Town-wide Garage Sales
As the weather cools, more people tend to get out and more towns set dates for festivals, which are also prime shopping days for thrift, estate and garage sale shoppers.
It’s not uncommon for festivals and their attendant crowds to also be home to sales; where there’s people, there’s generally money to be made. Whether you’re a buyer or a seller, here’s how to make the most of a town-wide or area-wide garage sale.
IF YOU’RE BUYING
The key to successful shopping when you have a lot of sales to hit and not a lot of time is careful planning. Look to your local newspaper for a listing of all the sales on a given weekend, usually sorted for you geographically. Create a map of sales you want to hit, making sure you leave time for negotiating traffic. Remember to plan stops for food and drink; a lot of times during a town-wide sale or festival, local restaurants will run specials to entice you to stop in. You may also look at local stores and boutiques, as they will typically join in with deals of their own.
Bring cash with you or identify the location of your bank’s ATM as some sellers – particularly garage sellers – may not take cards. Make sure you have a plan if your wish list includes furniture or any other oversized purchases. Bring a truck and some strong friends or have another plan for taking delivery of your items.
IF YOU’RE SELLING
If there’s an existing townwide sale or festival you can join, it may be as easy as just setting up shop in your yard. But to get the most bang for your buck, register so that the organizers of the event can let shoppers know that you’ll be participating. This could attract more shoppers than you would normally have. Registration may come with a fee, but it could also include other things like signage and advertising that you won’t have to pay for.
If you’re piggybacking on another big local event, such as a fall festival, place your advertisements early and often, and include newspapers and other outlets in your surrounding areas. This will draw in shoppers who are making a trip anyway, which could mean more money in your pocket. Make sure your directions are clear, especially to out-of-towners. If regulations permit, consider putting up signage along main thoroughfares to help shoppers find your sale and advertise it to people not from your area.
Consider taking the reins yourself and organizing a town sale with a local festival. The festival organizers may be ready to help with advertising and organization, and the bigger the sale you’re a part of, the more shoppers you’re bound to attract.