Garage Sales in Cortland, Ohio (2024)

FAQs

What is the best selling item at a garage sale? ›

Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings are usually the best time to hold a successful garage sale. Consider scheduling your sale on the first weekend of the month—when people have just gotten paid and haven't spent all their fun money yet.

A Few Tips

Aim to have all your items priced the night before the sale. To save time, you can use blanket pricing for items like clothing, books, games, or anything you have lots of. For example, shirts– $1, pants– $2, dresses– $3. Make sure your pricing signs are clear and noticeable.

Many experienced sellers recommend having $100 in cash for your garage sale. Not only is this a good amount to get your sale started, but it also makes it easy to calculate your profit quickly.

Whether you're clearing out your attic, decluttering your closets, or simply looking to make some extra cash, pricing your items effectively is key to a successful garage sale.

Advertise your garage sale strategically.

Start posting online ads and hanging flyers, and a few days before the sale, tell everyone you know about it in person and on your social media.

Late spring to early fall is the ideal time of year, so aim for this timing if possible. As for the day of the week, you'll have better luck with foot traffic on days where people aren't at work, so it's best to stick to weekends. Both Saturdays and Sundays are good options.

Most garage sales last 3 – 4 hours, typically from 7:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m., or 9:00 a.m. – noon. Some garage sales may even go until 4:00 p.m. or 5:00 p.m. depending on how popular it is, or how many items remain after peak hours.

Another significant downside is that a garage sale is a lot of work. Successful garage sales involve (and require) a lot of preparation like making signs, placing ads, getting permits, pricing items, and getting up before dawn on the day of the sale to set everything up.

How to set up clothes at a garage sale? ›

Best to put everything on a table or hang it within reach. Dumping clothes on a sheet on the lawn, only looks like you haven't done laundry in a long time. Clean it, dust it or at least wipe it down. If it's clean and tidy it sells a LOT faster.

Ideally, most of the goods at your yard sale should be on tables, so shoppers don't have to bend down to look at them. If you don't have enough tables to display your wares, borrow from neighbors or friends. Also, look for ways to create more “table” space from scratch.

CDs are usually $1-$2. Books 25 cents to 50 cents for paperbacks and $1 for hardbacks. Jewelry is usually priced 25 cents to $3, but if you've got some fine jewelry, it would be worthwhile to check out a reputable jewelry store that purchases gold and silver.

Sellers are ready to part with their things, so it's perfectly acceptable to haggle on pricing, especially if you are interested in a high-dollar item or have a grouping of things. Either ask the seller if they can lower the price or feel free to make an offer. However, don't suggest too low a price.

Stuffed animals have similar hygiene concerns as some other kids' items. Plus, most parents feel inundated with stuffed animals already. So, consider leaving smaller ones in a free box and mark the rest to move. The lower your price (maybe 50 cents), the better the chance of offloading them.

Use a Fanny Pack

Ditch the clunky, heavy cash box that can be easily stolen, and just wear a fanny pack.

Videotapes - VHS tapes tend to be popular at a garage sale and some shoppers like adding to their historic collection. 25-50 cents a piece is the going rate, and bulk deals such as 5 for a dollar will help sales.