Tuesday, May 22, 2007

From dolls to trinkets, furniture and movies, it’s a place you can find everything your heart desires. For Ira and Kari Lockwood this garage sale is more than just a way to get rid of some old things.

Ira says, "We are moving, and we're moving internationally so we have to get rid of everything that we own."

So, they teamed up with four other families to get rid of everything, and make a little money in the process.

Ira says, "If they can find that one thing, then we can make some money and they can go away happy."

But how’s their garage doing?  We brought in an expert to help them out.

Kevyn Steffenson, with Organize With Style, says, "When people come to garage sales they're looking for a good deal, they're looking for a bargain."

Kevyn says the first thing to remember when having a garage sale is be ready to open early.

She says, "I don't care if you put no early birds, people still show up early. So, be ready to start on time."

Next, sort and categorize all your items.  If you have electronics put them together, the same with tools and baby items.

She says one of the most important things you can do is place all your big items near the street, it will help draw customers in.

Kevyn says, "There are people who do drive by garage saling. They'll say oh it's just a bunch of clothes and then they'll go on."

You should also make all your items look presentable.  Kevyn says broken or dirty items will turn customers away.

She says, "If you're not taking care of your garage sale then you probably didn't take care of the items in your garage sale... a lot of people will assume that."

And the last tip, be willing to negotiate.

Kevyn says, "Don't expect to sell things at antique prices, you're at a garage sale."

She says if you are thinking about having a garage don’t overwhelm yourself, just start planning as soon as possible.

Kevyn says, "Make plans in advance. If you plan in advance then you should have no problem at your garage sale."

If you are planning to have a garage sale there’s another important thing you need to remember, a permit.  Many cities require you to have a permit.  They are generally very cheap,  and most of the time you can get them over the phone.