Rummage Sale Planning Tips

Plan, Plan, Plan!

Make sure that you allow yourself enough time to set up, advertise, and get organized. Start out by setting a date or at least having a time period in mind. Try to check local weather forecasts as early as possible, but remember that for all of our technology, they're not always accurate. You might want to consider also setting an alternate date for your sale in case of inclement weather. Also be mindful of holidays and festivals. If you live in an area where these kind of events are going on, keep that in mind when planning your sale. You could miss out on business if you hold your sale on the 4th of July weekend, when people are having parties and getting ready to watch fireworks. However, there are exceptions to this rule. If you live across the street from a popular fireworks location, for example, consider having your sale last into the evening, as many people will be walking by and may stop to buy something small. This is especially effective if you make or sell items that fit in with the holiday occurring. Be creative when planning your sale!

If you are required to buy a permit in your area, make sure you get one ahead of time. Some cities will fine you if you don't have one! Such permits are usually no more than $10. Call your local city hall if you are not sure of the law in your area.

Most importantly, make sure that you have enough change, a calculator, and enough boxes and bags to package people's purchases in. And don't forget to get a money holder of some sort. I prefer to use a round metal tin, with a plastic lid. I cut a slit on the top and drop money in, and if I need to make change, I can stick my hand in and no one else can see what I have in there.

When to have your sale

In my experience, the best days for rummage sales are Thursdays and Fridays. Saturdays can be quite profitable too, but Sundays are usually pretty disappointing. This is probably because Sunday is traditionally the time when people go to church, spend time with their families, and get ready to start the work week again. They're simply not thinking of rummage sales and even if they are, they probably don't have the time to stop. You might have better luck with Sundays in your area though, so don't be afraid to experiment and see what days work best for you!

Also, decide on a specific opening time for your sale. Keep in mind that no matter what time you say you will be opening, there will always be dealers and die-hard, serious rummagers waiting at your door between 10-30 minutes before your advertised sale time. I have never had a sale where no one came early. I used to find it annoying, but now I just plan for it, and generally start my sale 30 minutes before the advertised time.

Labeling your items

Don't forget to get stickers or other materials for labeling items. For example, I buy little round labels in a variety of colors. I label things in bright neon colors to make them attractive and eye catching. If you have a large number of a particular item, get a piece of posterboard and stick it to a surface above the item to draw attention to it. Don't forget markers too. I usually keep an assortment around. My favorites are Sharpies, which come in a variety of sizes. I have three HUGE sharpies in Black, Red, and Blue, and fine point sharpies in the same colors. The large ones are good for lettering signs that are visible from the road, and the smaller ones are great for marking prices on the items themselves. Avoid writing directly on items like dishes, books, and fabrics, as the markings may not come out.

What to sell at your sale

Look in your closets, storage spaces, attics, basements, etc. for items to add to your sale. This year for example, I held my big rummage sale in June but started looking for items in April. First, I set up saw horses with drywall on them and other tables in the garage. Then, I went through every item in my house from basement to attic, and even looked through every item in my storage locker. I really wanted to "de-clutter" my life, so I started months ahead of time. I waited until after winter so that I didn't need to park in my garage, and I put each item out and priced it as I went. This was a lot less work in the end! Decide how much or how little time you need to prepare according to how many boxes or items you need to go through.

In my experience, some of the items that go particularly well are washers and dryers, toys, furniture, computer software and hardware, children's items, and arts and crafts supplies. Make sure to include these items in your classified ad, signs, and other advertising to draw the most traffic to your sale.

Also, consider having a cooler full of a variety of different kinds of cold soda, juice, or water for sale if you are expecting hot weather. People will appreciate something cold and a little bit of relief from the heat, and if you price it reasonably (like .50 a soda) you could go through several cases. If you do this, I suggest using small metal bowls to make ice because it will last longer. This has the added bonus of keeping customers at your sale longer on a hot day. If you're hanging out in someone's stuffy garage, you'll probably be a lot happier with a cool drink in your hand.

Arranging Items for your sale

If you have card tables, saw horses and a piece of plywood or drywall, or other things that are easy to set up, these are your best choices. For clothing, I like to hang a section of metal pipe up with rope and hang it. That keeps it neat and wrinkle free, which is more attractive to a potential buyer.

Try to arrange items neatly and in categories. Don't scatter similar items around where they are hard to spot: for example, put all dishes on one table, all holiday decorations on another, all clothing in another area, etc. Also make sure that there is enough room between tables for two people to easily pass each other. Otherwise, you run the risk of people bumping into each other or breaking things.

You might also consider asking your neighbors and even your family and friends if they would like to hold a sale the same day. The draw of a block sale is often too much to resist, and you will get even more traffic to your sale.

How to let people know about your sale

Place a classified ad in your local newspaper, online classifieds sites like ours, and other mediums. Also, make bright colored posterboard signs and place them in local Laundromats, grocery stores, and other places that will allow you to. Make sure to ask before putting signs up!

You can also go to Menards, Home Depot, or other similar stores and get a bundle of 10-12 stakes to make rummage sale signs. Get thin, "junk" wood and cut it to the size of a piece of posterboard. Nail the wood to the stakes, and then staple or glue the posterboard to the wooden signs. Take a small sledgehammer or large hammer with you and place signs on busy streets near traffic lights. Put signs up the night before the sale starts or very early the morning of the sale. Make sure that if you need to put a sign in someone's yard on a corner, you ASK FIRST! If you don't ask first, don't be surprised if someone removes your sign. Also, when your sale is over, make sure that you remove all signs that you put out, as well as any posters and other items you placed around town.

Also, if you're really really cool, you will make smaller signs that say www.MidwestRummage.com and place them near your rummage sale signs and in your front yard while you have your sale. ;)

Pricing, haggling, jerks, and more...

Some items will be easy to price. Sick of looking at those wine glasses? ask .25 each for them. Sick of looking at your old coffee table? Price it appropriately. I generally have a rule that if I like the item and would feel bad for getting rid of it too cheap, I price it at what I think is fair for the item and if no one wants it for that price, I'm happy to take it back inside again. For other items that you definitely want to get rid of, don't start too cheap, but don't start too high either. Generally, if I have items that are brand new in the packaging never opened, I will charge 50% - 60% or the retail price depending on the item. If you have a brand new food processor that you paid $65 for but never took out of the box, start around $30 the first day. Most people will pay a fair price and realize that they're getting a brand new item for less than half price, and be happy. But don't be surprised when some people still try to haggle. Just keep in mind that it's Your sale. I happily haggle with most people, because it's the way I was brought up, and also because I really like to haggle. Everyone loves to feel like they got a deal!

The flip side of haggling isn't so fun. Some people will be insulting and rude, so be prepared! Usually, there's only one or two of the bad ones for every 500 good customers, but watch out if you come across them! I had one little old man come to my sale 20 minutes before it started and pound on the door relentlessly for 10 minutes to get my attention (despite the fact that my signs all specified no early birds) and try to haggle with me on some power tools. I had the items marked at $5 each. This "gentleman" marched up to me with the box of tools and demanded that I give them to him for .50 each "because they're so old". I nicely told him that I was firm on the price but might haggle on other items if that's what he was after. ; ) He then said I should give him the items for free or pay him to take them, I'd never get rid of them at that price because they were junk, and I should thank him if he gave me .50 each. I declined, and he huffed away. 20 minutes later, a gentleman who realized what a great deal they were bought the entire box and thanked me for 5 minutes straight. The moral of the story: don't let the meanies take advantage of you. While you don't want to ask too much for items, you also don't want to let them go too cheap. It's your sale, so don't let people intimidate you into giving them things for free. If you decide to give someone something out of the goodness of your heart, that's great, but on principle, just don't give in to the bullies!

Another gentleman who comes to mind haggled on the price of absolutely everything. He wanted to haggle me down to a quarter on brand new, never opened items that were worth $100 that I was only asking $20 for, and wouldn't buy anything unless I haggled on the price of every single item he looked at. After he wasted a good 40 minutes haggling, putting things back, sighing and pacing, and waiting til there were no other customers at all, he finally pulled out a $100 bill to pay for a $15 sale. (which to me seemed very rude to begin with.) As I was counting his change out, I noticed that he took the bill back and put it in his wallet. I politely asked him for the $100 bill before I would hand him any change. He made a big deal of saying I had it already and that I had put it in my drawer. I told him that I absolutely did not have a $100 bill in there and I even showed him that I didn't have a single $100 bill in my drawer, and he finally got his wallet back out and produced it again and mumbled something lame about someone the week before pulling that same trick on him and getting an extra $100 from him.. not only did he make the mistake of haggling to the point of being absolutely ridiculous on every item, but he then paid with $100 bill and tried to blatantly rip me off besides. Keep people like this in mind and keep your money drawer or change jar with you at all times. Don't take your hands or your eyes off of it no matter what you do. If you go inside to use the bathroom, take it with you or have a trusted family member or neighbor watch your sale while you are inside. It only takes one moment for someone to quietly walk off with your money. Most people are trustworthy, but there will always be someone out there who is watching for any opportunity to get something for nothing.

All in all, there is a lot of planning and setting up involved in rummage sales. It might sound daunting, but really, it's not. The main point to keep in mind is that you want to get rid of clutter, make a little money, and have fun. If you have tips you'd like to share with our readers, or any questions you'd like to ask about planning and having a rummage sale, send email to me and I'll put them on this page.

Thanks for visiting, and have a great sale!