yard sale. Once the initial rush has passed, consider accepting bargain offers, especially if decluttering your home is more important to you than making extra cash.
The team here at Biltmore Loan and Jewelry hopes these tips and tricks help you have the best post-pandemic yard sale on the block. And remember, for all-things fine and luxe, we’re here to buy them from you. Ready, set, sell!