Make money with garage sales

Any weekend, in any neighbourhood, you're bound to see notices for garage sales. Homeowners are spending their weekends making money, with the average profit being around $500 for a one-weekend sale.

If you have a lot of stuff you don't need any more, you might want to join in and sell it. Organisation is the key.

1. Check with local authorities to find out the local laws and regulations for operating garage sales in your area.
   
   
2. Spend a few weekends going to garage sales to see what's selling, what's being bought, how they're priced, and how sellers advertise. Take notes.
   
   
3. Take stock of what you have and what you can sell. Pick out at least one large special item you can show in front of your house during the sale. Get any antiques, paintings or potentially valuable items appraised. You don't want to sell something for $1 and find out later that it was worth $1000.
   
   
4. The best days for garage sales are, obviously, the weekends, but try for Thursdays and Fridays as well. There are shoppers out there hoping to find things before the weekend shoppers get around to it.
   
   
5. Advertise everywhere you can. The local newspaper, notice boards and the internet. Place signs around the neighbourhood in bright letters, with balloons.
   
   
6. Make sure price stickers are on your items. Have a wide variety of jewellery and clothing in rainbow colours, making sure the jewellery and appliances sparkle. Hang clothing on racks, arranged according to sizes. Copy what the retail stores do. It works.
   
   
7. Start as early as possible, like 7am, and don't close before 6pm, or when your stock runs out! Never shut down for lunch, as you need to be available for those who work on weekends and can only come during their lunch hour.
   
   
8. Start lowering prices after 1pm. On those items you don't think will sell, mark them as free.

Good luck!