Spend money to make money. Plan on incurring at least a few expenses when hosting a garage sale, including advertising and supplies for pricing and signage. Don't go crazy, however, or you'll cut into your profits.
First, place an ad in a daily newspaper that lists the day(s) of the sale as well as the start and end times. Most garage sales are held on weekends, and many begin on a Friday. Be sure your ad runs on both the Sunday and Thursday before the sale; avid garage-sale shoppers check for ads on those days while mapping out their shopping routes. Don't forget to either write "rain or shine" or provide an alternate rain date in your ad. Finally, place an ad in the garage-sale section of Craigslist.org, a free online service known to savvy bargain hunters nationwide.
Instead of renting tables, which can get expensive, see what you can borrow to display your wares instead, and have tarps handy in case of rain. Many newspapers and real estate offices provide free garage sale signs, but if you decide to make your own, remember: neon pink poster board is your friend. That and a fat black marker will grab the attention of passing motorists and draw them right to your garage door. Finally, keep pricing simple and sanity intact by using color-coded dot stickers and simple monetary increments: a quarter, fifty cents, a dollar, etc.
Make it a community effort. If you have kids, have them set up their own table to sell clothes, books and toys they've outgrown. Getting kids involved earns more than money; they'll receive valuable lessons about the cycle of "stuff" and the importance of reusing old items. They may even learn a trick or two about how to haggle.
