Aunt Kelly’s Marketing Lessons: Garage Sale Edition
My fiance and I had a garage sale last weekend, which gave me a chance to put my marketing knowledge to use in a brand-new way. I documented the process in the video above.
Here are some other marketing tips I discovered as we sold our stuff:
Get out in the open. Having a garage sale inside the garage is a recipe for failure. Not only can people NOT see what you’re selling, many will feel uncomfortable walking inside. Instead, put your stuff as close to the street as possible, and angle the tables to make it even easier to see.
Make prices obvious. If people are left with unanswered questions about your garage sale merchandise, they’re less likely to ask you than they are to walk away without buying anything. That’s why it’s important to make sure every item is clearly labeled.
The right price makes all the difference. Bryan’s $15 shoes didn’t sell … even after he marked them down to $3.
My aunt related this story about pricing: as a girl, she and my mom crocheted pot holders for a yard sale. They made dozens of potholders and priced them at 15 cents each, but couldn’t sell a single one. After an hour or two, my mom decided to put a new price on them: four for a dollar. Once they did, they sold every last one. It just goes to show finding the right price matters.
Invite your friends. When we didn’t have any customers browsing our garage sale, we got a lot of drive-bys. But the few times our friends stopped by, other customers stopped their cars and decided to shop, too. A crowd of people is good social proof.
Funny signs don’t hurt. The day before, I printed some funny signs for our stuff. (“Books — They’re like Kindles, but less expensive!”) They encouraged people to linger and ultimately nabbed us more sales.
Image matters. Don’t make it obvious that the old TV has been sitting inside your garage for three years. Shine it up and make it look brand new. You’ll sell more at higher prices.
Borrow some kids. My nephews were selling toys to earn money for a new Wii game. Once people heard this story, they were happy to plunk down money for toys. One neighbor paid twice the sticker price for a Buzz Lightyear action figure. Another bought a handful of Matchbox cars, even though she doesn’t even have kids of her own.Don’t be surprised if you see three little boys hawking my copywriting services soon!
What tips do you have for garage sale success? Leave your responses in the comments section below.
3 Responses to Aunt Kelly’s Marketing Lessons: Garage Sale Edition
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Aunt Kelly’s Marketing should be your company name!
I have one that should be on top of anyone’s list that’s very basic, yet the most powerful marketing tool you can have…
Keep the signs simple… the only words that should be on a garage sale sign is “Garage Sale,” or “Yard Sale.” and a big-assed arrow pointing in the direction of the sale, with similar signs leading the way on the off streets.
Your signs should be made with the idea in mind that not everyone knows your neighborhood and will be driving by it instead of stopping to read it.
There’s absolutely no point in putting your address, as that’s only inviting people who know the area to your garage sale if they can read it.
Don’t put your garage sale inventory on the sign (I can’t read your small handwriting as I pass your sign at 25-35 mph, let alone from the street as I’m at a stop). Save your inventory list and address for the paper ad, not your sign.
These are great tips! I drive by countless yard sale signs each spring and summer that are completely unreadable from my car. Plain and direct is the way to go.