Many of us are thinking about changing careers, retiring, volunteering, relocating and/or downsizing. Or, you may have storage units that are sucking your 401k dry, and you’d rather put that monthly hickey to better use. If you answered “yes” to any of these scenarios, a garage sale might be in your future. Here are some tips for how to have a successful garage sale.

1. Ask friends to put their things up for sale. It gives you more things to sell, plus more helpers.
2. Use bold markers with thick printed letters on sturdy poster board with your address, date and time of sale. There’s nothing more frustrating than a sign with skinny letters you can’t read. Post in key locations in your, and your friend’s, neighborhoods.
3. Arrange items by category. Hang clothes on a hanger. Place your best items near the street in order to lure in customers.
4. Clearly mark the price on each item with masking tape, or blue painter’s tape.
5. Since the point is to sell things, don’t overprice them. What was precious to you, is used goods to someone else.
6. Have a garbage can nearby so you can keep the area free of clutter and trash.
7. Play music so shoppers aren’t looking in silence.
8. Be friendly and approachable. Let go of any peculiarities like you don’t want the woman in the red floral shirt to have your favorite chair.
9. Have lots of small bills to make change.
10. Keep a ledger and list items sold, and for how much.
11. Wrap breakables in newspaper and plastic bags.
12. Don’t be afraid to lower your prices.

Happy sales to you!