These basic questions can help ensure you don’t frustrate your shoppers or get you in hot water with your city.

Do not rely on people getting exactly to your address. This works for folks with maps, but many others drive around town, specifically looking at busy streets for garage sale notifications or directional signs. You want to help folks get right to your address.

Do NOT put your sale signs out before you start your sale. Advertising is good, but this is not the time or place. We guarantee folks will see your sign, drive to your door, see no sale happening, and leave frustrated.

AS YOU CLOSE YOUR SALE, go around and remove your garage sale signs. People get very frustrated traveling all the way to your location only to find out the sale is already closed (or even a week or more ago).

This is a personal preference. I would say 90% of the garage sales I go to price their items with stickers, table signs, etc., and then the remaining 10% is make offer or ask the owner everything.

When having a small garage sale, it is feasible to answer customer questions. However, on these big days with lots of customers, it can be overwhelming for you to answer 100 questions at once.

We recommend pricing your items.

This is a personal preference.

Generally speaking, it is common to make bargains or accept lower offers when your sale is winding down or if the customer is buying in bulk. The general purpose of a garage sale is to get rid of items! Don’t end up keeping the couch over not approving a 10% discount.

You can post a sign that says something to the effect that “All reasonable offers considered.”

Personally, in the first few hours of my garage sales, I don’t accept lower offers, as I’m just getting started. BUT, if it’s a hard item to sell (big, expensive, unique, etc) or if they are buying ALL my books or DVDs, then I am very likely to accept a lower price or make a counteroffer.

Some people get very frustrated when people come to their garage sale before the sale is offiially set up or open. My question: why?

When I approach a sale early, I ask a simple question: “Are you taking my money yet?” I have yet to hear a seller say “no.” When I used to ask “Are you open yet?,” we got lots of “no” answers. Again, the purpose is to sell and to get rid of stuff. Let the people shop and give you money! That’s my two cents worth.

Price them to sell! Are you having a garage sale to start your own temporary store, or are you having a sale to get rid of stuff and make some side cash? Option two, right?

Price things for less than ½ of what they would sell for brand new. Your prices should not be antique store prices. You have minimal expenses with a garage sale. When people run retail stores, they have lots of expenses to cover, hence the higher prices. If I travel to a garage sale and the first 2-3 items are priced sky high, we immediately leave. It’s not a personal insult—it just means you’re not serious about a garage sale. If you want to sell your items for higher prices, open a store, pu your items in an antique store booth, sell on eBay, etc.

I am NOT giving legal advice here. But I have received it before.

It doesn’t matter how many signs you put up that say “Not responsible for accidents.” If someone trips, cuts themself, hits their head… because of your negligence, chances are you’re getting sued. You are responsible for providing a safe alternative when you invited people onto your property. Clearly mark pavement or steps that may confuse people. Move items that could cut or injure people.

Have a cash box ready. You will have people come with $100 bills. Of course, you don’t have to accept them, but you’ll want to be prepared to make a sale, right?!

We also recommend accepting some form of electronic payment. Lots of folks want to pay with Venmo, Square, Cash App, PayPal, etc. The more ways you can collect money, the better.

We recommend having a table where people can set the items they are buying. Maybe put some tape down on the table to create rows, or you can also use totes so folks can put items in there. When peoples’ hands get full, they generally stop shopping. Have good customer service and allow them to set items down so they can continue to shop.