My mouth gaped open as I stared at the waist-deep piles of cardboard boxes, paper sacks, and well-worn furniture in the elderly woman’s two-car garage. A rusty iron birdcage swung from a lone ceiling hook, a 6’ tower of hatboxes in the rear beckoned me to investigate their contents, and an avocado green refrigerator hummed noisily in the background. What, I wondered silently, had I gotten myself into?

"We should go buy some tables," my Mom said calmly as she fumbled for her car keys.

When I agreed to conduct the garage sale for Mrs. Henderson, who was moving to a nursing home, I did not anticipate how much "stuff" the dear woman had accumulated in eighty-two years. Nonetheless, she generously offered me a 25% commission to sell her household belongings, and since I needed the money, I naively accepted.

Mom and I scraped up $100, rushed to the local flea market, and within thirty minutes purchased five wobbly card tables and three old, heavy banquet tables. Four grueling 12-hour days later, we welcomed our first garage sale customers, and two days after that we walked away with $700! Mrs. Henderson boasted about the $2,800 sale to her friends, who then repeated the story to their friends. The rest, as they say, is history. Within 6 months, Mom and I had more work than we wanted and our clients convinced us to raise our commission to 35%!

Garage and estate sales are big business. In our Oklahoma town of 47,000 people, other entrepreneurs are also busy selling personal property. Tina Osborn, owner of The Nottingham Collection, started her business four years ago because she saw a need for the service. "Liquidating an estate is hard for family members," she said, "and I like helping them through a difficult period." Tina’s husband quit his job in 1998 to help her full time, and she attributes much of their success to word of mouth. "Once clients trust us, they tell other people. Recommendations are our best advertisement." She suggests people considering the business go to several sales and evaluate other people’s mistakes. Is the lighting adequate? Is there an efficient system to pay for purchases? Is the merchandise advertised accurately? Tina adds, "no two sales are the same, so we never stop learning!"

While Tina’s business continues to grow, my Mom and I quit the business recently when she turned 70. During our ten-year experience, however, we developed a system for organizing successful sales that can be used anywhere to start a similar business. Add your own creative ideas, and consider becoming a Garage Sale Consultant in your hometown!

PLANNING. Schedule sales during the first weekend of the month because Social Security, government assistance, and many payroll checks are issued around the 1st. Friday/Saturday sales are best; few people attend Sunday sales. We had great sales as early as February and as late as November. One of our best was a snowy Thanksgiving weekend!

SET-UP. Ask your client to have all sale merchandise in the garage. If you and a helper devote 8-10 hours per day Monday through Thursday, you can probably be ready for a Friday sale. There is no such thing as starting too early.

Begin by hanging old sheets on walls to hide things that are not for sale. Leave one wall bare for hanging pictures, which show better at eye level than if left in a box or leaned against a tree.

As space becomes available, set up tables but leave ample aisle space between them. Comfortable shoppers browse longer and buy more.

Cover tables with large fabric pieces to protect tabletops and make merchandise look nicer. These extra touches set your sale apart from others; it is similar to being served a meal with fine linens instead of paper napkins.

When unpacking and sorting be selective about throwing away "junk." One man’s trash really is another man’s treasure!

Wash, dry, polish, or launder everything. I attended an estate sale where a cast iron skillet was actually moved from the stove to a sale table complete with greasy contents!

Group similar items together. For example, place all kitchen items on one table, and all games on another. Put breakables on a sturdy surface or high shelf to keep curious children at bay.

Set aside several tables to move outside on sale day. "Drive by" shoppers stop if it looks like the garage is overflowing.

Clothing sells better on hangers, so buy clothing racks when retail stores go out of business. Line shoes up outside on sale day according to size and place a chair nearby so people can sit to try them on.

Attach manufacturer’s paperwork or instructions to merchandise if you have it, and keep batteries nearby to demonstrate that an item works. Plug in an extension cord so consumers can test small appliances or power tools, but locate it where customers will not trip.

As you organize, leave room for a "cashier’s table" to hold an adding machine and a moneybox. Situate this table so waiting customers do not block aisles.

PRICING. A good rule of thumb for pricing items is 25% of new cost. Do not overprice an item to increase your commission; it is a lose-lose situation if it doesn’t sell. If you suspect something is valuable and are unsure how to price it, consult a reputable antique dealer.

Self-adhesive address labels make affordable price tags and they stick well. For clothing, however, staple the price to the manufacturer’s tag found in the collar. Put stained tee shirts and frayed towels in a plastic bag and sell them as a bag of rags.

FINALLY… Splurge on your newspaper ad, luring shoppers to your sale first! Begin the advertisement with a catchy phrase describing the type or quantity of items you are selling. Our favorite was "Bless This Mess" (we were selling items for twelve families!) If your newspaper prints daily, run the ad both sale days, but not the day before. Cite specific driving directions in the ad; potential customers passing through your town may not be familiar with street names. Mention items that interest a variety of shoppers such as tools, antiques, and recipe books. Be sure to include which days and hours you are open.

Buy a garage sale permit, if required. In my city, permits cost $5.00 at the City Administrative office, but being caught without one can cost $1,000. Local ordinances may dictate sign usage; otherwise, make bright fluorescent posterboard signs, about 2’x2’. Using a black permanent marker, write the sale address in big letters and draw arrows pointing the way! Cover signs with clear packing tape to prevent smudges and fading, but wait until sale day to post them. If regulations do not limit the number of signs, make one for each nearby intersection to attract impulse shoppers.

SALE DAY! Regardless of your advertised start time, be prepared for early arrivals. Stock your moneybox with a minimum of $10.00 in change and $50.00 in currency. Take excess cash in the house as it accumulates during the sale so if your moneybox is stolen, you have not lost everything.

There is no such thing as too much help at a sale. Seat two people at the cashier’s table during busy spurts to collect money and sack purchases. During our sales, Mom straightens tables when they look ‘picked over’, answers customer questions, and watches stray children. Her most important job? She empties shopper’s hands when they are full so they can continue shopping.

The most desirable items sell on Friday, so greet Saturday customers by saying, "Everything is half of what it’s marked today." This trick works; people spend more because they are getting a bargain!

When the sale is over, donate leftovers to your client’s favorite charity. If he/she does not want the donation receipt, maybe you can use the tax deduction.

Counting the proceeds is a simple but sometimes lengthy process. Total all checks, currency, and change, then deduct your "starting" cash. Distribute the balance between you and your client according to the agreed upon percentage.

So, are you ready to try the garage and estate sale business? If you’re not sure, experiment by organizing a sale at your house. If you enjoy it, tell friends and family members about your business venture and ask them to tell others. The only requirement, other than a few tables, is a willingness to work hard. It helps, of course, if you like bird cages, hatboxes, and noisy avocado green refrigerators…

(SIDEBAR #1)

7 Success Secrets…

1. Fill a box with small items that appeal to men. Attach a bright "Guy Stuff" sign to the box and set it in the driveway; husbands who normally wait in the car will get out and look.
2. Put small items, like sewing notions, in sandwich bags and sell them as grab bags.
3. To save time, price multiple items with one sign. For example: jeans $3.00/pair. Keep a "cheat sheet" of these prices at the cashier’s table for quick reference.
4. Retrieve your signs after the sale. Tape on a new address and reuse them next time.
5. Place a box of toys on the ground outside the garage to occupy small children.
6. Keep high-value items near the cashier. Some people shoplift even at garage sales.
7. If you attract customers, make their experience enjoyable, and offer a good product at a fair price, success is inevitable.

(SIDEBAR #2)

Tips From A Professional

1. If most sales in your city start at 8:00 am, begin yours at 7:00 am. Eager shoppers come to your sale while they still have money!
2. Wrap fragile items in newspaper, and sack purchases in paper or plastic bags.
3. Consolidate merchandise onto fewer tables Friday evening. The remaining tables look full, convincing shoppers you still have lots of merchandise.
4. Sweep the garage each morning and at the conclusion of the sale.
5. Have personal checks made out to you, not the client. Cash them at the issuing bank; if you deposit a check and it is returned, your bank may charge you.
6. Do not eat or smoke inside a client’s home unless invited to do so.