A garage sale as any other sale is extremely dependent on advertising. There are some methods that are tried and true as well as some new ones that are growing in popularity. This is a list of the top five methods, including advantages and disadvantages, so that you can make an informed decision on what method, or combination of methods, will most benefit your garage sale.
The key methods are:
Free Bulletin Boards :What many people enjoy most about these is that they are free and they appeal to a moderately sized audience who are local. There are many community bulletin boards to place your flyer including churches, grocery stores, and coin-operated laundry facilities. The down side of these is that there is no guarantee that it won’t be covered by another bulletin/flyer or there may not be a lot of traffic that is actually looking for a garage sale. Also, the shopper would still have to either remember the directions you’ve printed on your flyer, or go home and remember to look up the address.
Yard/Garage Sale Signs :This method is very popular because it is low cost and very effective. Many prefabricated signs cost as little as five dollars each. The signs result in many impulse stoppers which can mean impulse buyers…this helps the signs pay for themselves. Another advantage is that they point the shopper in the right direction. A major disadvantage is that many areas around the country have laws that limit the number of signs that are able to be put up. Be sure to check with your local community laws before your sale so that you don’t get a citation (these eat away at your profits). Also the more signs you buy the more this method costs, so keep these things in mind when purchasing your signs.
Newspaper Ad :The local news paper reaches a large amount of local people in a short amount of time. This is a great method for smaller communities. They are decreasing in popularity because they are being accepted less and less as a cost effective means of advertising for a garage sale. They usually need another method to make it easier for shoppers to stop by.
Online Classified Ad :These ads are gaining popularity because they are often free. They also bring a large amount of viewers. Many are reluctant because searchers must search not only through many subheadings, but also through many listings that may not be relevant to their location. Often times they are not sorted by location. They also usually have no map link to aid a potential shopper to find the sale.
Garage Sale Website :Websites created for the sole purpose of advertising garage sales are growing in popularity. Most are free or offer services for less than five dollars (a fraction of the cost of a newspaper ad). They allow you to list as early as you’d like and it’s one flat fee if there is one. There are often standard forms that take less than five minutes to fill out. They offer free mapping options or pay a small fee for the option. They allow you to market to your target consumer by offering description options. Many people don’t know about them yet so while the traffic is slowly increasing to these sites, sometimes there is only a little traffic from them. With fees so small to none, and very little time to post they are still well worth it.
Of all key methods to advertise a sale, there is no absolute best key method. As with anything, the better you advertise, the more your potential for greater profit. The best methods are usually created when the key methods are combined.
Don’t forget to keep your local laws in mind when planning your entire yard sale. Check your state’s website for more information.
Good luck on your garage sale!
©Michelle Dodd
M.Dodd is a garage saler/shopper who has a goal to improve the quality of inexpensive garage sale advertising nationwide. She is also trying to make it easier for people trying to locate the sales by making one place to search and map garage sales. Visit her website at [http://www.AwesomeGarageSale.com] to find out more or post your sale.
Author: M. Dodd
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