Rummaging through some hints

Dear Heloise: When your church is going to have a rummage sale, some of the people in the church work all week to unpack all the donated merchandise, set up tables and price everything.

What are some people thinking when they bring a car full of donated items the day before the sale?—A Reader, Youngstown, Ohio

Rummage sales are hectic enough without having to sort and price items at the last minute. Here are some hints for putting together a successful sale: Organize like pieces together. Set up a vignette that tells a story: A chair with a blanket, a book, a big iced tea glass and a table looks cozy, and people will be inspired to buy the setup.

Have plenty of change on hand. Price things expecting that people will haggle. That’s OK. The goal is to clear out clutter, and people are always looking for bargains.

Most baby items and clothes sell well; other clothing items may not. Pricing paperbacks “five/$1” will move them out; bulk pricing for other items will work well, too!—Heloise

OH NO!

Dear Heloise: There can be some confusion when making the “o” & “zero” differentiation. For years I have used the European stratagem of putting a slash through the zero.—Peter B., via email

Great, Peter! Often called “zero slash” or “slash zero,” you can make this symbol in Windows by holding down the Alt key, then typing “0216” for capital, or Alt plus 0248 for lowercase.—Heloise