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| via Saving to be Rich |
So garage sales season is upon us again. I have seen any number of articles on how to improve sales, but usually I skim right by them. Until, that is, I had my own garage sale, and lackluster sales convinced me that I was doing something wrong.
So here are a few of the more interesting/outrageous guidelines that I have seen, which may help you whether you're selling or buying.
1. When haggling, have your cash in your hand before you begin.
Apparently, seeing and touching money releases endorphins, and that just might tip the balance in your favor in a totally subconscious way.
my suggestion: Next time you're going to bring up a troublesome topic with your spouse, haul out the cash. They won't suspect a thing.
2. Play classical music at your sale.
Classical music makes people feel more affluent, so they will spend more.
my suggestion: avoid opera unless you're trying to sell a Valkyrie helmet.
3. Place the good stuff on the right.
Retail stores spend millions designing floor plans to maximize sales. Cash in on their research dollars by doing things the way they do. Their top secret trick? Arranging things to suit the millions of right-handed people in the world.
my suggestion: Alternately, give up on having garage sales and convince a retail store that you are a feng shui guru. If that fails, offer classes on how to maximize the flow of chi through a yard and garage.
4. Appeal to men.
A couple is going somewhere else, but they see your sign. The guy will agree to stop if he sees something manly (grills, power tools, chain saws) at your sale.
my suggestion : Grill food out in front of the sale and sell hamburgers and hot dogs as well. Searching for bargains is hungry work, and men are drawn to grills like flies to honey.
5. Moving displays sell more.
Sometimes up to 317% more. (Such an exact number...there must be science involved...) Put that old record player to use by putting a jewelry stand on top of it.
my suggestion: Have your kid or spouse help with this one - teach him/her to juggle and have them perform (with non-fragile merchandise) out in front of the sale. Give them a hat to put on the ground for the obligatory 'performance art tip'. If it's a really slow sales day, set one of the juggling items on fire. Make sure the burning item isn't something valuable (see number 6 below).
6. Google it.
Not sure if that game unit is really a bargain? Send a text to Google at 466453 with the item's make and model and the words 'price' and 'used'. You'll get a list of current prices.
my suggestion for sellers: Google everything in your sale before you price it. That old Valkyrie helmet might be worth serious cash. And why do you have a Valkyrie helmet, anyway? Never mind, I probably don't want to know.
7. Don't accept tattoos in lieu of cash.
At my sale, someone offered to tattoo me in exchange for a weight lifting set. (Yes, this is a true story. No, it's not because I live in a disreputable neighborhood. Sadly, this wasn't the strangest thing that happened at my sale.) I passed on the offer for many reasons, but mostly because the exchange rate was too difficult to figure out and I dislike haggling. That's the main problem with having a garage sale - right around the afternoon of day two, you get so tired of looking at your old stuff, and so desperate to get rid of it, that you will happily accept live chickens or monopoly money as barter if your customer doesn't have enough cash.
I hope those tips are helpful. And here's one more, just to make it an even number - for a current list of garage sales in your area, go to garagesalefinder.com. Ha! I worked a link in here after all!
Those are very interesting tips. Also funny!
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