1) Once you select a date, start getting your items together in a central location in your house. Fridays and Saturdays are the most popular days for yard sales. Allow yourself a few weeks to prepare for the sale.

2) Advertising is essential. Contact your local paper to advertise your sale. This is especially important if you live in a rural area, or have large, expensive and/or unique items to sell. Purchase or make signs to post at busy intersections near your home directing buyers all the way to your home. It is important to have a large enough sign for people to read while driving by. An 8 ½ by 11” sign is too small. Also, it is very helpful to have a brightly colored sign with the following information clearly marked in LARGE BOLD LETTERS: Address, date and time of sale. Having all of your signs with the same look will assist buyers in finding your sale. Check with your local city hall for sign ordinances before posting.

3) Prepare all of the necessary supplies for the sale such as: tables; ladders and clothes racks to display your items; stickers to price your items; pens; extension cord to test electronics; bags and newspaper to wrap items when sold; signs to post around the sales area.

4) Ask friends and neighbors to participate in your sale. They can help run the sale as well as share in the expense of the ad.

5) Several days to a week ahead of the sale, price your items. If you have a lot of items that are the same price, use colored dots to denote specific dollar amounts. For example: 25c, 50c, $1, $3, $5, etc. Another way is to put all items together that are the same price with a sign. For example: “all items in box 50 cents”. Remember that this is a yard sale, and that you will not get the “retail price” you paid for the item. Also, be willing to negotiate.

6) Plan to have change for the sale. You will need several denominations of dollar bills, and coin change. It is a good idea to have at least $50 in change. Decide if you will accept checks.

7) Get plenty of rest for your sale day. Make sure you have someone to help you setting up the sale first thing in the morning, as well as help assist the first buyers to the sale. Often, the first hour can be a very busy time.

8) Prepare to start setting up your sale plenty of time before the actual start time. It is very common for “early birds” to arrive well before the posted start time of your sale.

9) To keep the atmosphere fun, play music and interact with the buyers. This will have a positive impact on your sales.

10)At the end of the sale, immediately pack items away to be donated. Make a list of the items for tax purposes, and file it with the current year tax records along with the receipt from the non-profit agency you donate to. The software program “It’s Deductible” is a great tool for helping you determine the value of donated goods.