Do You Know How to Have a Yard Sale?

Be prepared to haggle! Most yard sale shoppers are in it for the bargains, and they'll try to knock you down on your prices the first chance they get. Know the value of your item and don't be afraid to mark it up a few dollars and let them talk you down. You should have a good idea of what you won't accept as a bottom price, so know your limits when dealing with hagglers.

A few weeks ahead of time, collect your plastic shopping bags from the grocery store to use at the yard sale. These are great for selling smaller items and always good to have on hand.

Anything that's not for sale should be removed from the front of the house or labeled appropriately. Keep all entrances to the house locked, especially if everyone else is outside. If you have any small valuable items for sale, keep them close to the cash table to avoid theft.

When It's Over

You'll be able to tell when things are winding down, either you'll be nearly out of items to sell or the number of customers will have dropped off. When you notice this happening and you still have an hour or two to go, start dropping prices to entice buyers.

At the close of the day, anything that's left can be great donations to a local thrift store or charity. If you itemize deductions, take it as a tax write-off. This way nothing useful goes in the trash, and someone can still benefit from your unwanted items.