Sail Your Way to Yard Sale Success
| June 4, 2012 | Posted by thecheapskatemom under environment, fun, hobbies, hobby, home, household, summer |
by Hannah Walton aka The Cheapskate Mom
Yard “Sail” Season
Oh Memorial Day – bbq’s, family, friends, you can wear white again — and perhaps most importantly to a cheapskate mom like me – it heralds in the beginning of Yard Sale season. I love going “yard sailing” as I call it. Because of yard sales, I’ve found all my high end camping equipment for a song – not to mention lots of incredible records and various things I really didn’t need and shouldn’t have bought!I also love how environmentally friendly it is to buy used goods at yard sales – you stop stuff from ending up in the landfill!
X Marks The Sale
I usually find yard sales using Craigslist’s “garage sale” section under “for sale” – I write the interesting sales down and then make a little map of where I want to go that day. If I find an unchartered yard sale in my travels… well, the more the merrier!
If You Promote It, They Will Come
I”m thinking about throwing my own yard sale this year and making some extra money to pad the savings account with – and I plan to promote my lawn sale Craigslist! The folks over at Craigslist are sharing some tips for holding a successful yard sale and for using Craigslist to promote it!
1. Write a clear headline.
Most people on craigslist are looking for something specific. Write a detailed headline for what you’re offering, and don’t YELL AT YOUR AUDIENCE or use annoying characters (*#$$+@&*&*).
2. Balance creativity with clarity in your post.
Write a clear, descriptive post about what you are selling. Include all item details and dimensions.
3. Use lists.
When posting a garage sale, list all of the items for sale in the post. Lists are also good for including details about one particular item for sale.
4. Include images.
Use your own pictures instead of linking to similar items on websites. People prefer seeing photos of the exact item for sale.
5. Price your item(s) right.
Do a bit of research to see what the market rate is for each item you are selling, and be open to negotiation and bartering.
6. Have your garage sale outdoors with family & friends.
Don’t invite strangers over when you’re alone or invite anyone into your home. Keep your doors locked as you will likely be distracted during the sale.
7. Accept cash only.
Don’t use a cash box; keep the cash on you.
8. Be open to meeting new friends.
We have heard countless stories about people meeting friends and significant others while buying/selling items via craigslist. Be friendly!
*It’s very important to take the same common sense precautions online as you would offline. Read all of the craigslist safety tips (http://www.craigslist.org/about/safety) and familiarize yourself with common online scams (http://www.craigslist.org/about/scams).
