Garage Sale Tips for Expats

"Why should I bother with a moving sale?" You probably wonder.

"I have so many errands to run before relocating overseas. There is no way I will have any extra time or energy to deal with a moving sale."

Well, you might be surprised to learn that it can be quite easy. Moreover, the extra money you will make can help with the relocation expenses.

The hardest task is sorting through your stuff and determining what you no longer need.

Guess what? This is already behind you.

When you organized your house for packing you already put away what you no longer use, have outgrown, or can't take with you to your destination country.

• A traditional garage sale - If you have the energy and you live in a house with a yard you can plan a garage sale.
  
• A garage sale online - If you live in an apartment or if you just don't have the time to prepare a yard sale, you can take your garage sale online.
  
• A combination of the two methods - If you have enough time and energy, you can start by having a traditional garage sale. Whatever was not sold on your garage sale, you can try to sale on auctions online: e-bay etc'. or any free listings on the web.

Garage sale tips - choose a date and time to have a garage sale

The majority of garage sales are taking place on the weekends. Your best days for having a garage sale are on Saturday. In any case avoid a date that conflicts with major holidays, or bad weather as they may not be as profitable.

More garage sale tips - check your neighborhood ordinances

You may be required to obtain a garage sale permit. Therefore before you start planning, phone your local authorities to inquire about any permits you may need.

Garage sale tips for advertising

Start advertising early. You can advertise on internet sites, flyers, signs, local newspaper, and word of mouth.

• Internet sites - Make sure to post the information about your garage sale on sites that won't charge you for posting.
• Local newspapers - Be sure your ad is printed on a weekend and offers a couple days notice because most garage sale buyers check out the ads Friday thru Sunday.
• Flyers - Using your home computer, you can print out very descriptive flyers that can provide people with all the information that they need about your event.
• Garage sale signs - Make sure your signs are large enough so that drivers will have enough time to see and read the signs as they go by. Be sure to include all relevant information about the sale including: Address, Dates, Times, Items Sold, and Directions.

• Make sure your items are clean and shiny.
• It is recommended to display the items on long portable tables, and to group them by category.
• If you are selling clothing, display them on hangers. People are much more likely to buy if you present the clothes like a store does.
• You can draw more attention and willing to buy customers if you add some balloons and play background music.
• Display large pieces and some good items visibly appealing from roadside to attract potential buyers.
• If you are selling any electrical appliances, have an electrical outlet handy or a long extension cord. This is for people to test any electrical items you have for sale.
• Have plastic grocery bags available to put sold items in. If selling breakables, have newspaper available to wrap fragile items.

• Price your items by category. You can download price stickers from the internet or make them yourself. Only make sure that the price tags are easy to remove and placed on top of an item, not on the bottom. Moreover, the bigger the item, the bigger the price tag should be. Make it noticeable.
• Do not price your items too high since it may discourage interested buyers. A general rule is to price items about a quarter or third of what they would cost new. But, keep in mind that some people will want to bargain, so don't make your prices too low to begin with.
• Set up deals - group merchandise by price with an eye-catching sign "everything in this basket $1".
• Offer last-minute deals - If you've still got things left over during the final hours of your garage sale, go ahead and cut prices. Offer buy-one-get-one deals or bulk discounts. Do everything you can to make the sale, especially if you plan on throwing away or giving away the items anyway.
• Don't hold items without a deposit.
• Be sure to have a notice that all sales are final. This will protect you later.

• Be prepared for early birds - Decide if you're willing to accept people arriving any time prior to your advertised time of your sale. You may want to consider stating in your ad whether you accept early birds or not.
• Make sure you have enough parking spots to handle an additional 4 or 5 cars parked near your house at one time.
• Make sure to have lots of change - coins and dollars.
• Don't accept any checks. That is too much of a risk.
• Do not use a cash box. Carry your money on you at all times. You don?t want to present a target for thieves.
• Have a calculator for adding purchases.
• Have a phone handy if possible.
• Consider setting up a few folding chairs. Non-shopping spouses appreciate a place to sit while the other browses through your wares.
• Don't be a high-pressure salesperson. Give your buyers some freedom to look items over, but be ready to answer questions if they ask.
• Do not have your pet with you during your sale. Many people are pet phobic or allergic.
• Consider selling some refreshments. Many people are going from sale to sale and it gets hot. It is also a good way to keep you kids occupied.
• Plan some activities to keep yourself occupied, in case of slow times. Consider a good book, crossword puzzles, crochet, or cards to keep from being bored.

If you do not have the time, place or energy to have a garage sale you can organize an online moving sale from the comfort of your home.

Even if you decide to have a garage sale in your house, there are certain items that are worth separating out for sale on the internet. For example, you can make a nice profit with certain types of small electronics.

You can advertise your items via online auctions sites like eBay, where you can sell to the highest bidder. However, this can be time consuming - You will have to wait seven (or whatever) days for the auction to end, and to arrange shipping of the item to the buyer after it is sold.

If you do not want to bother with these details, you can use one of eBay's drop-off service companies. They will handle every aspect of selling your item on eBay, from listing the item to shipping it to the buyer for a reasonable service fee. All you have to do is wait for a cheque to arrive.

You can also place a free classified ad on the Internet to reach interested buyers both locally and nationwide. Online classified sites allow classified ad postings with photos Two sites that offer free listings are craiglist (for worldwide listing), and buysellcommunity (Canada and U.S.A listing only).

Online Garage Sale Tips

• Online garage sale tips, read the help pages - This section provides a ton of advice for newcomers on how to select a category, describe your item, communicate with your buyer and more.
• Online garage sale tips, title writing - The title is really important. Describe exactly what the item is. Put the brand in caps. Indicate if an item is new and never been used. Also include size and color. Avoid descriptive words in your title as that's not what buyers will use to search items.
• Online garge sale tips, how to write the item description - When describing the item, include the material, when it was purchased or made, who made it and what kind of condition it is in. Include any background information that makes the item interesting, such as its history, what it has meant to you and what it is you like about it.
• online garage sale tips, upload a photo of your item - Adding photos will increase your chances of selling the item. Take photos from various angles, including close-ups and any flaws or damage. If you are selling clothing it is best to show clothing modeled. If you are selling something useful, take a picture of it being used.
• Be honest - Keep in mind that buyers can't touch the stuff and examine it up close. Therefore it is so important to be their eyes. Encourage bidders to e-mail you with any questions they may have about the stuff you are selling, before they make a bid. You would want to build your name on trust.
• Online garge sale tips, payment - Different websites have different ways of obtaining payment. Make sure you take the time to investigate how you can collect your money. Keep in mind that there may be charges to advertise your moving sale item online, and you may not always find a buyer or you may not get the price you had hoped for.