Southmoreland Yard Sale June 7 & 8

Southmoreland is planning a community yard sale Friday June 7th and Saturday June 8th.  If you'd like to be a part of the sale, and have your location included on our flyers, let us know by responding to our request for participants email, or by messaging us on Facebook or Nextdoor.   Yard sale signs and flyers will be available for you, as well!  We will be advertising in the Star, Craigslist and Facebook!

Here are a ton of tips to prepare for the sale! 

• Have a large quantity of items to sell, a big variety. 
• If you're selling your kids' things, make sure you ask them a few times first to make sure they want to get rid of it. 
• Capitalize on the season. Feature luggage at going-away to school or vacation time or toys near Christmas. Include fads.
• Antiques go over big regardless of state of repair or condition. 
• Find tables to use. Borrow them or make them out of doors and sawhorses. 
• Clean the items up. Wash or dust any items that you've been storing for a while. 
• Clean up the yard. If it is more attractive, people will think your items are higher-quality. 
• Be clear on the purpose of your sale. Are you selling things to make money or to get rid of them? Price them accordingly. 
• Put a price on everything. Use removable stickers or masking tape that is easy to remove. Or even post a sign on a box of things, or a table of things that applies to the whole box or table. 
• For items you have a lot of (books, CDs), post a discount for buying several. 
• If you have tons of a certain item (kids clothes or toys), consider a set price for filling a bag. 
• Mark the price tag with initials if there is more than one family involved. 
• The bigger the item, the bigger the tag for the price. 
• Have a "Free" box for items you are anxious to get rid of and that don't seem to have much value. Put it near the road to draw people in. 
• Price lots of items under $1. Price most things under $5. 
• If a price is not negotiable, put "Firm" on the price tag. 
• Put your "Free" box out front to attract and pull in "lookee loos." 
• Set up tables to display small merchandise attractively. Place tables in a manner that will leave room for shoppers to browse without feeling crowded. 
• Take advantage of the space under the tables if you need more display room. 
• Place similar items together. 
• Separate your clothes according to size. 
• Use a clothesline to display nice clothing. 
• If you have any fragile, rare or expensive items such as crystal, cut glass or jewelry, be sure they are displayed on a sturdy table and up high out of reach of kids. 
• Place a sawhorse or soccer cones across the front of your driveway so that cars can't use it to turn around there. 
• Be sure you have electrical outlets nearby to plug in any electronics to show buyers that they work. 
• Attract men to your sale by putting "man" items (e.g. lawnmower, electronics, computer items) near the front. 
• Put the bigger stuff towards the front so they can be clearly seen as people drive by. 
• Have a garbage can somewhere near your yard so people don't drop trash in your yard.
• Post a sign that says "All Sales Final." 
• Keep your house locked at all times. Better safe than sorry. 
• Be ready when your sale is set to start. 
• Keep your dog inside or away from the yard sale. 
• Make sure that you have lots of change! Especially quarters, one and five dollar bills. 
• Greet your customers. Make them feel welcome. Don't hover over people, but don't ignore them either. Be approachable. 
• Accept cash only. If someone doesn't have enough cash on them, offer to hold the item for them for a certain period of time. 
• Keep your money safe and on you at all times. 
• Have bags handy for people who purchase multiple items. Use saved grocery bags - paper and plastic (recycle). A few empty boxes would be nice too. 
• Have newspapers handy for wrapping fragile items. 
• Sweeten the deal by throwing in an item for free with a purchase. Combine a hard to sell item with a related desirable item for two-for-the-price-of-one deal. 
• Write down the items that you sold and for how much you sold them. 
• Keep a calculator handy for adding items up. 
• Rearrange items as you sell items. 
• Drop your prices in the afternoon. 
• Hold items for a pre-specified period of time if a person needs to go get more cash or a larger vehicle. If they've already paid for it, hold it indefinitely. ;-) 
• If someone makes an offer on an item that you aren't ready to come down on, offer to take their name and number in case you don't sell it during the yard sale. 
• Consider selling some beverages or snacks, especially on a hot day. It's a great way to teach kids entrepreneurism. 
• Say "thank you" to all your customers, whether they buy something or not.